Scholes off as United hold out for draw

Manchester United 0 Lille 0

Manchester United’s Champions League quest is in danger of being submerged in red cards as Paul Scholes followed Wayne Rooney in the Red Devils’ European haul of shame.

The effects of Rooney’s dismissal in Villarreal were still being felt at Old Trafford as United laboured badly in his absence against French makeweights Lille.

Now, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will be without Scholes for the return in Paris in two weeks’ time after the former England midfielder was sent off for the third time in his Old Trafford career for two bookable offences.

By some considerable distance, it was the major talking point of a miserable game that will convince no-one United are capable of emulating their magnificent triumph in 1999.

Almost to a man, the home side badly underperformed and without Rooney, there was no-one to fire them up.

Given the England star’s notoriously short fuse and the desire of Italian referee Stefano Farina to dish out his cards – seven in all, including two for Scholes – it was probably just as well Rooney was missing. But without his invention,

Ferguson’s side were poor and not many worse than Rio Ferdinand.

Ten days ago, Ferdinand found himself omitted from England’s World Cup side, a legacy of his poor form for both club and country this term.

The defender was expected to respond positively to the proverbial kick up the backside, yet within 10 minutes of the first whistle, Ferdinand was committing the kind of crass blunder which has scarred his season to date.

Without looking he aimed a back header at Edwin van der Sar which served no other purpose than to give Peter Odemwingie a clear run into United’s box.

Whether Van der Sar was embarking on a risky game of kidology or merely ensuring he was not going to get sent off when he opted to stand his ground rather than attempt a save, the tactic worked a treat.

Odemwingie did knock the ball past him but then clearly dived over the giant keeper’s leg. Given the flurry of cards that followed later, the young Nigerian was distinctly fortunate not to be the first man cautioned.

It was not the end of Ferdinand’s personal torture though. As the opening period neared its conclusion, a weak clearing header fell straight to the feet of Milenko Acimovic, who side-stepped past Mikael Silvestre before rasping a shot over the bar.

Those two chances apart, Lille were little threat, who have still to register a goal in the competition. Then again, the same might have been said of United.

On his 100th European appearance for the Red Devils, Ryan Giggs struck the outside of a post with a curling free-kick and Scholes tested the reflexes of visiting keeper Tony Sylva with a rasping angled volley to end an intricate set piece move.

But largely, United lacked the attacking inspiration of Rooney.

In the young striker’s absence, Cristiano Ronaldo was expected to assume the inventive responsibilities.

On this occasion though, the Portugal wide-man was well shackled. The frustration at continually being faced with a wall of Lille defenders resulted in a touchline confrontation with Milivoje Vitakic and a more long-range, verbal spat with Van Nistelrooy.

So often United’s savoir at this rarefied level, the prolific Dutchman was a largely anonymous figure.

A series of mis-placed passes summed up his evening and the one chance that did come his way, a shot on the turn from Phil Bardsley’s low cross, was easily saved.

The home supporters must have hoped for better after the interval, but one weak Silvestre header apart, the game continued to meander on its mundane course until Scholes was dispatched to the dressing rooms.

Italian referee Farina had already made his intentions clear by booking three men – including Scholes – in an eight-minute spell prior to half-time.

Two more followed in the second period before Scholes, whose tackling has never been his strong point, came in strongly on Jean Makoun. On first sight, it looked like a booking. Farina was close enough to see and promptly sent Scholes off.

The incident left United facing a dangerous game of stick or twist; defend in numbers and take the point or push forward and risk defeat.

In fairness, they managed a neat balance between the two, with Ronaldo willing to run at the Lille defence.

But they could not come any nearer than a Giggs free-kick that deflected wide, a Ferdinand header which forced Sylva into a low save and, closest of all, Van Nistelrooy failing by an inch to reach Ronaldo’s far post cross.