Manchester United Football Club Blog: Player Ratings: Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 3 Manchester United

Saturday, 12 September 2009

Player Ratings: Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 3 Manchester United

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
 
Carlo Cudicini - 7 - Performed well when called upon. Was without blame for any of United's goals.

Vedran Corluka - 5 - As Fletcher moved inside he wasn't required as a defensive force. Failed to grasp the opportunity to make his presence felt as an attacker.

Ledley King - 5 - Usually rock solid, King was powerless to stop the rampant United attack. Chased shadows for most of the evening.

Sebastien Bassong - 6 - Toughest game of a solid start to his Tottenham career. He was unable to clamp down on Berbatov and Rooney.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto - 6 - One of the better components of a meek home defence, he was solid, if not spectacular.

Aaron Lennon - 5 - Never at the races after a breakthrough international week. Seemed a world away from the player that destroyed Evra last year.

Tom Huddlestone - 4 - Failed to get to grips with the challenge United's midfield posed. The former Derby man has a long way to go to fulfill his potential.

Wilson Palacios - 4 - Gave away the free kick that led to the equaliser and hooked at half time. This wasn't the Honduran's finest hour.

Robbie Keane - 5 - Whether through the middle or wide on the left, he didn't get at the opposition and was understandably substituted.

Jermain Defoe - 7 - Great improvisation for his first minute goal, but failed to build on that opening. Seemed more interested in baiting Vidic.

Peter Crouch - 7 - Gave Vidic an uncomfortable afternoon, but was unable to get his name on the score sheet. Justified Harry Redknapp's decision to hand him a start.

Substitutes

Alan Hutton - 4 - Nutmegged by Rooney for his goal, he added nothing to Spurs' effort to get back on par with the champions.

Jermaine Jenas - 5 - Given 45 minutes to make his mark on the game, he failed to improve on even Palacios' poor first half.

Niko Kranjcar - 5 - Non-descript debut for the Croatian international.

MANCHESTER UNITED

Ben Foster - 7 - Reacted well from the worst possible start to a match. Was barely in it, but pulled out a top drawer save from Jenas when he was needed.

John O'Shea - 6 - Quiet afternoon for the Irishman. Was rarely beaten by his opposite man or seen in Spurs' half.

Rio Ferdinand - 6 - Shaky at the start, and will look back with regret at the ease in which he let Defoe strike. Rustiness evaporated as the game went on.

Nemanja Vidic - 6 - Culpable for the opener, he made amends with a trademark block on Robbie Keane at the start of the second half.

Patrice Evra - 8 - Exorcised the demons of last season with a steady performance against Aaron Lennon. Nearly scored a memorable goal after burning off Hutton.

Darren Fletcher - 7 - Even though he was played out of position on the right, his tireless energy and ability to rile the opposition disrupted Spurs' rhythm, laying the platform for the win.

Paul Scholes - 5 - Belied his years of experience with a reckless second booking. Before that, he was untouchable. Will he ever learn?

Anderson - 7 - What a way to open a Premier League account. The Brazilian reacted well to Sir Alex Ferguson's snub, putting in one of his better performances in an United shirt.

Ryan Giggs - 8 - Struck a scorcher of a free kick to level the scores. Given the freedom of the pitch by a standoff Spurs team, he wound back the clock to claim the man of the match honours.

Dimitar Berbatov - 7 - The former Spurs star's every touch was booed, but there was more than a hint of jealousy in the cat calls as he elegantly led the United attack. Sacrificed after Scholes saw red.

Wayne Rooney - 8 - His goal capped off a tremendous performance. Dove-tailed well with Berbatov before the Bulgarian was removed, he came into his own as a roving striker after Scholes left the fray.

Substitutes

Michael Carrick - 6 - Brought on to steady the ship after the sending off. His skill in possession helped the 10 men stay ahead.

Nani - 6 - After coming on for Anderson, he had little to do.

By Matt Monaghan

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