Small problem for Ferguson
Date published: 07 December 2009
West Ham 0, Man United 4
Sir Alex Ferguson joked that he had to play the “smallest centre half in the world” after Manchester United shrugged aside an injury crisis to beat West Ham 4–0 at Upton Park.
First, Gary Neville pulled up with a damaged groin in the first half. Then Wes Brown went off late in the second to leave United with a back four comprising Ryan Giggs at left-back, midfielder Darren Fletcher at right- back and another midfielder in Michael Carrick partnering the diminutive Patrice Evra, who moved from left-back, in the centre of defence.
It left Ferguson wondering how he was going to field a back four for the trip to Wolfsburg in the Champions League on Wednesday.
It is tribute to the tenacity of the champions that they were able to overcome an injury list of such debilitating proportions.
The casualty list now includes Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, Vidic, Neville, Edwin van der Sar, Brown and long–term casualty Owen Hargreaves.
Paul Scholes scored the first with a trademark screamer, albeit with his left foot, in injury time in the first–half. In the second–half Darron Gibson extended the lead with an even sweeter strike after a surging run by Giggs.
At which point the West Ham door swung clean open with Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney supplying tap–ins after the Hammers defence had been swept aside.
