UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson cannot explain his team's defensive frailties as the Red Devils fight back from two goals down to beat Braga 3-2 in the Champions League

Record ID: 336442

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson cannot explain his team's defensive frailties as the Red Devils fight back from two goals down to beat Braga 3-2 in the Champions League
  • Date: 24th October 2012
  • Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (OCTOBER 23, 2012) (REUTERS) ALEX FERGUSON ARRIVING AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE PULL FOCUS SHOT OF MANCHESTER UNITED CREST FERGUSON ON COMPUTER SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER, ALEX FERGUSON, TALKING ABOUT HIS TEAM'S DEFENSIVE PROBLEMS, SAYING: "I cannot get to the bottom of it I'm afraid. If you analyse all the goals
  • Embargoed: 8th November 2012 12:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAC7W6444NIR2NVEH4Y4YIU317I
  • Story Text: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was at a loss to explain his team's defensive frailties in their 3-2 victory over Braga in their Champions League Group H match on Tuesday (October 23).
    Javier Hernandez scored twice to rescue Manchester United as the Group H leaders stormed back from two goals down and move to the brink of reaching the Champions League knockout stage.
    Braga had stunned their illustrious opponents with two goals in the first 20 minutes at Old Trafford. Brazilian Alan headed home inside 90 seconds and the Portuguese side crafted a second as Alan again slotted past David De Gea after fine work by Eder.
    "I cannot get to the bottom of it I'm afraid," Ferguson told reporters at a news conference. "If you analyse all the goals we are losing they are all different types; a throw in, a cross and then a cut back and then players free in the box tonight but it is difficult to put my finger on it. But we are certainly not getting good starts to games that is for sure.
    United's Mexico striker Hernandez quickly replied from Shinji Kagawa's cross, Jonny Evans equalised from close range in the 62nd and Hernandez headed the winner 15 minutes from time.
    "I have been saying it for the last few weeks that our forward is getting us out of holes all the time," Ferguson added. "Today we produced some fantastic football. We were unlucky to get the goal disallowed in the first half and it shows it was onside but second half we kept a really good momentum to our game, we played a really good speed and got a result, you know, most people would not have expected it being 2-0 down but credit to the players they don't stop. It's a quality that they have always had."
    United, who have lost only one of their last 37 Champions League home games, have nine points from three matches and are poised to reach the last 16. CFR Cluj are on four after a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray, Braga have three and the Turkish side are bottom with one.
    Braga, who bounced back from an opening home defeat by CFR Cluj to win at Galatasaray in their last Champions League game, began in confident style, and their manager Jose Peseiro was disappointed his team could not maintain that tempo.
    "In the second half the problem I think was my team could not control the game like in the first half," he said. "Manchester United pressured more, put players in offensive position and pressed the ball more.
    "I think we gave away too much possession to the opponent. Two goals in the area, two with the head this was bad for us.
    "In the last 10 minutes 15 minutes we believed that we could go attack more times. Manchester United respected us as Mr Alex Ferguson put (an extra) centre back on, surely he feel something he feel Braga is a good team. We could not draw, I think my team deserved a draw here but it is finished."
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