An action-packed night at San Siro

This is a matchup a little bit more than extraordinary.

With two teams combined 18 appearances in UEFA Champions League final and crowning 11 of those, Milan won the edge by owning 7. However, European football has surrendered to Barcelona's convincing style in recent years.

This is a matchup with no doubt the fans who are travelling to Allianz Arena in May would have dreamt of, possibly not in March though.

The two teams share some similarities despite the obvious dissimilarity.

Barcelona endured a struggling season in local competition as they battle through injuries. Despite gaining an upper hand over Real Madrid in El Classico, it would be way too optimistic to label them the favourite to win the La Liga.

AC Milan suffered from a shaky start and the inability to ride over title rivals had once prompted questions over Allegri's, but they have stabilised via Ibrahimovic and the surprised pack Nocerino, also thanks to Juventus recent slump, and have established a four point cushion in Serie A.

Barcelona playing style is well-known by every opponents, though never able to stop them. The attack is built around the teamwork between forwards, midfields and full backa, which Ibrahimovic once struggled to adapt to. The regularity of the starting lineup definitely helps teamwork to blossom.

AC Milan builds their attack around Ibrahimovic. Allegri plays Robinho alongside the big man, and the regular striker partnership assures a consistent playing style regardless of the midfield combination, which Allegri alters depending on opponents.

Experience is crucial in these occasions. Undoubtedly Seedorf and Antonini are preferred over Emanuelsson and Mesbah. Seedorf's anticipation had nearly earned Milan an unexpected early lead, but Robinho volleyed the ball to the fans rather than into the goal.

Guardiola was well aware of the superior work rate of Milan's midfield. He  went for a more conservative approach by playing Keita and Puyol on the left. After a slow start, Barcelona controlled the possession and began to threaten the injury-prone Mexes and Nesta. Abbiati had denied closed range efforts by Xavi and Messi, but had also caught the leg of Alexis Sanchez after a well-crafted Barcelona freekick.

Martin Jol was right: you have to be brave to award a penalty against a home team of such reputation.

Amidst the frustration at the quality of the pitch, Barcelona, unlike Arsenal, was still able to work the ball past the carefully-positioned Milan midfields, But Nesta and Antonini inspired a solid defence that kept Barcelona scoreless at half time. On the other end, Victor Valdes was far from being a comfortable spectator, and should Ibrahimovic did better with his left foot shot, Guardiola would not only be concerned but frustrated at the defenders who were caught asleep several times in the first half.

Mourinho demonstrated how to beat Barcelona when he was at Inter Milan. Allegri ensembled his theory with a very disciplined zonal defence, and his side looked more than delighted to settle for the Nou Camp trip without conceding an away goal, particularly when Robinho limped off 7 minutes into the second half.

When AC Milan looked increasingly toothless, Ambrosini was increasingly lively. With Van Bommel suspended, Allegri played the veteran Italian in weekend against Roma to build up his match condition, and he instrumented in the midfield against the Spaniard side. His excellent positioning protected the back four, and Barcelona could not regain the sharpness in the first half but only passed around outside the box.

Praises should also be focused on the 35 years old Seedorf, who had been everywhere in the night. His presence helped Milan to control the tempo of the game, which was vital to the aging defensive end, and had also minimised the impact of Van Bommel and Thiago SIlva's absence.

With most of the second half looking flat, Mesbah ensured all the fans have something to cheer about before leaving the stadium. The left back came on as Nesta injured and continued to look incapable to play in the stage of European football. He slipped in the box and allowed Messi to control the through ball comfortably. Once again, Abbiati showed his class by parrying Messi's low shot, but unfortunately to the path of Tello. The youngster was the first to arrive, but Antonini's sliding block denied Tello.

It was a very entertaining 0-0 draw, and the Italians show that they have something in their blood to contain Barcelona. Although they will be satisfied with the first leg score, Allegri will be slightly frustrated with their incapability to capture on Barcelona's lapse of concentration. This leaves them with very narrow margin of error at Nou Camp. Can they sustain that level of discipline for another 90 minutes (or possible 120) in a wider field behind 90,000 home crowd? We shall find out on Tuesday.

