A Disappointing Night in Glasgow

By: Wayne Farry | November 6th, 2008

Champions League, Group Stage
Parkhead, Glasgow
Celtic 1 -1 Man Utd

Some may think the headline sounds over-dramatic but I was so incredibly frustrated throughout the entire 90 minutes of the match at Parkhead it was unreal. It was one of those nights that happens to Man Utd once every one or two seasons in the Champions League. They go a goal down (in this case courtesy of Scott McDonald’s sublime 14th minute volleyed lob) and throughout the rest of the match attempt to fight back without great success. But although more often than not Man Utd do equalize, I’m always left with the feeling that a draw could and really, really should have been a win. Most will be happy with a draw, as we were so close to defeat. But seriously, these results do feel like defeats.

From the start of the match Man Utd had a lack of creativity. This was in no small part down to the fact that Patrice Evra, Anderson, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were rested on the bench with one eye firmly fixed on Saturday’s win against Arsenal. Tevez played up front, with Giggsy just behind him, while Ronaldo played on the right wing. Throughout this match, there seemed to be no lack of effort from Utd, but for the first time in a while I saw a real lack of dynamism and fluency. Apart from Scott McDonald’s opener, there were no real moments of merit in the first half. In the second half, Berba was brought on but there was still no fluency. Some of Berba’s linking with John O’Shea was off and it was so annoying to watch. When Evra and Rooney came on for Rafael and an annoyed Tevez respectively things improved. As you’d expect Evra spent his evening parading up the wing either with or in chase of the ball. While Rooney had some nice shots and even in the cauldron of Parkhead seemed very cool and calm. Man Utd spent the entire evening either knocking in poor crosses to the heads of McManus and co. or giving the ball to Ronaldo to shoot.

He was going nowhere with his shots but thankfully, he didn’t give up, surprise surprise, eh? He received the ball about 30 yards out and rifled a shot at Boruc, it was a rasping shot but one that you’d have expected Boruc to catch, instead he punched the ball down and Giggs jogged in to nod the ball into the net in the 83rd minute. From there on in Utd piled on even more pressure and although most peeps will be happy with a draw, many will be disappointed as Berba missed a shot from 6 yards out in the dying seconds.

Still, a draw at Parkhead is never a bad result but a win would have been great, and would have booked our place in the next 16. Disappointing though. Giggs later admitted that Utd should have won the match.

You can watch highlights on Taylor’s post here.

Team Line-Ups

CELTIC: Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Hartley, Brown, Robson, Maloney (O’Dea 76); McDonald (Hutchinson 82), Sheridan (Donati 64).
Subs not used: Brown, Naylor, Caddis, Nakamura.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Foster; Rafael Da Silva (Evra, 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea; Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Nani (Berbatov, 46); Giggs, Tévez (Rooney, 71).
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Evans, Anderson, Park Ji Sung.
Bookings: Nani.