3rd May, 2008

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express

Sky Sports: Within three minutes the Red Devils were ahead as Lucas Neill's ill-timed slip allowed Ronaldo to collect Nani's flick and charge into the box before unleashing a shot which flicked off George McCartney and flew in. There was no sense of nerves around the ground but any remaining apprehension was dispelled as United assumed total control and 20 minutes later they had a second. In amassing 40 goals this season, Ronaldo has scored some amazing efforts. His latest was not among them as Owen Hargreaves swung a left-footed cross to the far post which the entire Hammers defence failed to cut out. It still needed scoring though and a quick swivel of the hips ensured the ball bounced past Green. Ronaldo has not been overshadowed very often this season but Tevez did exactly that as he picked up his young team-mate's lay-off, then blasted an absolute rocket into the roof of Green's net, the West Ham goalkeeper left grasping thin air. But Ashton's smart overhead kick completed a remarkable spell of three goals in six minutes, Nani lost his head. Neill hardly reacted in the most calm manner after Nani had tried and failed to connect with an ambitious overhead kick but the Portugal winger had no excuse for responding the way he did by butting Neill and dismissal was automatic.

BBC Sport: United were helped by a desperately listless West Ham side that never gave the slightest hint they would repeat last season's win at Old Trafford that preserved their Premier League status. And any fears boss Sir Alex Ferguson may have had about a hangover following their Champions League semi-final victory against Barcelona on Tuesday were dispelled by a vibrant performance. If United were craving a fast start and an early goal, they could not have wished for more generous defending on the part of West Ham that gave them the lead after three minutes. Ronaldo escaped the attentions of Neill, and the rest of the Hammers' defence stood off as he raced into the area and beat Robert Green with a deflected shot.
West Ham were almost allowed a route back into the game three minutes later when United keeper Edwin van der Sar was uncertain and Patrice Evra had to clear off the line from Bobby Zamora. And the visitors had appeals for a penalty waved away when Wes Brown handled under pressure from Zamora, but referee Mike Riley gave a foul against the West Ham striker.

Hammers Mad: Ronaldo's cross from the left inside to Tevez saw the Argentinian take the ball in his stride before hitting a ferocious right-foot 30-yard drive over goalkeeper Robert Green and into the roof of the net. West Ham reduced the areas two minutes later. Bobby Zamora's cross from the right was headed up in the air by United defender Wes Brown and Dean Ashton scored with a spectacular overhead kick from 10 yards out at the far post. But any doubts about the result were ended in the 59th minute when Michael Carrick picked up a loose ball midway inside the West Ham half and was allowed to run on before scoring with a right-foot shot from 20 yards which was deflected in off the hapless Neill.

Sunday Times: Curbishley keeps banging on about how many of his best players are injured, but it was reasonable for Chelsea to expect the likes of Ashton, Scott Parker, Bobby Zamora and Nolberto Solano to go for it, with 10th place looking likely and nothing to lose. Instead, they were in no mood to inconvenience the champions-elect. Their lack of a competitive edge is sure to raise eyebrows and hackles at Stamford Bridge, especially in the light of Curbishley’s ill-advised remarks last week to the effect that United deserved to win the league, and that he would raise a glass to Ferguson if they did. West Ham hardly raised a trot yesterday, and had the look of losers from the third minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo conjured one of two goals that made him the first United player since Denis Law, in 1963-64, to score 30 in the league. It was typical of Ronaldo’s season. Nani headed on a long clearance from Edwin van der Sar to supply the Professional Footballers’ Association Footballer of the Year, who slalomed past Neill, surged into the box and fired a low shot that deflected off George McCartney and past Robert Green’s left hand. (Joe Lovejoy, Sunday Times, 4th May, 2008)

The Times: West Ham, who proved to be the compliant opponents that Avram Grant, the Chelsea first-team coach, had feared upon reading Alan Curbishley’s ill-advised statement in a newspaper that he would “raise a glass if United win the title”. It was a performance that is likely to embellish Grant’s conspiracy theories, but West Ham’s supporters would reject the suggestion that it was any more insipid than normal, a performance in keeping with the level they showed in the three successive 4-0 defeats they suffered in eight days in March. Yes, they have suffered from injuries, yes, they managed to beat Liverpool and even United at Upton Park, but, if Grant has done his home-work, he will know that there was nothing untoward about West Ham’s performance on Saturday. Curbishley swerved the postmatch press conference – a case of “when in Rome”, it seemed – and again risked the wrath of Grant by raising a glass with Ferguson in the United manager’s office. Mervyn Day, Curbishley’s assistant, spoke honestly, admitting that he did not know whether he and Curbishley would remain in charge of West Ham next season. He said that “everyone else in football acknowledges what a decent job we have done so far”, but, although the team have stabilised in mid-table, there is little to show for an extensive outlay on players over the past 18 months. Some of them have suffered from injury, but, in the cases of Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy, who, other than Curbishley, has been surprised by that? (Oliver Kay, 5th May, 2008)

The Guardian: Ferguson paid tribute, in order, to his players, the club's medical staff, his assistant, Carlos Queiroz, the rest of his backroom team, the supporters and, with a lump in his throat, his good mate Alan Curbishley, who, he said, would always be a friend of Manchester United. OK, OK, the bit about Curbishley is an exaggeration, but the West Ham manager has only himself to blame if he is prime meat for a cheap shot or two. On Saturday, the lack of wisdom he had shown before the game - when he used his newspaper column to express his hope that United, rather than Chelsea, would win the title - was surpassed only by the mystifying, strangely naive, way he set up his team to play. The upshot was an afternoon of drowsy contentment for United's followers as soon as their team had zoomed into a three-goal lead inside the opening 26 minutes. Nani's buffoonery, headbutting Lucas Neill and then shamefully tumbling to the ground in a wild attempt to con the match officials, left United a little vulnerable after Dean Ashton's outstanding overhead kick but, even then, did anyone seriously believe West Ham had the gumption or wit to do anything about it? (Daniel Taylor, 5th May, 2008)

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