Rooney Sends United To Summit

Tony Pulis led Stoke City to a spiritual draw at home against Manchester City. The spirit has certainly extended to Manchester United camp.

Since the 6-1 demolition by Mancini's team in Old Trafford, Manchester United has not gained an upper hand in the Premier League title chase. A growing injury list and the demolishing confidence of young players have seen United lacking the brilliant attacking football they played early in the season.

They strived to stay in the race, though, through solid defence and a strong mentality. The 3-3 draw at Stamford Bridge and injury time winner versus Norwich did not just come through luck. The players' previous success has further anchored their belief in riding over their city rival in May.

Knowing that a win would put them in the main driving seat in the title race --- not only leading in points but also closes on the gap in goal difference, Alex Ferguson relied on Ferdinand, Carrick, Giggs and Rooney as the spine of the team against a slightly dipping Fulham side.

After two consecutive defeats, Martin Jol adapted a more sensible approach as a visiting side to Old Trafford. Manchester United won the majority of possession in the first 15 minutes when Fulham camped in its own half. John Arne Riise and Stephen Kelly halted threats from both flanks, and Schwarzer was seldom called upon for duty, apart from the weak efforts from Welbeck and Rafael.

Fulham flashed glimpses of positivity through Dempsey and Dembele's build-up play. Dempsey right foot curling shot had even prompted a diving catch from De Gea, one of the more promising attack from both sides, but the midfield was never quick enough to support Pogrebnyak, whose physical strength was outnumbered by a solid defensive line led by Rio.

United players were patient, being confident that a goal would come sooner or later. A draw at half time would delight Fulham fans, but United did what they are best at --- capitalising at opponents' mistakes. Hangeland and Riise could not clear the second wave of attack from a Manchester United corner, and Evans cut back to Rooney, who had relieved the once-looking anxious Sir Alex and saved the team from a hair-dryer treatment at half time.

Wayne Rooney celebrates his 28th goal of the season

A more open 2nd half was anticipated by the fans. Fulham tried to get back to the game, but they needed Schwarzer to keep their hopes alive. The Australian stopped an early attempt from Valencia who was released by Giggs' top-class lob pass. Ashley Young's low drive towards the corner was palmed away, before Schwarzer produced the play of the match when he denied Ashley Young's first time volley from a Valencia cross as well as the rebound.

Fulham still only needed one chance, and it's getting more likely when Manchester United started looking careless. Carrick and Giggs' handicap in pace was well-exposed, and Fergie didn't make things better by taking Rio off. This is undoubtedly the decision to be challenged if the scoreline did not go Manchester United's way.

The home fans were getting worried when Martin Jol decided to gamble by throwing in Bryan Ruiz and Danny Murphy. The defensive line without Rio looked increasingly incapable to cope with Fulham. When Murphy penetrated into the box, Manchester United relied on the 12th man, Mr Oliver the referee, to deny a penalty when Carrick's challenge caught Murphy's left foot.

For most of the match Manchester United was the better side, but the victory was indeed a hard-fought one. More importantly, they got the results they need and will look to extend their advantage with a kinder fixtures following up before they travel to the Etihad. Martin Jol would certainly sound positive in the post-match conference but will struggle to rebuild the momentum after notching three straight defeats.

Making Use of a 25-man Squad

In a squad of 25 players, every manager may look to have ideally two players in each position to cope with fatigue and injuries as the season goes by. Yet given the physicality (especially the EPL), the frequency of fixtures of various competitions and the need to adapt to different formations against different opponents, managers do not only have to deal with players' availability, but also the formations' flexibility. To overcome the size limitation of the registered squad, versatility of the players is the answer.

The Italian Serie A was amongst the first cradles of versatile players in recent years, especially Juventus, where Alessandro Birindelli, Gianluca Pessotto and Cristian Panucci were all capable of playing comfortably and convincingly in at least two positions in the back four and they all represented Italian National Team.

Wingers are also trained to play on both flanks to provide options for managers, as well as confusions to opponents. Chelsea famously started both Damien Duff and Arjen Robben in the 4-3-3 formation. Both have now adapted, or even excelled, to play on their weaker foot side. Ashley Young, Stewart Downing and N'Zogbia are some more examples of wingers whose preferred positions are not their stronger foot side flanks now.

