Man Utd 5 Berbatov 2, 31, 53, Giggs 45, Nani 76 v Birmingham 0
22 JANUARY 2011, OLD TRAFFORD ATTENDANCE 75,326
Report by Ben Hibbs
‘We’re Man United, we do what we want’, United fans have taken to singing this season, and that was the team's mantra as the Reds, led by hat-trick hero Dimitar Berbatov, brilliantly and ruthlessly took Birmingham City apart with unopposed ease.
Berbatov sealed a hat-trick of hat-tricks in 2010/11 – the first Red to achieve that since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002/03 – while Ryan Giggs and Nani completed a comprehensive 5-0 win. The gap should have been much wider in a display on a par with an equally chilly day in November when Sir Alex Ferguson’s side brutally beatn Blackburn Rovers 7-1.
Birmingham, already missing influential defender Scott Dann, perhaps had one eye on their midweek Carling Cup semi-final second-leg tie with West Ham, as Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson and Cameron Jerome were all among their substitutes. For United, Rafael’s suspension meant John O’Shea got his first appearance since the 4-0 cup loss at West Ham in November. Rio Ferdinand was also missing with a groin injury, but Chris Smalling confidently stepped in to partner Nemanja Vidic.
Otherwise, it was the team that claimed a 0-0 draw last week at Tottenham Hotspur. And while those battling qualities might have been expected of Sir Alex’s men, it was goals the Reds boss was after. This fixture hasn’t had a habit of producing them of late; in fact, neither team had scored more than once in the previous five meetings. Determined to buck that trend – and continue the Reds' fine home form – United were ahead within two minutes as Nani won a corner off Liam Ridgewell, and Ryan Giggs whipped in a cross which was flicked on by John O’Shea at the front post and turned home by Berbatov from close range at the back post.
The Reds were rampant, swarming forward and pinning a beleaguered Birmingham powerlessly into their own half with a series of rapid attacks and corners. United are not famed for being dangerous from corner kicks, but Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling, John O’Shea and Dimitar Berbatov all pose a threat. But it was United's quick-fire passing and speed of movement that McLeish’s side could not contain.
Michael Carrick was forced off after 25 minutes, the midfielder unable to recover from an earlier tackle in which Alexander Hleb followed through with his studs up and caught him on the ankle. Darron Gibson replaced him, but not even a change in personnel disrupted United’s flow. A breakaway attack after the half-hour mark involving Anderson, Rooney and then Berbatov ended with the Bulgarian firing a shot through Roger Johnson’s legs and past a helpless Ben Foster. A minute later Berbatov could have had a hat-trick, but his toe-poked effort nestled the wrong side of the post.
Gibson fizzed a shot in from 20 yards that Foster struggled to hold on 39 minutes and a minute later Giggs’ goal-bound effort deflected wide via a touch from Jordan Mutch. But the Welshman soon got his name on the scoresheet with the pick of the first-half goals. In the second minute of added time, Berbatov won possession with a sliding tackle and exchanged passes with Rooney, who crossed brilliantly for Giggs to steer a shot into the roof of the net, capping an exceptional first 45 minutes.
Within two minutes of the restart, the excellent Rooney should have made it four. Nani twisted and turned to create space for a left-footed cross, but Rooney directed his header just wide of the post. United’s fourth arrived on 53 minutes with the same triumvirate that produced the third; Rooney expertly controlled Edwin van der Sar's sky-high clearance and slipped a pass to Giggs; he squared the ball to Berbatov, who sealed his hat-trick by stabbing a shot in off the bar.
Nani, at times, proved frustrating – purely because he so frequently beat his man (often more than once), but couldn’t deliver the killer final ball. But his persistence – he never gave up – paid off on 76 minutes when he shifted the ball inside and sent a low drive flying into the bottom corner past Foster.
United could easily have scored more, but a 5-0 win is not to be sniffed at. More important was the quality of the performance. The Reds may not have hit top form for every single minute of this season, but with defensive fortitude ensuring valuable points in tight games and flourishes of brilliance like today, it is difficult to argue United are undeserving of this position at the top of the table.
Credit: Manchester United Ltd (www.manutd.com)
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