Anderson finally delivers for United

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE/Tottenham H 1 Manchester Utd 3:IT TOOK a great effort for Manchester United to be their old selves. The appetite and resolve had to be formidable before the visitors could achieve their customary result at White Hart Lane. References to the departed Cristiano Ronaldo are as tedious as they are unavoidable. Having tied the score at 1-1 with a beautiful free-kick in the 25th minute, Ryan Giggs admitted that he would not have been on set-piece duty if the Portuguese were still on the books.

United can cope without Ronaldo, but it takes a batch of strong performances. Tottenham were made to suffer and their last win over Alex Ferguson’s side at home continues to be a victory in May 2001. Even so, the losing manager did not feel any need for apology.

Harry Redknapp believes Tottenham can finish in the top four but supposes that the first and second places are cordoned off for Chelsea and United, with the order of precedence to be decided.

On Saturday, however, he made life harder for his side by starting with Republic of Ireland international Robbie Keane, Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe all in the line-up.

The captain, Keane, stationed on the left, was meant to mimic the injured Luka Modric, but never adapted until his inevitable substitution. Tottenham’s system handed United the title deeds to midfield.

The champions were able to re-establish their confidence quickly after conceding a goal in the first minute. Crouch had headed down for the lethal Defoe to convert with an overhead kick.

With Rio Ferdinand fit to partner Nemanja Vidic, Ferguson had been able to employ his favoured centre-back pairing for the first time in this campaign and, despite the opener, there was an air of security. Many things fell into place.

The skill, enterprise and industry of Wayne Rooney at centre-forward could have been anticipated, but Anderson took everyone by surprise. Following Giggs’s equaliser, the midfielder scored with a low left-footer in the 41st minute after a Paul Scholes effort had been blocked by Ledley King.

On his 56th start for the club, the Brazilian had delivered his first goal. That meagre return on the €20 million transfer fee for a player bought in 2007 has been a great disappointment. Ferdinand mentioned that there had been glimpses in training last week of what the 21-year-old can do, but the fact that Anderson was at Carrington is a reminder that he is not in the reckoning with Brazil for the moment. United do need to see younger players shouldering more of the load.

Giggs, despite having now scored in every Premier League season since the start of the competition in 1992, might not be timeless. Scholes is feeling all of his 34 years. The midfielder was sent off at White Hart Lane with a second yellow card for his foul on Tom Huddlestone in the 59th minute. Ferguson was angered by the decision of the referee Andre Marriner, perhaps because the midfielder will miss the Manchester derby next weekend.

It was far from the most reckless challenge in the player’s career but it had been uncontrolled. “He’s been sent off because his name is Paul Scholes,” argued Ferguson.

United hardly needed the full complement of players when Giggs, Patrice Evra, Rooney and Darren Fletcher were all at their peak.

Tottenham looked puzzled and discouraged. The red card for Scholes simply meant that the visitors changed their approach. With Michael Carrick on for Dimitar Berbatov, United played on the break and, after 78 minutes, a raking pass set Rooney free on the right. The forward easily beat the substitute Alan Hutton and finished with a shot through the legs of Carlo Cudicini.

Tottenham had at least been diligent. With 55 minutes gone they went close but Ben Foster saved well from Jermaine Jenas. Crouch clipped the bar with a header from the ensuing corner. Nonetheless, Redknapp’s side had obvious defects. With Keane ineffective on the left, there was also a problem in the centre, where Wilson Palacios, who is so important to the side, was underpowered following his journey back from Honduras’s World Cup qualifier in Mexico City.

The midfielder, who had picked up a yellow card against United, could not be risked in the second half on Saturday.

Redknapp had cause to direct attention away from his team when he extolled the victors. Even so, he may be correct to suggest that Rooney will be the “big star” again now that Ronaldo is gone. Redknapp had a point, too, when he suggested that Fletcher “has made himself into a top player, wherever he plays”.

It is not sure that United can stay at the level they reached at White Hart Lane, but the desire to keep the title is not in dispute. “There is no reason why we can’t win the league with these players,” said Ferguson. “It’s going to be tight.”