Nowadays the versatility has extended from different sides to different roles of the pitch. A versatile player is now expected to be able to fulfill in different roles, such as a centreback capable of playing as a full back or a defensive midfield may need to deputize in a central defender role. To name a few, John O’Shea and Phil Neville should come to one’s mind when talking about versatile defenders. O’Shea could play anywhere in the back four and Phil Neville could easily fit in as an attacking full back and wide midfielder on both sides as well as a defensive midfielder. Kieran Richardson is also a quite versatile player having regularly played at different positions including full back, left wing and attacking midfielder in his time at Man Utd and now Sunderland.

Have you noticed the 3 players mentioned were all once Man Utd players? It is perhaps more a systematic training more than coincidence. Once having a coveted squad with Beckham and Giggs flanking the Dutch goal machine Van Nistelrooy, Giggs’ injury forced Sir Alex to start Scholes on the left side of the midfield ahead of their reserve left wingers. They have since produced or brought in more versatile players in their attacking front, viz Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Rooney, Ji-Sung Park. On the other end, Carrick, Fletcher and Valencia are all emergent defenders since the defenders crisis last season.

Man Utd is now topping the league table in spite of the absence of key members Vidic, Fletcher as well as Anderson, Cleverley, Nani and so on. The result could definitely be attributed to, in addition to their team morale, the versatility of the squad players to cope with so many injuries. Their 7-men bench can also offer Sir Alex handful of choices to inject tactical surprise in the middle of the game.

In today's physical modern football and inflating transfer markets, mid or low-table teams would treasure versatile players more, which allow themselves to maintain adequate manpower with limited budget. West Brom enjoys the service of Scharner and Steven Reid in either defender or midfielder position, while Heltinga, Jagielka, Osman and Fellaini have all played in at least two positions for Everton.  

Versatility brings about the potential for changes which produces unpredictability and surprises. As the old Chinese saying in the Art of War says, if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win 100 battles without a single loss. Versatility could thus be hard for your opponents to get hold of and your team will be more likely to win.

Seldom are these versatile players starring individuals in their respective preferred position, but they are the truly valuable building stones to a team's success. They might not have the 50M label on their backs, but they work their socks off to expand their comfort zones on the pitch. When Mancini complains about their lack of squad depth (What?) and Kenny Dalglish moans about the congested fixtures, please start to appreciate these versatile role players before splashing cash in the market. We should not let money over-shadow the real spirit of football. 

Yes, Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew again

After the 5-0 thrashing at White Hart Lane, Tiote and Cabaye returned to the starting lineup and Ryan Taylor regained his starting berth after a two-week hiatus. Many would expect Newcastle to show their character against Wolves, who recently had McCarthy sacked, and also conceded 5 goals in their last league match. It was yet a rather one-sided first half again as The Magpies found themselves 2-0 up in just 18 minutes.

Yet the second half was a complete turn of fortune as Matt Jarvis pulled one back, with a bit of luck, just 5 minutes after the restart as Newcastle struggled to find the tempo. 10 minutes later Wolves won a free kick 30-35 yards out on their right side in which it also won them a point. Williamson was not able to clear the free kick and Kevin Doyle was the first to react after a bit of pinball-ing to score the leveler.

It was however his manager to take most of the blame. I certainly believe I am not the only one to be in awe to see him bring on substitutions DURING a set-piece defense.

It was tactically disastrous to 1) disturb the concentration of his team to defend a set-piece and 2) remove a tall player (Cisse) and defender (Taylor) and bring in a shorter (Ben Arfa) and attacking-minded player (Guthrie) to defend a set-piece into your own box. It was just past the hour mark and, unless it’s injury-related, Cisse and Taylor’s coming-off could well wait after the set-piece.

Further, he brought on Ameobi for Tiote in the 81^st minute as his team could not rediscover their first-half form, except for moments of individual brilliance from Ben Arfa. It was again quite a dubious decision to take off a holding midfielder (instead of Cabaye since Guthrie more or less is a similar type of player) when clearly Pardew wanted to turn to direct football, again assuming it’s not injury-related. Definitely the visitors would have felt they took more from the draw.

