Smalling: Marseille draw like defeat
Reuters - Thursday 24 February 2011, 10:48
LONDON - Manchester United's lifeless 0-0
draw against Olympique Marseille in the Champions League felt
more like a defeat for the players, according to centre-back
Chris Smalling.
"It feels like we lost the game," Smalling said on the
United website after Wednesday's game left the
last 16 tie in the balance, with the English side short of an
away goal to take back to the return at Old Trafford on March
15.
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"Everyone in the dressing room was a bit dejected.
"It just didn't quite click; our passing was a bit off
throughout the team. We didn't test their goalkeeper enough."
Smalling, who joined from Fulham last year and is deputising
for the injured Rio Ferdinand at centre-back, received good
reviews for a performance that summed up the United display as a
whole - rock solid and entirely unspectacular.
Midfielder Michael Carrick echoed his 21-year-old teammate's
evaluation of the match in which the Premier League leaders
lacked an attacking spark.
"We're pretty disappointed with the performance, it just
didn't happen for us," Carrick said.
"Our passing wasn't great so we didn't give ourselves the
chance of creating chances in the game.
"The clean sheet gives us a good chance of winning the tie
at home. We're confident we can do that but we'll have to play
better than tonight. The other side of our game - our attacking
and possession as a team - has got to be better."
NEWS: Marseille and Man United draw blank