Old timers: Manchester United's Paul Scholes goes past Sunderland's Steed MalbranqueSteve Bruce has never overcome his mentor and former manager Sir Alex Ferguson in the Premier League, yet he will not have coaxed a better performance out of a team against Manchester United than the one Sunderland produced yesterday.
By the end, as Sir Alex Ferguson acknowledged, it was to United's credit that they stood firm amid the onslaught and gained a precious point against a team now becoming a significant obstacle for the Premier League's elite.
Manchester City have fallen at this ground and Arsenal and Liverpool have been held by Sunderland in recent weeks so, in reality, there should be no great surprise that Bruce's men matched their opponents yesterday.
'That's as close as we'll get,' sighed a frustrated Bruce afterwards reflecting on his record against Ferguson.
'It might never happen but I'm delighted with the way we played. We couldn't have had a more difficult run of late and I can't tell you how hard we've worked for the eight points we've achieved from those games.'
Indeed, the manner in which they set about Manchester United could only be admired.
From the off they dominated the match and forced Ferguson wholly to rethink his tactical approach to the game.
Quizzed on why could not win, Ferguson, went immediately and characteristically on the offensive. 'Did Sunderland play well?' he asked, aggressively and rhetorically.
'You have to give them credit.'
Back in business: Rio Ferdinand made it two consecutive games for the first time since AprilHe went on to admit that his side has started 'awfully,' which was undeniable.
They had been subject to unusual preparations, when the roof of their dressing room fell in after a sewage pipe collapsed.
The effluent overflow prompted a predictable outbreak of toilet humour and delayed kick-off by 20 minutes but was not enough to explain the slowness of United's start.
Sunderland began in a frenzy of attacking energy and sustained the impetus throughout the first half.
With Lee Cattermole showing some discretion - at last - in the tackle without diminishing his determination and Jordan Henderson matching his combative display, Sunderland dominated midfield.
Steed Malbranque provided a beguiling combination of creativity and intensity and the trio utterly overwhelmed Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher.
A man short in midfield, United sacrificed and, such was Sunderland's workrate, they could not retain the ball even when they won it back.
Turner the screw: Sunderland's Michael Turner puts in a strong challenge on United's Dimitar BerbatovIn fact, Sunderland had everything but the end product and Malbranque will rue his miss on 15 minutes, made all the more painful for the excellence that preceded it.
Cattermole advanced aggressively and released Malbranque, who brushed aside a challenge from Nemanja Vidic and sprinted goalwards.
With just Edwin van der Sar to beat, he allowed the United goalkeeper to smother his shot eight yards out.
'I think Steed thought he was offside,' said Bruce in mitigation.
'But overall his performance was terrific. We needed a break today, to take one of the chances. That's our Achilles heel, that we rely on Darren Bent a little too much and we need someone else to step up.
'
In the immediate aftermath of that incident, Vidic looked rattled and a minute later he resorted to a rugby tackle to stop Bent.
By the end he was proving a redoubtable last line of defence for United.
Nevertheless, so bewildered were they in the opening 20 minutes that Ferguson abandoned his 4-4-2 formation and pushed Federico Macheda out wide on the left.
That only left Michael Owen more isolated and ineffectual as a lone striker.
A bereft figure, he was withdrawn for Dimitar Berbatov at half time.
Up for it: Manchester United's Javier Hernandez vies with Sunderland's Ahmed ElmohamadySunderland came agonisingly close again on 37 minutes, Cattermole releasing Bolo Zenden, whose powerful strike from 20 yards rebounded off Van der Sar's post.
All United could produce in response was a lame free-kick from Nani. Berbatov's introduction brought a near-instant response, referee Chris Foy correctly ruling that the Bulgarian was offside when he deflected in Scholes' strike.
Sunderland soon recovered some of their first-half zest with Malbranque's long-range strike on 67 minutes needing a deflection to divert it onto the roof of the net.
Titus Bramble then found Phil Bardsley in space on the left and the full back fired over a decent cross only for England forward Bent to strike it wide from close range.
United countered in some style.
Nani had a 40-yard dipping striker parried away by Simon Mignolet and Javier Hernandez's sharp turn of pass released Berbatov on 82 minutes, his 20-yarder just wide.
Such was the bullishness of Bruce that he introduced extra striker Asamoah Gyan and he soon forced a smart save from Van der Sar from an overhead kick.
Although there was a nasty moment for Sunderland in injury time when Vidic headed goalwards, the home crowd willed their team on with a noise reminiscent of the old Roker Roar.
source :dailymail