The Tyne-Wear Derby was the following fixture and it was Ameobi the Mackem Slayer with his injury time goal, also his 7^th against Sunderland, which made amends to a missed Ba penalty to earn his side a point after a first-half Bendtner penalty. However many felt Newcastle could have won it. Sunderland had their in-form trequartista Sessegnon sent off at the 58^th minute for elbowing Tiote but it took Pardew nearly 15 minutes to send on Ameobi for Cisse.

With a man down, everyone would expect the Wyneside team to give up attack and focus on defending deep. And everyone should know there will be no better time to exploit the man-up advantage to win a historic derby fixture in front of your home fans to lift the morale of the team after picking up 1 point from the last two games. Yet Pardew needed 12 minutes to make his substitution which indeed was a striker-for-striker substitution – Ameobi for Cisse and Newcastle was still on a 442 against a defensive 441. Lovenkrands, a sneaky and quick forward was left on the bench until the 89^th minute whereas his agility and movement may have carved opened the packed Sunderland defense much earlier.

Pardew could have gone more aggressive (as he showed he could by fielding a 442 against Spurs away) by taking off a central defender for an extra striker or bring on Perch and liberate Danny Simpson and switch to a 352 which could well contain the visitors isolated lone striker. He did indeed revert back to a 442 from a 451 when he was only LEVELLED with wolves but he remained conservative against a 10-men Sunderland losing 1-0. A lapse in concentration, perhaps the only once,  in injury time allowed Ameobi to score from close range but many may have thought until that very moment Sunderland may have done enough to fend off the Magpies and take away all 3 points. Yes Magpies fans may be euphoric to have drawn level at the last minute (who wouldn’t?), especially denying your greatest rival a win on home soil but would you have thought another manager could have brought you even more delight in the same situation?

Perhaps having learned his lesson against Arsenal’s rival, Pardew reverted to a 4411 formation visiting Emirates Stadium, knowing it would be vital not to lose the midfield battle. Ben Arfa gave them a dream start with a precise near-post shot, only to see Arsenal leveling less than a minute later. The match then was dominated by the Gunners and they would only have themselves to blame for not burying the match before needing a 95^th minute goal to see off the Magpies.

If you are a Newcastle fans, didn’t watch the match, you won’t be too disappointed by the scoreline.

But if you did watch, will you be puzzled by Pardew’s decisions once again?

He sent on Ameobi for Obertan just past the hour mark, that was by no means a defensive approach and was actually good news for Arsenal as Ben Arfa was never known for tracking down his opposite winger in defense; Gosling perhaps would had made more sense if Pardew wanted to settle for a point. Tiote, whose magnificent volley sealed a 4-4 come back last season, was surprisingly hauled off again at the 81^stminute (again assuming it’s not injury-related) for Guthrie. And did James Perch do any better than Santon in stopping Walcott? I bet not.

A poor execution of a free throw up in the Arsenal half near the byline at the 94^th minute contributed to a textbook counter attack by the Gunners. Instead of wasting time at the corner flag, Newcastle opted to get the ball inside Arsenal’s box and then they just couldn’t get back in time to defend the last move of the game.

It remains unknown up to this moment whether it was Pardew’s decision to go on attacking in the 94^th minute. If it was, he is definitely over-aggressive, given that his team was constantly under Arsenal’s threat – especially Theo Walcott – and if it was not, then Pardew might have not been able to exert his authority on his on-field players. Either way it does not look good for him.

A mix of contrasting second halves, wrong timing and questionable tactics have cost Newcastle quite an amount of points lately and once again it may prove again that Pardew is not the man to lead Newcastle to Europe.

What England needs is more than Harry Redknapp

The nervy Stuart Pearce did not get out of his seat in the first 20 minutes, whereas his England side looked toothless against a relatively laid-back Netherland team.  2-3 was not a disastrous scoreline, even quite an encouraging one for Pearce the debutant, but pundits will declare this was a night that has exposed the difference in class between the Three Lions and a top international team.

