Strange scenes at Wembley as Jamie O’Hara sat, dejected, having missed Spurs’ first penalty whilst Manchester United ambled up the long flight of stairs to collect the trophy as if they had just won the Community Shield. It was a contrast echoed in the pub I was watching the game in, where Spurs supporters, who had been by far the more vocal throughout the match, sat despondently with only the unfamiliar surroundings of a relegation battle to look forward to as United fans already began to look ahead to Wednesday’s trip to St James’, their eyes on the season’s bigger prizes. Odd, really, that the same piece of silverware could mean so much to one club and so little to another.
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It wasn’t as if Manchester United weren’t interested, in fact Ferguson picked a far stronger team than I was anticipating - once Wellbeck, Gibson and O’Shea had been replaced by Anderson, Giggs and Vidic respectively it was approaching full strength - but this seemed like a cup that Spurs wanted and needed far more. They had sacrificed their UEFA and FA Cup campaigns for it, amidst the catastrophe that has been their season this remained the glimmer of light for them and their beleaguered supporters. Alas, it was not to be on this occasion – although I certainly feel that had Robbie Keane or Jermaine Defoe been eligible or fit the outcome might have been different.
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On an afternoon of mediocre football, there were some interesting notes. Aaron Lennon once again produced an infuriating display, quick, dangerous and inventive, but invariably producing the sort of final delivery that has allowed David Beckham to amass 108 England caps and has meant that his name is still never too far away from the words ‘impact substitute’. Ben Foster had a superb game which will probably be remembered for his point blank save from Aaron Lennon with twenty minutes to play and his penalty heroics, but who also performed all the basics well, took crosses, kicked well under pressure and looked a far better prospect as Van der Sar’s successor than the unconvincing Tomasz Kuszczak. Danny Wellbeck and Darron Gibson struggled to make an impression – it’s one thing scoring against Derby, but history has proved that Manchester United can be a punishing environment for youth team players, just take a look at the litany of players throughout the football league that struggled to make the grade throughout the Ferguson era, Healy, Chadwick, Greening, Wallwork to name just a few. The newest crop will have to learn to play on the big occasion and learn fast if they want to avoid playing Derby far more regularly. Despite the avalanche of recent accolades for the first team, it isn’t a terrible time to be an up and comming striker or a central midfielder at United. Carrick will be a mainstay for the next six or seven years, but Hargreaves, Anderson and Fletcher have all struggled to make a convincing case for the second spot. Similarly Carlos Tevez’s future seems to be away from Old Trafford and Wellbeck offers a different option to what is already available. There is certainly hope for both of them, but players just as capable have struggled.
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Finally, a word on Ronaldo’s yellow card - unnecessary, really, and wholly unjustified. There is a thin line between ‘simulation’ and contact in the modern game, against Blackburn last weekend he crossed that line and deserved his yellow card. Unfortunately every game is not a separate entity, it isn’t a court of law, there is no right to a fair trial. Of course, in an ideal world, all players and clubs should be equal, but the realist in all of us accepts the fantasy in that philosophy. His reputation went before him, but it is a justified reputation that he has helped cultivate. It was the wrong decision, but I sympathise with the referee and can understand why it happened. Of course it’s a far easier to be gracious and talk about how hard the referee's job is when you’re winning. Overall, a constructive day for Manchester United, but one that did little to promote the value of the Carling Cup, only serving to enhance the gulf between the Premier League’s two halves.
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