ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Manchester Utd 4 Wigan Athletic 0:MANCHESTER UNITED have condemned the anti-Liverpool chant of "always the victims, it's never your fault" sung by a minority of their supporters during Saturdays 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford.
After a week in which Liverpool fans were cleared of any blame for the death of 96 supporters at Hillsborough in 1989, there are fears the chant could inflame tensions ahead of United’s visit to Anfield a week on Sunday.
United responded to the chants by imploring supporters to adhere to the demand of manager Alex Ferguson on Friday that hostilities between the clubs should cease.
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust released a statement condemning “any chants relating to Hillsborough or indeed any other human tragedy”, but making clear that there was “nothing specifically referencing Hillsborough” in Saturday’s anti-Liverpool chanting.
Earlier in the week Ferguson said he hoped the findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel would lead to an end to hostile chants between both sets of supporters.
“I think fans will be on their best behaviour,” he said. “It’s a moment for two great clubs to show why they are two great clubs. I don’t anticipate any problems. There are opportunities to show your greatness and this is one.”
Meanwhile, in Saturday’s match against Wigan veteran midfielder Paul Scholes (37) began this rout, Nick Powell (18) finished it. The bookends to this canter of a win were provided by the evergreen operator who still drives United’s present and the teenager on debut whose ability could lead himself, and the club, to a honeyed future.
“Powell is going to be a really good player who, we hope, will fill Paul Scholes’s boots in terms of he’s got terrific vision, good temperament, two great feet, is quick and is a great striker of the ball,” Ferguson told MUTV.
The quest to become the new Scholes sounds about as appealing as being on the receiving end of the “hairdryer” from six inches. However, the manager’s post-match words offer Powell a clever compliment that work as motivation to keep on performing as he did in an 18-minute cameo crowned by the 25-yard humdinger that gave Ali al-Habsi no chance.
As impressive were the slick passes and simple touches that instantly slotted Powell into the passing carousel. He was signed from Crewe for €3.2 million in the summer and told MUTV: “It’s great to make my debut. To then cap it off with a goal is what I’ve been working for . . . it’s about goals as well, and I proved that last season and hopefully I can do that for United.”
Powell has joined one of football’s finest finishing schools. In Ferguson’s starting 11 were Scholes, making a 700th United appearance, Rio Ferdinand (400th), and Ryan Giggs (the 600th in the Premier League), while for Ferguson – the wisest of the lot – this was a 500th home league game, and the 600th league win of his career.
This was the kind of goal glut Ferguson is determined will indemnify the club from again losing the championship on goal difference, as they did last season to Manchester City. The Scot will glow knowing that Roberto Martinez’s team were dispatched with a side missing Wayne Rooney, Shinji Kagawa (an unused substitute) and Robin van Persie, who came off the bench late.
Rooney had praised the club’s new firepower, before kick-off. Speaking of himself, Van Persie, Kagawa, Danny Welbeck, who won a controversial sixth-minute penalty, and Javier Hernandez, who saw his subsequent spot-kick saved by Habsi, the Liverpudlian told United Review: “Its quite similar to when we had Nani, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [and Carlos] Tevez. We’ve Danny who can play out wide and up front. Chicharito is one of the best at running in behind and then there’s Van Persie, who’s a well-proven goalscorer.”
Hernandez made up for missing the penalty with a 63rd-minute goal, his first of the season, after being played in by Alex Buttner, the left-back also making his debut. The Dutchman’s impressive bow also came with a goal: a run that beat four Wigan players before the ball was crashed past Habsi.
Martinez bemoaned Welbeck’s theatrics to win the penalty and the performance of Michael Oliver, the referee.
“It was the completely wrong decision,” he said. “I can only go on our experiences. Last year we had a player sent off that was rescinded straight away, two years ago we had two sent off. It’s a difficult place for referees. They need to be strong, they need to be very experienced.”
Guardian Service