Although fielding most of the European Championship runner-up squad, Netherland was barely fired up for the entire match. England enjoyed most of the possession in midfield, but most of the passes were hardly penetrating, ensuring a relaxing night for the Netherland duo Van Bommel and De Jong.

England has been adopting the three-man midfield formation, which is becoming a trend in modern football, especially when Germany, Netherland and Spain enjoy enormous success with it.  The 4-4-2 formation that England usually plays has a midfield with limited depth and is easily exposed by a capable playmaker. Placing an anchorman in the middle is a sensible move.

However, what England do not realise is, they cannot reach the level Spain is playing at with their current assets, or more accurately, the current squad selection.

This statement does not mean Parker, Barry, Gerrard, Lampard and Wilshere are not good players; but a team would not win by sending all their best players to the field. England fans, remember Gerrard playing on the left? And the apparently-not-so-successful-partnership of Lampard and Gerrard?  The bright side is that all the England midfielders are very all-rounded; but neither of them is a specialist.

By no coincidence, Germany, Spain and Netherland have a very similar midfield combination. There is a more defensive-minded anchorman (Khedira, Busquets, De Jong), an all-rounded playmaker (Scheweinsteger, Xavi, Van Bommel), and a more advanced and penetrating attacking midfielder (Ozil, Iniesta, Sneijder).

But there were clearly no well-defined roles for Parker, Barry and Gerrard on that night. Even though Parker shines in the position just in front of back four, his expertise is his spiritual run-around, rather than the Makelele-style of defensive midfielder. With a partner not a natural defensive midfielder, Parker committed a low-level mistake when he was trying to do too much, that had eventually led to Netherland's first goal.

What they need now is a manager who can appreciate their strength --- wingers.  They have different types of wingers: Pacey runners (Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott), able and prefers to play on the weaker foot side (Ashley Young, Adam Johnson), deadball specialist (Stewart Downing), industrious (James Milner); and a young man with unknown or unlimited potential (Alex Chamberlain).

More importantly, there are a good bunch of strikers who may not be the top of the top-class strikers, but possess various attributes which can get the most out of the wingers. Danny Welbeck is a fan of off-ball movement; Andy Carroll is a huge aerial threat; Defoe and Bent are excellent finishers; while Zamora can be called upon as a skilful target man.

And don't forget the golden boy, Wayne Rooney. No matter as a striker, a deep-lying forward, or even a central midfielder, he is definitely the defenders' nightmare. The fact that he can play in various positions provides additional flexibility to the England's line up.

England needs a manager who understands the players' attributes and is not afraid to give up big names to field the right man in the right position in the best formation.

The Ox with a bright future

Arsenal produced one of their greatest performances this season in Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night and were only a whisker away from advancing. They might have lost a couple millions of match revenues, but the spirit shown will be a huge boost in the race for top four in the Premier League.

For Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the game is worth more than that.

Without Arteta and Ramsey, it was not surprised to see Walcott, Robin Van Persie, Gervinho and Chamberlain all on the team sheet, but nobody would think Arsene Wenger would stuck with the usual 4-3-3 formation.

Chamberlain was assigned a deeper role, playing alongside Alex Song and Tomas Rosicky in midfield, and was given the space of the entire left side of the midfield. While a winger as experienced as Giggs would struggle in positioning when first moving to a more central role, Chamberlain demonstrated his versatility and adaptability with command.

The 18 year-old did not put a single wrong foot in the first half when Arsenal dominated the Italian Giant. His passing decisions were excellent, maintaining the balance between penetrating the defence and controlling tempo. His willingness to track back halted threats from the Abate and El Shaarawy and many was surprised but also pleased to see him making a crucial block on Ibrahimovic inside the box early in the 2nd half, even though it induced the injury that eventually forced him to limp off.

On the other end of the field, he often troubled defenders with his daring direct and strong runs, notably winning Arsenal a penalty before half-time as he was too much to deal with for Nocerino and Champions League debutant Mesbah, putting them only one goal away from pulling a draw. Chamberlain’s bravery in running at defenders is a great contrast to Theo Walcott, who often shies away from challenging the full backs, but only crowds the midfield by cutting in from the byline.

