FLO FINDS A SILVER LINING FOR
CLAUDIO
Tim Hobbs reporting
Two goals from Tore Andre Flo made sure that Claudio Ranieris Chelsea
emerged unscathed from a nightmare start at the Theatre of Dreams.
The Norwegian struck either side of the break to douse the Manchester United
flames that had threatened to give the Chelsea manager a red-hot baptism of
fire.
United had stormed into a convincing 3-1 lead before Flo stooped to head home
Le Sauxs centre right on half-time and throw his side a lifeline.
He then completed the comeback on 70 minutes from another Le Saux cross to
leave the Premierships longest-serving manager sharing out the spoils with
the newest.
The early kick-off and the start of Ranieris reign meant the morning
meeting of two of the giants of the game suddenly shifted the spotlight away
from the Olympics.
And little more than an hour after the 100m sprint medals were handed out, it
was Ranieris men who came charging out of the blocks to take an early lead.
Eight, bleary-eyed minutes had gone, when Le Sauxs deep cross was hooked
back from the by-line by Flo to the edge of the box where Hasselbaink twice
a scorer of rare Leeds goals against United chested down and simply smashed
the ball high into the top left-hand corner of the net.
It was never going to be enough to beat a United side averaging three goals a
game but it should have been ample early ammunition to hold the champions at
bay.
But some comic-book defending that would have Ranieri rifling through his
English dictionary for adjectives not usually used for international defenders
helped the home team turn the game on its head.
On 13 minutes a Denis Irwin centre was only scuffed to the edge of the box
where Scholes needed no second invitation before firing in a low drive across
Carlo Cudicini and just inside his right-hand post.
Cudicini was given even less protection just eight minutes from the break
when what was little more than a hopeful ball into the box bounced past
attempted clearances from Christian Panucci and Frank Leboeuf and mis-kicks from
Scholes and Andy Cole for the unmarked Teddy Sheringham to sweep home.
One man who will escape any criticism aimed as his rearguard colleagues is
Graeme Le Saux. Made skipper in Dennis Wises illness-enforced absence, the
left-back led the Chelsea fightback and it was his work right on half-time that
helped Flo fling out the lifeline.
Galloping down the left in a manner that England so sorely lacked in Euro
2000, Le Saux took the ball right to the dead-ball line before crossing for Flo
to plant a header past Edwin van der Gouw, although the keeper will need to
explain how the ball managed to hit his stationary leg before creeping into the
corner.
But Le Saux still drove his side forward and after somehow scooping a Cole
effort off his line after the England man had embarrassed Desailly with a
delightful nutmeg, it was the Chelsea skipper who carved out the third goal.
Skipping round Beckham wide on the left, he again advanced before picking out
Gianfranco Zola, whose deft touch fell for Flo to curl a precise finish low past
Van der Gouw without a tackle in sight.
A furious Sir Alex Ferguson reshuffled his own pack - with Solskjaer and
Brown on for Cole and Irwin - in attempt to stir his aces. But it was to no
avail.
Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, G. Neville, Irwin, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham,
Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Cole, Sheringham. Chelsea: Cudicini, Panucci, Le Saux, Leboeuf, Desailly, Di Matteo,
Morris, Zola, Harley, Hasselbaink, Flo. Referee: P Jones (Loughborough)
Manchester
United 3-3 Chelsea
Scholes 13, Sheringham 37, Beckham 39 - Hasselbaink 8, Flo 45, 70
FA Carling Premiership
If
that was not bad enough for the Blues, Roy Keane was allowed to stride through
10 minutes later but saw his effort to avenge his Charity Shield sending off
smothered by the 'keeper.
Another
sixty seconds on and Ranieri must have wondered what sort of defence he had
inherited as a simple touch from Sheringham freed Cole who lifted his shot
against a post only for David Beckham who had only just come back into the
action after a nasty headwound to bound in unnoticed and beat a static
backline to the rebound.
After
such an explosive start, the game was always going to settle in the second half,
although Ranieri showed his well-documented tactical awareness by bringing on
Mariot Melchiot for John Harley and adding some much-needed muscle to his
midfield.
Subs: Bosnich, Solskjaer, Butt, P. Neville, Brown.
Subs: Bogarde, Hitchcock, Melchiot, Ambrosetti, Dalla Bona.
FERGIE HAPPY WITH HIS POINT
Sir Alex Ferguson refrained from launching into his troops despite seeing them
surrender a 3-1 lead against Chelsea.
The United boss admitted his side could well have been four up before Claudio Ranieris men launched their fightback and had no doubt where the game started slipping away from United.
Ferguson said: The key to that game was the second goal right before half-time. I thought that was a bad goal to lose from a cruising position.
If they had been 3-1 down their team talk would have been different and my team talk was different because we had lost a goal at half-time.
So that was the key to it. That gave them their spur; that gave them a chance to change their tactics and they made it very difficult by operating the three in midfield, tied the game up.
Fergie felt his side were also feeling the effects of their midweek trip to Kiev as they dropped their first Premiership points at home since March.
They started sluggishly, hit back to take a 3-1 lead and then wavered towards the end before wasting a golden chance through Ryan Giggs to take the spoils leaving Fergie relatively relieved with the outcome.
He said: I think they were off colour today and yet in the first half we could have been four up.
Really, they (Chelsea) dominated that period from the second half right up to 20 minutes to go and deserved their equaliser.
Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri needed an interpreter to speak to Sky Sports, but his delight was never in danger of getting lost in translation.
He said through his interpreter: Its been a great game. Its been a very intense game with a lot of goals, and I hope the public have enjoyed it.
Ive complimented the team because they played with great spirit against one of the best teams in the world.
I complimented all the players because they all played with the spirit that I want to see.
This is a good moment of trust for the team, and its a great start.