The Times
January 6, 1997, Monday
Beckham blunts Spurs
BYLINE: Rob Hughes, Football Correspondent
SECTION: Sport
LENGTH: 991 words
Manchester United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
MANCHESTER United, attempting an unprecedented fourth consecutive appearance in the FA Cup Final, overcame a tactically proficient, tenacious Tottenham Hotspur before 52,495 spectators at Old Trafford yesterday. They then learnt that their visitors in the next round will be the other London branch of perseverance, Wimbledon FC, assuming no heroics from Crewe Alexandra when their third-round tie is played.
However, we must hail the spirit and ingenuity with which Tottenham made such a game of it yesterday. They arrived without six quality players - Sheringham, Armstrong, Anderton, Scales, Mabbutt and Iversen. Moreover, Tottenham have now travelled to Old Trafford 13 times since the start of Alex Ferguson's tenure and won but twice.
So, even history was against the white-shirted innocents in this third-round tie, which should have been such a classic. Manchester United, winners of the FA Cup nine times, and Tottenham, its holders on eight occasions, share the most illustrious pasts in a tournament that has run for 125 years.
Yet how do you take on United when your team has been ravaged and when it has recently conceded six goals at Bolton Wanderers and then seven at Newcastle United? The faith that poured down from the Tottenham section of this crowd, their blue and white balloons filling the air, was defiance and outrageous optimism personified.
It was later to turn nasty: "Are you Arsenal in disguise?" the fans in white taunted; "End of your season!" the red brigades responded. Why must they do it? Why is it not enough to support a team and take the game at face value?
At least, on the field, Tottenham let no one down. They had an emergency strike force in two 19-year-olds, Rory Allen paired with Neil Fenn, so ebullient on his first outing for the first team. Behind them, Sinton, brought in from the wing, was creative and lent his experience to those around him. Better still, Howells, in the anchor role, was a true captain of the depleted force.
And then there was Campbell. "Big Garth," he was dubbed as a youth; big indeed in the way he dealt with Cantona's opportunities. More redeployment came on the flanks, particularly the right where Carr and Austin tried to contain the pace and trickery of Giggs. That should not sound too negative, for Tottenham came to play foot ball, to counter-attack with pace and movement.
Ferguson said: "It was a credit to Gerry Francis that he could pull a team out of the hat like that. What gave us a little edge was the two young players up front against the experience of May and Johnsen."
Ferguson further identified Keane, the embodiment of cup-tie spirit and dynamism as "marvellous - there was not a player within a thousand miles of him, the way he found a red jersey all the time". Perhaps so, but Keane also has a recklessness that, in the 31st minute, could have got him sent off.
He raced behind Nielsen, he fouled him wickedly and then pursued the ball, raising his boot in an ugly fashion against the outstretched leg of Edinburgh. A yellow card for two yellow-card offences and, come the European Cup resumption, Keane will not get away with that.
United, meanwhile, had profited from Allen's inexperi ence when, from a cross by Fenn, he mis-headed the ball from a scoring position at the far post. Gradually Beckham was inviting United to break through. In the 26th minute, Giggs squandered a wonderful centre from Beckham when he allowed Walker to make a superb save. The goalkeeper arched his back and palmed the ball away with both hands; and yet, from eight yards, Giggs should not have allowed him the glory.
By half-time, United became almost a 4-2-4 attacking formation, with Cantona wide on the left, Beckham on the right and Giggs doing what Cantona seemed reluctant to do - playing through the middle close to Cole.
Spurs had grown in confidence, had moved the ball impressively before half-time. But, just after, came the breakthrough. Beckham initiated it, Cole, with his best moment of the match, provided the through ball and Scholes scored with a sharp, low shot from an acute angle.
"Pass the ball to the net" was a piece of advice one Bill Nicholson, the manager of the great push-and-run Tottenham side, used to advise Jimmy Greaves. Scholes looked quite a pupil.
But Beckham was to finish the match as a contest nine minutes from time with a peerless free kick. We talk of Brazilians being able to conjure bias and swerve at their will on a dead ball. Beckham can do that, too.
Calderwood, lucky not to receive his second caution when he brought down Giggs, was punished when Beckham addressed the free kick from 27 yards. He ran at it side on, he used the instep of his right foot, yet he produced not only the guile and spin, but also tremendous ferocity, giving Walker not a ghost of a chance as the ball arced into the roof of his net.
Tottenham had spirit. At times Fenn looked a player for the present rather than the future. He gave May a hard time, and later we learnt that the United defender will have an operation today on a hernia problem that has troubled him for two months.
Irwin, taken off with a hamstring strain, may also miss the next match, which happens to be next Sunday, against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. "People think our season is over," Francis said. "It hurts to be out of the Cup at the first attempt, but those players did us proud today. It's not unrealistic for us to aim to finish high enough in the league to reach Europe."
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-1-1): P Schmeichel - G Neville, D May, R Johnsen, D Irwin (sub, B McClair, 55min) - D Beckham, R Keane, P Scholes, R Giggs - E Cantona - A Cole (sub: O Solskjaer, 77).
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (5-1-2-2): I Walker - S Carr, D Austin, C Calderwood, S Campbell, J Edinburgh - D Howells - A Nielsen, A Sinton - R Allen, N Fenn.
Referee: S Lodge.
