Post Match Comments
Audio Match ReportMonday 1st January 2001
FA PREMIER LEAGUE
Old Trafford
Attendance:67,603
Referee: P Jones MAN UTD3Solskjaer 2 min S Pearce(OG) 33 Yorke 57 WEST HAM1Kanoute 72 BARTHEZ G. NEVILLE BECKHAM GIGGS P NEVILLE KEANE SCHOLES YORKE SOLSKJAER BROWN SILVESTRE Subs: BUTT 71 VAN DER GOUW WALLWORK 61 CLEGG GREENING 61 HISLOP S.PEARCE SINCLAIR LOMAS KANOUTE SONG MONCUR WINTERBURN LAMPARD CARRICK CAMARA Subs: POTTS FORREST DIAWARA COLE 46 TIHINEN 46
Harry Redknapp has admitted that he has received a bid of £3.5m from Manchester City for Steve Lomas - and claims that Everton are also in the hunt for him.
Speaking after the 3-1 defeat by Manchester United on monday night, he said:
"Manchester City have made an offer for him and Everton are also interested.
"I don't want to lose Steve, though his wife is from Manchester, and if he told me he wanted to go back I wouldn't stand in his way. But I haven't spoken to him about it yet."
Steve said last week, however, that he was very settled at Upton Park.
Harry insists, however, that Paolo di Canio is going nowhere, despite reports that Lazio had bid - and his absence from Old Trafford.
He says:
"The doctor has seen him; he has a cold. There are no hidden secrets - he is not going anywhere. There is no chance of him moving.
"I hear Alex wants him, but I don't know where he'd fit into their side!"
It is the incomings that Harry is more concerned about, and he has reiterated his interest in Rangers' centre half Lorenzo Amoruso.
The player himself has declared he would be interested in a move south, and with the winter break in Scotland, there is a possibility that business could be done. Says Harry:
"I am interested in him. We don't have any centre halves at the moment so it is a problem."
As for Manchester United following another awesome display, he says:
"I thought they were tremendous; it was an object lesson in how to play.
"But it was the worst possible start when Rigobert should have cleared the ball.
That's all you need, to be one down at Old Trafford with only 2 minutes gone.
"Every time they got the ball it seemed they had 4 players around them, and when they lose it they work so hard to get it back.
"David Beckham kept coming inside off the line which made it difficult for Nigel Winterburn.
"There is not a chance of them losing an 11 point lead. They are a fantastic team and way ahead of anyone else in the country.
"But basic errors let us down - it is nothing to do with what system you play.
"Other clubs have spent £60m or £70m trying to catch them and are nowhere near them."
And Sir Alex Ferguson added: "It was a surprise gift early on - you don't expect that from West Ham. "But they are a very good side and we had to work hard against them."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took less than three minutes to break the ice at Manchester United's New Year's Day party at Old Trafford.
The Norwegian striker punished some appalling West Ham defending to score his sixth goal in seven league appearances and 10th of the season in all competitions.
Rigobert Song was the culprit for the Hammers, embarking on a perilous run across his own box before his clearance was charged down by David Beckham. The Cameroon international had a further chance to clear his lines but hesitated fatally and was robbed by Solskjaer, who buried a shot in the opposite corner of the net.
Five minutes later, Dwight Yorke fired narrowly wide from a similar position and West Ham breathed a sigh of relief.
But there was no let-up for the visitors. Stuart Pearce clattered Paul Scholes in Beckham territory 25 yards out - the veteran defender was booked - and Shaka Hislop was forced to pull off a good save low to his right from the current England captain's free-kick.
Harry Redknapp's side had not mounted a meaningful attack before Hislop was again called into action, tipping over a fierce curling effort from Beckham wide on the left. From the corner, Beckham found possession in a similar position but this time his effort was narrowly wide.
United went into the game knowing a victory would take them 11 points clear of nearest challengers Arsenal in the title race. Scholes, a substitute in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle, came in for Nicky Butt, who started on the bench.
West Ham were without their Italian striker, Paolo di Canio, who did not travel north as he was suffering from a heavy cold. The Hammers can have been in no doubt about the size of their task - they had lost all previous seven visits to Old Trafford since the start of the Premiership in 1992.
West Ham could not get to grips with Beckham, who was finding space all over the field.
In the 23rd minute his trademark cross from the right found the head of Yorke six yards out with Hislop in no man's land.
Old Trafford rose almost as one but Song produced an overhead clearance on the line to save a certain goal and atone somewhat for his earlier blunder.
Hislop alone was keeping West Ham in the game, and he produced a quite stunning save to deny Ryan Giggs after half-an-hour.
The Welsh winger, on the right-hand edge of the area, arrowed a volley towards the top corner but Hislop tipped it over at full stretch.
Yorke, after another Song blunder, forced Hislop into another classy save - without the keeper's presence United might have matched their goals in last season's 7-1 thrashing - and it took an unfortunate intervention from Pearce to finally see the Trinidad and Tobago international beaten again.
On 33 minutes, Phil Neville drove in a low cross from the right and in attempting to clear Pearce succeeded only in diverting the ball past Hislop's groping fingers into the net.
United were relentless, and Hislop had to deny compatriot Yorke yet again after a thrilling Giggs run had seen the striker presented with a chance.
It took West Ham 38 minutes to manager a shot in anger. Frederic Kanoute, who had spent the opening period on a lonely patrol up front, tricked his way into space 25 yards out but his effort was straight at Fabien Barthez.
Intro: Manchester United simply steam-rolled West Ham in the first half of the New Year's Day Premiership clash at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer steered the Premiership leaders in front in the third minute, and Stuart Pearce's deflection off Phil Neville's drive made it 2-0 at half-time.
United's football was sublime, and the Hammers would have been relieved to have made it to the break without conceding more.Wes Brown had marshalled Kanoute superbly in the first half, but six minutes after the break the gangly Frenchman twisted away and Brown's lunging challenge earned the 20-year-old a booking, and the Hammers a free-kick 25 yards out.
Pearce has made a habit of scoring against United during his career but his free-kick effort was blasted high and wide.
It would have been amazing if United had managed to match their first-half dominance and Redknapp's half-time tactical change saw Joe Cole come on for Titi Camara in an attempt to at least congest the midfield areas through which United had strolled at will.
However, it didn't take long for normal service to be resumed and Yorke made it 3-0 with a goal of superb simplicity.
In the 58th minute, skipper Roy Keane whipped in a quick cross and Yorke dived full-length to bullet a header from six yards past the helpless Hislop.
If it had been a boxing match, the referee would have stopped the fight and perhaps Ferguson took pity on the visitors as he replaced Keane and Giggs with youngsters Ronnie Wallwork and Jonathan Greening.
Barthez showed he had not let his concentration slip, pulling off two sharp saves in as many minutes as Kanoute tried his luck from the edge of the box.
Those changes certainly eased the pressure on West Ham, and Kanoute finally managed to get onto the scoresheet with 18 minutes remaining.
Pearce sent over a corner and Kanoute got some reward for his efforts with a powerful header which rebounded off Barthez and over the line.
The goal gave the Hammers some hope, and at least ensured a degree of excitement at the finish.
But even when they had further opportunities the Hammers spurned them. Only Frank Lampard will know how he missed the target when he slipped through the defence and lobbed the ball over Barthez but lofted his shot over an empty net.
That might have made things interesting - but United put up the shutters and in the dying minutes Yorke headed against the bar from Beckham's cross.