United scored another late goal to draw 2-2 with Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. (Reports: BBC, ManUtd.com, Soccernet.)
Van Nistelrooy and Brown both played their first matches of the season while summer signing Gabriel Heinze finally made his debut. (The Daily Mirror tut-tuted that the Argentinian defender had cost United over half a million pounds in wages before playing this match.) Van Nistelrooy wasn’t as sharp as he usually is but I suppose that’s understandable considering he was rushed back into action. Both Heinze and Brown fared well, though.
The match itself would have been forgettable but for two remarkable goals in the final minutes. United once again had a lot of possession but couldn’t get any penetration in the final third of the field. Indeed, United barely tested the Bolton keeper in the first half. Scholes had a shot charged down in the 34th minute but otherwise most of United’s attacks petered out when passes went astray or one-twos went one without the two.
United finally broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when Silvestre headed Giggs’ corner invitingly into the six-yard box for Heinze to hook into the net (pix). (Gary Neville will no doubt feel his status as United’s highest-scoring fullback will now be under serious threat.)
The lead didn’t last long as Bolton levelled six minutes after the break. An Okocha pass found its way to Nolan who scored with his head after his first attempt was saved by Howard. United’s defenders were left claiming in vain for offside but I don’t think they had a case.
Defence that offends
United’s defence just went to pieces after the goal with Silvestre being the main culprit. Ferguson should keep a videotape of the Frenchman’s horrible second-half performance to use as leverage during contract renegotiations. The defender gave the ball away in dangerous positions twice and then had a hand in one of the most farcical goals United have ever conceded.
Ferdinand, challenging Heinze for a header in the United box, clattered into Howard when the keeper tried to collect the ball. Silvestre tried to clear the resulting loose ball but he was inadvertently dispossessed when Howard instinctively swatted the ball away. Ferdinand reacted the quickest to that comedy of errors to gleefully score one of the easiest goals of his 17-year professional career. Howard was left pounding the ground in frustration with his fists while Silvestre could only stare in disbelief at the ball nestling in the back of the net.
Game over? No, Bolton managed to come up with something equally farcical to gift United the equaliser in the final moments of injury-time. A short corner by Giggs led to a Ronaldo cross and Smith dove to head the ball into the middle of the packed six-yard area. The ball rebounded off Bellion’s arm and this led to another comical piece of defending. Bolton defender Hunt, shielding the loose ball from Bellion, was expecting his keeper to collect the ball while his keeper was expecting his defender to clear it. Both were left nonplussed when the ball spun, hit Hunt and rebounded into the net.
United snatched a point but worryingly, this is one of the worst starts the team has made. I know, I know. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. But United aren’t playing well right now and the league leaders, Arsenal, look absolutely rampant. The gap is now nine points and you have to keep in mind Arsenal went undefeated last season and they’re thus far unbeaten in this campaign as well. United meet Arsenal on October 24 and I think the result of that match will be absolutely crucial.
Hair apparent
One final note: Ronaldo was the only United player to stand out in this match (and not just for his attacking verve). The kid from Madeira came on in the 63th minute and earned ooh-aahs 10 minutes later. He displayed his repertoire of tricks to sucker Campo into a futile tackle then cut inside to smash a shot which Jaaskelainen did brilliantly to save (with an assist from the crossbar). ManUtd.com reports that piece of skill was sufficiently sublime to earn applause even from Bolton fans and I could understand why they were thus moved. It’s a pity ESPN’s Football Focus doesn’t have an Almost Goal of the Week award.
The other notable thing about Ronaldo today was his hairstyle. Having taken Beckham’s number and position, Ronaldo has apparently taken it upon himself to outdo Beckham’s various exotic hairstyles as well. I’m not sure what the Portuguese teenager’s current hairstyle is called but it was very … “challenging.”
(That’s the word art critics use when they don’t get it, right?)
