Sport 18-10-2001 Barthez Blunders Sink United who: Manchester United what: Lose 2-3 to Deportivo in Champions` League Group G where: Old Trafford, MANCHESTER when: Last night snippet: "Sir Alex Ferguson kept his rage confined to the dressing-room last night," says The Mirror from Old Trafford where Manchester United met Deportivo La Coruña in their Group G clash, "after Fabien Barthez`s crazy antics threatened to wreck his Champions League dream." Fabien Barthez and Wes Brown not only gifted La Coruña their second goal, but blundered again in the 60th minute, when a rash decision by Barthez to leave his area gave Diego Tristan his second goal of the night, making the final score 2-3 in favour of the visitors and putting Deportivo top of the group. "United`s defending was shocking at times," says Henry Winter in The Telegraph, "thoroughly wasting the hard work and fine finishing of Ruud Van Nistelrooy who scored twice." "Fabien didn`t say anything after the match about the goals, but why do I have to tell people what goes on in my dressing-room?" said Ferguson afterwards, refusing to criticise the Frenchman while clearly laying the blame at his feet. "A couple of bad errors have cost us, but sometimes even the best players in the world can do those things and that is unfortunate." [... more]

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