Although Aaron Lennon and Theo Walcott are both fantastic wingers, maybe Alex Chamberlain is someone the new (or next) England manager should rely on in Euro 2012. Most of the flair of England’s midfield comes from the wingers, but Lennon and Walcott are far too predictable in attacking moves. The Ox, together with Adam Johnson, provides that extra bit of spark to bring a new dimension in attack. They could well be the X-factor of the game.

It may not be 2012, nor 2014; but undoubtedly, this young man has a great future ahead, justifying Wenger’s investment last summer (potentially topping Walcott’s 12M pounds by 3M). Nonetheless we have witnessed numerously how injuries could curtail the development of a young talents and The Ox needs to stay strong and injury-free if he is to flourish in the future. No matter what, on this night of mission improbable, Alex Chamberlain makes one big step closer to a probable call up to the England squad.

Newcastle 1-1 Sunderland

A draw may not be the best way to settle a derby, especially the Tyne-Wear derby.

Nicklas Bendtner returned to help lift Sunderland after their last two loss, notably a 4-0 hammering at WBA last week. Alan Pardew named an unchanged side that drew Wolves last game which meant Ben Arfa continued to stay on the bench in favor of the Senegal strikers. A win for Newcastle would have leveled them on points with Chelsea after their loss against WBA last night.

It was a nervous start for Sunderland captain Cattermole. 20 seconds into the match, he hesitated with possession inside his own half before being robbed by Cisse. 16 seconds later his first tackle, a sliding challenge on Tiote, got himself in Mike Dean’s book and it was not wise to be cautioned so so early in the game.

The Sports Direct Arena erupted in the 17^th minute when McClean slid on Simpson near the byline and the Newcastle defender’s fury was quickly echoed by his keeper Krul and within seconds both teams gathered to separate the players. Both Simpson and McClean were cautioned and that was, surprisingly, the only derby-ish flash point of the match.

It was a bright start for Newcastle nonetheless with Gutierrez and Santon constantly putting pressure on Bardsley. However things turned around in the 23^rd minute when Williamson pulled Turner down into the box as Richardson swung in a freekick. Bendtner scored the ensuing spot kick and his 4^th goal of the season gave Sunderland an unexpected lead. The Dane also had another chance minutes later when he chested down a long ball inside the congested Newcastle penalty area and managed to get a half-volley though not enough to beat Krul again.

A Ryan Taylor corner found Coloccini at the far post and his header was pushed away but Mignolet and moments later it was lead scorer Demba Ba who flicked another Taylor corner against the crossbar. It was the full back once again before the end of the first half but his 30-yard free kick sailed harmlessly over the bar.

Ben Arfa became a match-changing substitution when he was brought on at half time for Santon, moving Taylor back to left back, and had heralded Richardson’s nightmare. It was total Newcastle domination right after the whistle but it was Tim Krul who settled the nerves as he made a fantastic double save to deny Larsson and McClean as Sunderland countered at the 56^th minute.

While O’Neil’s men couldn’t double their lead, it was a switch of fortune a minute later as their in-form forward Sessegnon was shown a straight red card as he appeared to have elbowed Tiote when crowded by Newcastle players. It had, as O’Neil said, definitely changed the game.

Tiote finally picked up his yellow card after pushing his opposite number Cattermole over with Mike Dean having no other option but to halt his constant fouls. Yet he had much less to deal with as Newcastle pretty much took control of the derby playing with one more player.

In the 71^st minute, ‘Shola the Mackem Slayer’ was brought on for the rather ineffective Cisse while Fraizer Campbell also came on for on-loan Gunner Bendtner. Colback was introduced minutes later as O’Neil hope to increase his team’s work rate to compensate the insufficient manpower.

It was a lively second half for Newcastle, especially to French winger Ben Arfa as he dazzled on the right flank leaving Richardson clueless at times and only the Sunderland keeper was left to beat as he went past between McClean and Richardson from the flank and unleashed a powerful shot at the near post.

