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SPURS TWICE PEGGED back Manchester United to deny Erik ten Hag’s men victory as Sir Jim Ratcliffe attended his first match since agreeing a partial takeover of the club.
The billionaire’s agreement to buy a 25 per cent stake and take control of football operations has brought some hope to a club that has fallen off the top of the English game under owners the Glazers.
But it is a long way back and fans will continue to protest the Americans’ involvement, no matter how diminished, with Ratcliffe getting a first-hand look at the challenge he is taking on in today’s 2-2 draw with Spurs.
The 71-year-old, who grew up supporting United, sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box at Old Trafford and only had to wait three minutes to celebrate as summer signing Rasmus Hojlund hammered home.
Richarlison headed in an equaliser from a corner – his sixth goal in as many Premier League matches – but Marcus Rashford smartly put the hosts back ahead in the 40th minute.
Cristian Romero rattled the United crossbar in stoppage time and 49 seconds into the second half Rodrigo Bentancur slammed Spurs level, capitalising on some lax home defending.
Ange Postecoglou’s visitors looked most likely to win it but United avoided a 10th Premier League loss of the season in front of Ratcliffe and his INEOS team.
Things had got off to an ideal start from a United perspective.
Andre Onana – playing his final match before heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations – collected a cross and threw wide to Alejandro Garnacho, who played onto Bruno Fernandes.
The skipper put Rashford behind to drive forward and then cut inside, with Destiny Udogie’s eventual challenge taking the ball into Hojlund’s path rather than halting the counter.
The 20-year-old Dane moved the ball away from Spurs defenders, steadied himself with another touch before thundering a left-footed drive into the roof of the net.
Rashford tried to add a second when meeting a deep Christian Eriksen corner with an unorthodox volley across goal, but Spurs soon awoke from their slumber.
Pedro Porro’s pot shot may have been easily held but Jonny Evans had to be alert to stop a looping header from Spurs debutant Timo Werner causing problems.
Diogo Dalot cleared Bentancur’s header from the resulting set-piece off the line, but another corner would prove United’s undoing in the 19th minute.
Porro swung in from the left and Richarlison showed strength in a congested six-yard box to glance home, extending Spurs scoring run in the league to a club-record 33rd game.
Play settled for a while, only for United to kick on towards the break.
Garnacho’s penalty appeals against Udogie fell on deaf ears but the Spurs left-back was soon breathing a sigh of relief after heading a Rashford cross onto his own post.
United’s pressure continued and brought about a 40th-minute goal.
Rashford played a one-two with Hojlund around the edge of the 18-yard box, then followed a touch with a low snapshot into the bottom corner.
The England forward made a talking gesture with his hand as he celebrated – seemingly a message for those questioning him.
Rashford was blocked out as he attempted to add another but Spurs went close in stoppage time, with Romero launching himself to meet a corner and sending a header crashing off the bar.
Postecoglou’s side were not discouraged by that near miss and drew level moments into the second half.
Werner held the ball up on the left and played across to Bentancur, who drove into the box, past Evans and continued to slam Spurs level.
It was a gut punch Tottenham were determined to add to.
Richarlison forced a low save out of Onana and Werner hooked over as the visitors looked most likely to score, but they could not capitalise on their boatload of set-pieces.
Ten Hag made a pair of changes in quick succession to change the dynamics.
The first, Scott McTominay, drove narrowly wide from 20 yards after replacing Eriksen, before Lisandro Martinez came on for his first appearance since September.
Spurs introduced January arrival Radu Dragusin as the match wound down, with McTominay heading over at the end of five minutes stoppage time.
Written by Press Association and posted on the42.ie
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Not the worst result i suppose. Sky sports raving over Rashford, besides the goal he was poor, don’t know why people even run into the box or make supporting runs when he has it, he won’t be releasing it.
@Setanta O’Toole: well he was making more of an effort than usual but I agree that a few of those runs without releasing are enough to ensure that players only run alongside half heartedly. Then he has no one to release to and has to attempt to shoot and much easier to defer against someone who won’t pass or doesn’t have the option to pass. It’s just too predictable. He has skills and is highly paid but always seems to be scowling.
@Setanta O’Toole:
not the worst result for Tottenham. Manchester United are brutal and are a waste of space
@John Deane: yeah, but you keep supporting them John, because that’s football, peaks and troughs.
Another headline could be ” Spurs leave 2 points up north”. It was there for the taking……. truth be told a point each was about right
@Ken Mc Carthy: I agree as a United fan. They were pants in the second half for the most part. Spurs ran out of steam the last 20 mins but still created a few chances in the second half. Defending at set pieces diabolical from United.. We could’ve played another 90 and not scored a winner. Didn’t see McTominays chance at the end mind
@Ken Mc Carthy: Don’t think a draw was reflective on the game at all, spurs were much the better side for most of the game , stats show that too .
@Adrian Kehoe: Yes the stats are TOTALLY AT ODDS with the final score ( but stats are just that really- stats- we’ve all seen a team with 80% possession & buckets of shots on target go on to lose ). I’m not saying a point each was ‘reflective of the game’ ( it WAS there for the taking by spurs )…..but the draw was the fairest/ deserved result. Spurs were out of petrol last 15/20 minutes….. or to put it like this….IF that was a game that went to ET… then united would’ve got all 3 points. Looking at the game as a whole…..United were the more physical team…. Spurs had the more skill/ heart. Not sure I made my point there with any clarity but imo the draw was the ‘right’ result. BTW I had no ‘skin in the game’ / neutral
@Ken Mc Carthy: I understand full well how games can go but I’m sorry there’s not any reason for anyone to say that game deserved a draw in any shape or form , Spurs deserved to win and that’s just a fact , they were the much better side on the night . Simple really
Ten Hag was in a restaurant last night and ordered a pork cutlet. When it arrived at the table he swapped seats, as he realised he was facing the chop.
@Larry Betts: ah c’mon Larry …. Christmas crackers are back up in the attic
@Ken Mc Carthy: At least you didn’t say,ah pull the other one
Utd are no good
Even as a Lpool fan I said Untd would finish outside top 4, even top 6, not that this is an anti Untd rant but due to the way they were set up, no defining system, no clear leader, players who are clearly stealing a living, and finally the imbalance and disparity of ages of players, 37 Johnny Evans to 18 year old Mainoo, this is not the ingredients of a successful club, they’ll finish 8th and then ETH will be sent packing and so the vicious cycle will rumble on ad nauseum.
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