Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United
nearly ended up embarrassed by Hull at Old Trafford this
afternoon.
Four-one up and cruising with an hour gone, Bernard Mendy's goal
and a Geovanni penalty left United clinging on in the final frantic
minutes to claim a 4-3 win from which they took the points - but
Hull will get most of the plaudits.
Not for the first time in recent weeks, Ferguson was left to rue
a series of missed opportunities which could eventually prove
costly if the title race is eventually settled by goal
difference.
"I feel a bit low," said the United boss. "We should have won by
10 or 11 and we ended up scrambling for a victory. We might have
been embarrassed at the end.
"Cristiano Ronaldo could have had four or five on his own and I
don't know how many chances Dimitar Berbatov created. "I suppose
the only thing to take out of it, apart from the win, is the fact
we are creating so many opportunities for ourselves."
Ferguson was fuming at the performance of referee Mike Dean, who
he felt was in danger of losing control in the fractious final
stages, with Wayne Rooney at particular risk as tempers began to
fray.
But it was Dean's decision not to dismiss an already-booked
Michael Turner for a foul on Michael Carrick midway through the
second-half that really angered the United boss.
"It should have been at least a yellow card, in which case the
player would have been sent off," said Ferguson. "It made a
difference." Ferguson was also upset at the penalty award for Rio
Ferdinand's tug on Mendy's shirt that set up the pulsating finish.
"It was very soft," said the Scot. "Their lad was going away from
goal."
Ferguson's assessment is debatable and should not be allowed to
detract from Hull's magnificent effort. Ronaldo's two first-half
efforts took his tally to seven for the season and 99 for United
overall.
Michael Carrick immediately replied after Daniel Cousin had
levelled Ronaldo's opening effort and once Vidic extended the lead,
a landslide seemed likely. Instead, Hull hit back, becoming the
first visiting side since Chelsea in 2005 to score three times at
Old Trafford.
"It's mixed emotions," reflected Hull boss Phil
Brown. "We can take a lot of pride from the game but
nothing else. That is disappointing when you consider we scored
three times. "I was not happy at half-time but we got in their
faces a lot more in the second half and really battled hard.
"In some ways, I have more belief in this team than they have in
themselves. "But I feel we have proved we are capable of competing
at this level. Hopefully it continues for a long time yet."
