Manchester United’s second-half comeback in their 5-2 win over Tottenham was incredible.
They were 2-0 down at half time but, once Sir Alex had changed the emphasis for the second half and brought on Carlos Tevez, the crowd were up for it and Tottenham dropped back those 10 yards and the urgency wasn’t there.
United had that intensity – closing them down and keeping the pressure on up the pitch.
United should thank God they had half-time to turn it round, but also thank God that they have Wayne Rooney in the side.
He had to play in an awkward position on the left wing in the second half, but you could see how unselfish he is. He set up three goals and scored the other two. He was absolutely outstanding.
However, the big talking point was Howard Webb giving the penalty decision that allowed United a way back into the game.
It was a great ball from Rooney and a great run from Michael Carrick, but Heurelho Gomes gets a clear touch on the ball.
It was never, ever a penalty.
Webb was a long way away from it, but there’s no question of anyone blocking his view – he can see it – and there’s too much of a deviation on the path of the ball to think Gomes hasn’t made contact with the ball.
I think you could see it was the wrong decision from the instant reaction of every Tottenham player – Gomes in particular went ballistic.
Most players know straight away whether it’s a penalty or not, so Webb must have realised instantly that he’d come a cropper.
Yet he gave the penalty straight away, so he must have been 100 percent. It’s simply that he got it wrong.
It definitely changed the course of the game. I’d like to say it didn’t because, when the penalty went in, Tottenham were still leading 2-1, and United should not have scored four more in 22 minutes.
They had the momentum after scoring the goal and Tottenham sank into themselves a bit. The marking went astray, the pressing went astray and everything was United.
Once the second goal went in, you knew it was going to be three and, after the third, you knew it would just be more and more.
Steve McManaman was speaking as part of the Setanta live coverage of Manchester United v Tottenham