Ferguson’s men quietly build title momentum
The two clubs are so close in proximity that there are more red shirts on display than blue and white tops in Wigan’s main shopping street.
Yet unlike City, Wigan are anything but neighbours from hell. This was the 12th league and cup meeting between the two clubs since Wigan’s elevation to the top-flight in 2005 – and United’s 12th victory.
Last season, United visited the DW Stadium on the back of a shock defeat at newly-promoted Burnley. They crushed Wigan 5-0, a victory which propelled them on an eight-game winning run.
Four months later Wigan were again beaten 5-0 at Old Trafford, a victory which had, falsely, more than 70,000 watching United fans believing that their team could win the title for the fourth consecutive season.
Alex Ferguson’s latest victory over Wigan might not have been eye-catching. It might not have been as fluent as last season’s two victories. And it might have come against relegation-threatened opponents who finished the match with just eight outfield players following the second-half dismissals of Antolin Alcaraz, the captain, and striker Hugo Rodallega.
But make no mistake. United are on their way back.
“It has been a good day for us, no question of that,” reflected Alex Ferguson.
“If you had said at the start of the day would you take being joint top of the league I would have said ‘yes’.
“We know that come the second half of the season we will definitely get better and now we are joint top with Chelsea.”
Ferguson’s team have spent the first third of the campaign playing catch up to Chelsea yet they head for Glasgow for Wednesday’s Champions League encounter with Rangers at Ibrox level on points with Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Further more, they are building up a head of steam ahead of crucial back-to-back pre-Christmas showdowns with Arsenal and Chelsea.
United, who remain unbeaten, entertain Blackburn and then visit Blackpool before entertaining Arsene Wenger’s side on December 13, a trip to Stamford Bridge following six days later.
“We don’t think about the fact that we haven’t lost yet this season,” said midfielder Ji-Sung Park. “All we’re thinking about is winning games – that’s more important.
“We’ve had quite a lot of draws this season which has been a little frustrating – there are games we should have done better in and won.
“But we’re level on points with Chelsea, so that’s a real positive for us. We’re starting to get some players back from illness and injury, and when we’re at full strength, we know we’re capable of going on a winning run.”
While Ryan Giggs, Antonio Valencia, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen remain on the sidelines, Wayne Rooney is at least deemed fit enough to take to the field.
Having just returned from the United States where he underwent conditioning work to aid his recovery from a troublesome ankle problem, Rooney made a 34 minute appearance as a substitute against Wigan.
Yet the England striker was low-key, Rooney unable to add to his impressive tally of nine goals in 11 previous appearances against Wigan.
Rooney is scheduled to play against Rangers and, if all goes to plan, it will be his first 90-minute outing for his club for more than two months.
Much has happened in those nine weeks since Rooney helped United defeat Liverpool 3-2 on September 19. He has celebrated his 25th birthday while Ferguson revealed Rooney wanted to quit Old Trafford before the player performed a U-turn and agreed a five-year contract worth more than £200,000 (€230,000) a week.
Jeers, mostly from where Wigan’s small pocket of fans were seated, could be heard when Rooney replaced Park, but there is no doubt that some United fans are not yet ready to forgive him for wanting out. He clearly has work to do to win over those doubters but they will forgive him as soon as he starts doing what he does best – scoring goals.
Ferguson said: “That [the reception] was good – that will be pleasing for him, settle him down and make him realise he is at the right club, no doubt about that.
“It was a quiet comeback, he got involved in a few of the bits of interplay but in the main he just needed that 25 minutes or so.”
On paper, a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford might not seem too bad for Wigan, yet Roberto Martinez’s side are clearly a team in trouble.
Having more than matched their opponents in a lacklustre first half, their defence fell asleep and allowed Patrice Evra to notch his first Premier League goal for four years.
Wigan quickly self-destructed. Paraguay World Cup defender Alcaraz, who had earlier been booked, was dismissed in the 59th minute for a second yellow card before Rodallega was shown a straight red two minutes later for a two-footed challenge on Rafael da Silva.
Both will now miss Saturday’s game at fellow strugglers West Ham, a massive blow for Martinez as he looks to drag his side out of the bottom three.
With Wigan reduced to nine players, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, a replacement for Michael Carrick, added to Martinez’s misery by scoring United’s second as Wigan once again found little neighbourly love at Old Trafford.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
