Blown it
Fuming Alex Ferguson watched Manchester United fluff a string of chances to fall 11 points behind Premiership leaders Chelsea. And he was forced to admit: " We are not good enough to win the title on that display." United were tipped to crush Kevin Keegan’s men but had Alan Smith sent off as they blew their chance big-time. Ferguson then turned on his team, declaring: " We have dropped another two points we should not have dropped. One win in our last five games is not championship form. I cannot excuse anyone in our club for that."
Neil Custis, The Sun
A Bridge too far
It just gets better and better for Chelsea. United and Arsenal are contriving to ensure the league title goes to Stamford Bridge for the first time in 50 years. Over the last two weekends United have taken one point from a possible six, Arsenal two from six and Chelsea maximum points from both their games. The Blues top the table and you can hear the champagne corks popping on the Kings Road at every slip-up by their rivals. United are 11 points adrift of Roman’s army and do not look capable of closing the gap.
Shaun Custis, The Sun
Poll taxes big-earners but he was usually right
Graham Poll went about his thankless business at Old Trafford yesterday for a £900 match fee and an annual retainer of £33,000, less than is earned in a single week by each of the players he was trying to stop from fouling and cheating. For that less than life-changing sum the referee they call “The Thing from Tring” was routinely subjected to foul abuse by 67,863 spectators and scrutinised by a critical armchair audience of millions who were egged on by a carping studio panel. And, it goes without saying, he was blamed for Manchester United’s failure to win by Sir Alex Ferguson. So, although the immediate impact of yesterday’s goalless game will be the damage it does to United’s championship hopes, and the glee with which it is received in north and west London, the more lasting result will be to make refereeing yet more difficult. In my view Poll got all but one of the big decisions correct. With the benefit of slow-motion replays from three different angles it is just about possible to conclude that Poll should have given United a fifth-minute penalty as Louis Saha was man-handled to the ground by Antoine Sibierski.
Mick Dennis, Daily Express
Poll-axed - Fergie rages at ref
Sir Alex Ferguson last night claimed his Manchester United players would need to be " hit by an axe" to win a penalty, but admitted his side are not good enough to win the title. United were denied two clear-cut spot kicks by referee Graham Poll as Kevin Keegan´s battling City side thwarted them at Old Trafford to leave Fergie´s men trailing Premiership leaders Chelsea by 11 points. Ferguson said: " At the moment we´d have to be hit by an axe to get a penalty. We are being penalised for getting the penalty against Arsenal. At the moment we´re not allowed to get them and we´re suffering because of that." Mikael Silvestre and Louis Saha were hauled down in the City area in separate incidents inside the first five minutes but Poll refused to point to the spot.
David McDonnell, Daily Mirror
Thin blue line - City make their point
Think of the great one-sided contests of our times. The Charge of the Light Brigade. The Little Big Horn. The St Valentine´s Day Massacre. Half the Bath rugby team against Stan Collymore. And then add yesterday´s 134th Manchester derby at Old Trafford. City broke out of their own penalty area once or twice. That much is true. But each time, they wore the hunted look of a fugitive who knew he was going to be hunted down. And then the bombardment would begin again. Yet somehow, as if Eileen Drewery had thrown up one of her famous force fields around their goal, City survived. The worrying reality for United and their fans as they slip further and further away from London´s private title race is that their Who´s Who of strikers can´t score.
Oliver Holt, Daily Mirror
Fowler facing FA rap
Robbie Fowler is facing an FA rap for his gestures at Manchester United fans. The City striker enraged a section of Old Trafford with his hand signals as he warmed up during yesterday’s 0-0 draw. City boss Kevin Keegan says he did not see it and claimed Fowler gets stick from United fans. He said: " You should hear the stick Robbie gets from United fans because he played for the three teams they hate - Liverpool, Leeds and now City." Kitman Les Chapman appeared to be sent from the dugout by a member of City staff to stop the player making the gestures.
Neil Custis, The Sun
Pensioners pay twice
No wonder Manchester United are the world’s richest club if they treat all season-ticket holders as shamefully as they did a Mr and Mrs Marshall, who are 89 and 87 years old respectively. The pensioners left their passes at their Stockport home by mistake for the first match of the season against Norwich at Old Trafford and had to pay an extra £29 each to watch the game from their own seats.
Charles Sale, Daily Mail
