Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
Going into Monday’s game at Old Trafford when Manchester United play host to Spurs, there’s been some talk in the press and on radio/television phone-ins that the Londoners are due some fortune against us.
Firstly ‘they’ believe that Harry Redknapp’s side who have admittingly been on the receiving end of some controversial incidents down the years, are due some luck at The Theatre of Dreams where they have not won since December 1989.
Certainly since the inauguration of the Premier League, Spurs have found life tough at Old Trafford and have certainly not been helped by a few referring decisions as well as some poor decision-making by their players over that time.
In the league championship run-in in 1996 when United were battling Kevin Keegan’s Newcastle, a moment of magic by Eric Cantona saw off Spurs at home. Cantona’s winner which came five minutes after half-time was a wonderful individual goal which saw him pick up the ball in midfield before driving a low shot past Ian Walker from outside the area.
Whilst there was no luck involved with Cantona’s finish, there was a big heap of it in the build-up to the goal as Spurs felt that they should have had a corner moments before hand and rather curiously Gary Mabbut their captain was not allowed to be substituted when the ball went out of play. Mabbut was forced to stay on the pitch and couldn’t even make a light-hearted attempt to tackle the Frenchman who galloped past him in his run to score.
Three years later on the final day of the 1998/99 season, in the lead-up to David Beckham’s equaliser shortly before half-time, Tim Sherwood perhaps was ‘brushed off’ quite heavily by Paul Scholes on the half-way line. Even though it was a game that Spurs fans’ would have wanted to lose to make sure Arsenal didn’t win the league, there are some who still point that officiating mistake out.
Of course not even the most biast of United fan cannot argue that Spurs should not have come away from Manchester with a win in January 2005. Famously when a late on in a dull evening encounter, Pedro Mendes spectacular lob caught out Roy Carroll in goal from the half-way line.
The ball as you’re see in this video clearly went over the line, but somehow referee Mark Clattenburg and his assistant Rob Lewis failed to award a goal. Martin Jol managing Spurs at the time was rightly annoyed at the decision which sadly cost his side a UEFA Cup spot the next season.
Whilst it’s easy to understand Spurs’ fans frustrations with regards to the Mendes goal that never was, as a United fan it’s hard to sympathise with them when it comes to their league defeats at Old Trafford in 2009 and last season.
On both of those occasions their error-prone Brazilian goalkeeper Heurehlo Gomes was at the heart of those defeats. With Spurs 2-0 up in 2009, a rash challenge by Gomes on Michael Carrick 12 minutes after half-time inside the box saw the keeper give away a penalty. Cristiano Ronaldo converted it and before Spurs fans could blink their eyes, United spectacularly had fought back to have lead 5-2 with 20 minutes remaining.
After the game Redknapp instead of blaming his side for their capitulation after conceding Ronaldo’s penalty wagged his finger at Howard Webb. The referee’s decision was the right one and even if the decision had been wrong, the way Spurs ‘rolled over’ and conceded four goals was embarrassing.
Of course last season United saw of Spurs 2-0 at Old Trafford. After being fortunate not to have been a goal down following a Rafael van der Vaart that hit the post, United went ahead shortly after following a header from Nemanja Vidic in the first half and were strolling to a 1-0 win with six minutes remaining.
On a United attack, Nani fell in the area and appeared to handle the ball after tangling with Younes Kaboul. The ball was collected by Gomes who in believing that free-kick had been awarded rolled the ball out. Nani realising that the ball was still in ‘open-play’ rolled the ball into the net much to the confusion of Gomes and his teammates as you’re see in this video.
Redknapp as you’ve guessed it was furious and pointed the finger of blame at refree Clattenburg – who had ironically officiated the game when Mendes ‘scored’ – and his linesman claiming that it had cost his side a share of the points, despite the fact Spurs were losing when it happened!
Yes Nani did handle the ball, but the golden rule in football is that ‘you play to the whistle’ which Gomes clearly forgot and why if it was a free-kick did the Brazilian not place the ball exactly where United’s no.17 had handled the ball?
Those points Gomes and his manager forgot and there’s no doubt that over the weekend, there will be a feeling that more ‘controversy’ will go-down on Monday night. In a way perhaps there’s a sense that Spurs fans’ might actually want something of ‘ill-fortune’ to go against them, as it will give them an excuse after the game to highlight as to why they have lost the game.
Of course we know that the reasons why they have not won at Old Trafford in almost 22 years and that’s because very rarley have they done enough to threaten United enough to win a game, something that some of their fickle fans should do well to remember.
Monday night’s certainly going to be intresting.
By Adam Dennehey @ADennehey87