Ben Arfa was again creating trouble on the right wing as he nutmegged Richardson and thrusted into the box but was outmuscled by McClean, who was often backtracking  to double up on Ben Arfa, and Mike Dean was lenient not to caution the winger for diving.

On the opposite flank however, substitute Campbell gave Mike Dean an easy decision as he recklessly tripped Ameobi with a sliding tackle. The Magpies’ no. 9 was the man to execute the spot kick but Mignolet once again managed to keep his clean sheet as Newcastle missed their first penalty of the season.

Just when the Mackems thought they have avenged their last derby (home loss in August), Newcastle took late advantage of what might be the only lapse in concentration from the Sunderland defence in the match to snatch a late winner. Cabaye’s long ball found an unmarked Williamson in 12 yards out and no one was able to pick out Ameobi’s run as he latched onto his flick to score his 7^th goal in 12 games against Sunderland from close range.

Martin O’Neil would have think he lost the tie. 

A Good Team vs A Title-winning Team: Tottenham 0 - 3 Manutd

They tell the world once again how they manage to grab 19 champions.

For the second consecutive game, Manchester United netted three points without putting the 'A' game on show. This is exactly the character that distinguishes between a good team and a title-winning team.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s dipping form continues, when they failed to convert a dominant display into victory.

There would be no love between the good friends, Alex Ferguson and Harry Redknapp. It was a much needed victory for both sides, when their city rivals had further exerted pressure on Saturday. Manchester United was surely the side with higher confidence, given they haven't lost to Tottenham in the last 21 meetings, including the Roy Carroll crossed-the-line save, and the famous 5-3 second half fightback.

More bad news for Tottenham fans were the absence of both Bale and Van der Vaart, after Harry claimed that both should be fit 24 hours ago. Together with the fact that Parker was suspended, nobody would blame the Tottenham fans to be pessimistic about the game.

But football is more than just team sheet. Sandro and Livermore played with authority, especially the latter, to minimise the impact of the absence of Parker. Although Modric was playing on the less-favourable left wing, Aaron Lennon and Assou-Ekotto were able to maintain the supply from both flanks.

The midfield was too much for Carrick and Scholes to contain. The England pair was far from effective when they didn't enjoy much of the ball possession. Nani and Young provided limited support to the hard-working Rooney and Welbeck.

Tottenham had been the more threatening team throughout, but lapse of concentration momentarily had cost the game. Kyle Walker did not pressurise Rooney in the corner just before interval, which neutralised all the good work in the first half and had also demoralised the team. Modric switched off during a throw-in, allowing Nani to run at his back and indirectly led to Ashley Young's goal.

Manchester United did not do too much, but just capitalised on the only chances they saw tonight. 

While the players were still wondering what would have happened should Adebayor's first half goal was not ruled out with an innocent handball, Ashley Young did what he is best at --- curling the ball into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The scoreline is not a true reflection of the game flow. Nevertheless, Manchester United demonstrated their excellent conversion rate, something Kenny Dalglish would envy about. Alex Ferguson would be delighted with the defence, particularly Rio Ferdinand, who was a rock at the back.

In a game they looked destined to lose even before the game whistle, Tottenham delivered a spiritual performance, notably Sandro and Livermore. Harry will still be devastated with the unforgivable mistakes they have committed, especially when Arsenal is quietly reducing the gap between them in the league table.

Harry Redknapp's ability to make game-changing decisions will again be questioned. He refused to take out Saha, who had worked his socks off but appeared to have run out of steam after half way through the second half. With Kranjcar, Dos Santos and Danny Rose on the bench, he decided to retain the midfield formation by leaving Modric on the left rather than in a playmaker role. Surely this is undesirable when they were 0-2 down, and alteration in the 80th minute was not very meaningful. The consolation goal from Defoe represented a desperate shout from the bench to Harry for more playing time, as they are capable to insert some unpredictability to the very predictable lineup developed by Harry.

When both teams have mid-week cup action to commit to, Tottenham will be thinking about playing Toffees next weekend, when they deadly need to avoid three losses in a row to stay in the driving seat of the Champions League qualification race. Manchester United will enjoy their homestand, also hoping Manchester City's travelling miles will make them slip.