No Delight After Turkish Win

ALL journeys must begin somewhere and Manchester United have started on the road to Wembley with an unconvincing victory over Galatasaray.

Michael Carrick’s seventh minute goal tonight was enough to give United all three points in their opening Champions League group game but the Turkish champions could easily have turned back the clocks on last season’s Premier League runners up and leave Old Trafford with at least a point. United were never in control and risked throwing away early kudos in Group H, much as they had in last seasons competition when they were eliminated at the group stages for the first time since 2005. Had luck been on the Turkish champions’ side Selcuk Inan’s first half glancing header or Hamit Altintop’s whipped effort would have glanced the inside of David De Gea’s up-right and not bounce out for a goal kick. Fatih Terim can also feel aggrieved his side were not awarded a penalty in each half, firstly when after only 30 seconds Nemanja Vidic dangled a leg at Umut Bulut and also in the dying minutes when the returning Johnny Evans scythed down substitute Johan Elmander inside the United box. Carrick’s goal came while United were gaining their stride. Afforded greater possession after Terim started with a 4-4-2, Carrick advanced forward, receiving a return pass fro Robin Van Persie. After a tidy exchange with Shinji Kagawa on the edge of the box, Carrick steadied himself and rounded Fernando Muslera in the away side’s goal before finishing. Carrick, who is often criticised for being inert going forward, showed the composure of a Rolls Royce rather than a striker’s instinct. As Old Trafford settled to what it assumed would be a formality, Galatasaray, buoyed by their deafening 2,500 fans, took the game to United. A misplaced Paul Scholes opened up space for the lively Nordin Amrabat to arch a shot beyond De Gea which ricochet off the crossbar. Inan and Altintop also hit the woodwork. Galtasaray’s counter attacking style was akin to United’s own but Ferguson’s men were wasteful in possession, none more so than Nani who squandered the ball and ran into dead-ends. The Portuguese topped off a dismal performance with a missed penalty. Rafael had darted into the penalty area before being clipped from the side but Nani’s resulting penalty was easily pushed away by Muslera. The winger has been told by Sir Alex to pull his socks up in the wake of recent weak performances. On the basis of tonight you wonder how far above the ankle they go. He was, however, not solely to blame for United’s fragmented look. Scholes, Van Persie and Antonio Valencia all were disappointing, though the latter had a penalty appeal turned down after a burst inside the penalty box. Other than three points on the opening night of the European campaign, the only welcoming news for Sir Alex was the appearance of Darren Fletcher, on as a 80th minute substitute to replace Scholes. Fletcher has not played a competitive match for United since November and his tenacity will help prevent United get overrun by more ubiquitous midfields than the Turkish sides’. If United are to progress in this tournament they must improve on this standing start.