The Carling Cup game between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Wednesday Sept 23, 2009.
Manchester United will take delight in a crowd of 51,116 turning up to watch their B team in Carling Cup action but the most significant of the 25,000 absentees was Fabio Capello. Rather than watch the excellent pair of Michael Owen and Danny Welbeck, the England manager went to Chelsea instead.
Capello’s No 2, Franco Baldini, did not make the trip either but they will doubtless receive a scouting report of sorts. In short, Old Trafford was treated to a reminder of Michael Owen’s clever movement and the rich promise of Welbeck. Owen’s immaculate first touch had been evident during Sunday’s Derby victory and it was again seen here, most thrillingly in the 66th minute.
Receiving possession from Welbeck, Owen returned the ball perfectly, his return pass inviting the youngster to shoot at goal. Welbeck’s finish was exceptional, the ball swept at speed past Marcus Hahnemann, giving some credibility to Sir Alex Ferguson’s eye-catching statement that Capello should take Welbeck to the World Cup. On this intelligent form, Owen deserves to go as well.
Ferguson calls the Carling Cup "an extremely valuable tool in my club’s strategy’’, particularly in giving youngsters like Fabio, Federico Macheda and Welbeck experience and rare starts for important first-team subs like Owen. While Owen’s movement for his 70 allotted minutes was a particularly pleasing feature for Ferguson, Fabio lasted scarcely half an hour and Macheda little longer but Welbeck showed the depth of United’s resources with a brilliant goal.
Macheda, who had started alongside Owen, was sacrificed when Fabio was dismissed, allowing Ferguson to bring on Ritchie de Laet at left-back. Fabio had to go, guilty of a bizarre tackle that would not have looked out of place at Twickenham.
The Brazilian was left exposed when United’s centre-halves, Wes Brown and Jonny Evans, were caught out by Stefan Maierhofer’s persistence in pursuing a high ball. Hassled by the Wolves striker, Brown froze and Michael Kightly, arriving like a freight train, stormed through, collecting the loose ball and flying through on goal.
Fabio tried to tackle him but slipped, falling to the ground; as Kightly sped on, Fabio stretched out a right hand and sent the Wolves man tumbling just outside Tomasz Kuszczak’s area. Peter Walton will have few easier decisions to give this season. Red card. Even Gary Neville couldn’t dispute that.
Fabio still departed to a standing ovation, Old Trafford keen to show support for a heartbroken prospect who had, in reality, made life very hard for the holders. Fabio’s folly was almost immediately punished when David Jones, formerly of this parish, tapped the free-kick to Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who killed it dead. Jones, following up, bent it over the United wall but Kuszczak reacted well, pushing the ball to safety.
If Fabio deserved little sympathy, then the heart had to go out to Macheda. Having excelled versus Liverpool in the reserves’ recent defeat, the Italian had been desperate to prove his worth to Ferguson here. He cut a disconsolate figure when summoned to the bench moments later as De Laet galloped on.
Owen now relied for support from Welbeck, breaking upfield from his left-sided station or when Nani decided to take on George Elokobi, Wolves left-back, rather than Walton, the Northamptonshire referee. Nani will never live up to his own high opinion of himself until he concentrates on imposing his undoubted talent more consistently. Some of his darts at Elokobi were impressive yet his final ball lacked threat.
The best first-half delivery towards Owen came from Neville, who whipped in a magnificent cross. Owen’s movement was exceptional, a reminder of why he remains such a canny penalty-box operator. Shaping to go right, Owen deceived his marker, Jody Craddock, who bought the dummy. Quickly shifting back on to his left, Owen now had his yard of space as Neville’s cross dropped from the sky. Unfortunately, his header lacked the power or placement to beat Marcus Hahnemann.
Other moments signalled Owen’s class, not least a wonderful piece of adhesive control from another Neville pass. The England striker held off the muscular attentions of Christophe Berra before bringing Nani into play. The move petered out but it highlighted that Owen’s frame may be small but he is dogged in keeping possession.
"I told you right from the start that Michael Owen would be a winner for United,’’ Ferguson wrote in his programme notes, praising the No 7’s goal against Manchester City, "and that’s exactly what he was on Sunday.’’
United still had to endure some nervy moments before Owen’s creative class ripped Wolves apart, leading to Welbeck’s goal. For a while, Wolves threatened. Chances came and went. Ebanks-Blake, brilliantly turning Evans, shot over. When Neville then sliced a clearance into the path of Jones, the midfielder wasted the opportunity, skying his shot. As the second half opened, Brown threw himself athletically to clear a dangerous cross from Kightly.
United responded. Nani, released by Neville down the right, raced through the gears, finally delivering a great cross after 65 minutes, that spun on to the post and fell out for a corner. United maintained the pressure. Wolves defended the corner well enough but United went for the jugular, Darron Gibson and Michael Carrick combining 40 yards out.
Here was United at their fast-moving, quick-thinking best, a tribute to the invention and technique in their ranks. Carrick drilled the ball low and hard to Welbeck, who immediately laid it off to Owen. As Welbeck dashed into the area, Owen laid the ball into his path with a magnificent reverse pass. Welbeck’s finish matched the quality of the build-up, the young striker ramming it home from right to left past Hahnemann.
Match details
Manchester United (4-4-2): Kuszczak; Neville, Brown, Evans, Fabio; Nani, Carrick, Gibson, Welbeck (King 81); Owen (Valencia 69), Macheda (De Laet 31).
Subs: Amos (g), Ferdinand, Tosic, Eikrem.
Sent off: Fabio
Goal: Welbeck 66
Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Foley, Craddock, Berra, Elokobi; Kightly (Keogh 77), Castillo (Milijas 46), Henry, David Jones; Maierhofer, Ebanks-Blake (Doyle 66).
Subs: Ikeme (g), Halford, Zubar, Hill.
Referee: P Walton (Northamptonshire).
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