Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp:
"We told the players on Friday that the only way we were going to
win was if we all grafted. The players worked their socks off. "We
got in United's faces whenever we could and made it difficult for
them. "We decided to press them all over the park and not sit back.
We met them halfway up the park and it worked."
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt his side's
midweek exploits in the Champions League caught up with
them:
"An away game after a European tie is always difficult but playing
with 10 men for so long in Rome told here. "We had some decent
chances but their keeper made some excellent saves. "These things
happen. It has come at a bad time but we have showed character all
season and must do so again now."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Portsmouth: James, Lauren, Primus, Stefanovic, Traore, O'Neil,
Davis, Hughes, Taylor, Mwaruwari (LuaLua 67), Kanu (Kranjcar
81).
Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Pamarot, Todorov.
Booked: Lauren, James, O'Neil.
Goals: Taylor 30, Ferdinand 89 og.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Heinze, Fletcher
(Solskjaer 59), Scholes, Carrick (Smith 77), Richardson (Giggs 46),
Rooney, Ronaldo.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Evra.
Booked: Giggs.
Goals: O'Shea 90.
Att: 20,223
Ref: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).
