Easy Please Me

It's the Carling Cup match reports today, and they mostly combine two things - praising Michael Owen and saying how in control of the game we were - and there's a smattering of criticism at some offensive chants that were heard at the game.

The Sun go full on with the praise for Owen, pretty much the whole article describes his two goals and his how he ended up here:

And surely at 31 he would have preferred to drop down from the Premier League so he can play more football in the twilight of his career.Not Owen. He has been determined to stick it out and make his mark as a United player since his surprise signing as a free agent in July 2009.

To be fair, 16 goals from just 16 starts and 33 games as substitute is not a bad return

The Mail concentrate on the gulf between the two sides: 

United made 11 changes from the team that beat Chelsea at the weekend and, once again, they led 3-0 at half-time. This time they deserved it, too, as two goals from Michael Owen and one from Ryan Giggs served to illustrate how far Leeds have fallen behind their great rivals from Lancashire.

By the end, Leeds could reflect on some decent spells in the game. United goalkeeper Ben Amos, though, could reflect on just one save. It had been a hard night for the home team.

The Independent say we won "with embarrassing ease."

In The Guardian Daniel Taylor contrasts the unorthodox team with the ease of victory:

Even by Ferguson's standards of experimentation, it was an eccentric selection. Michael Carrick, a midfielder once likened to Glenn Hoddle, made an unorthodox centre-half. He was partnered by Ezekiel Fryers, a youth-academy graduate making his debut 11 days after turning 19. Fryers is normally a left-back. When he suffered cramp late in the second half, Dimitar Berbatov took over, like a modern-day Beckenbauer. With Antonio Valencia at right-back and Fabio on the left, has there ever been a more unconventional back four in United's colours?

For Ferguson to devise this team and his goalkeeper, Ben Amos, to go through the match without getting a scuff of mud on his kit demonstrates what a demoralising night it was for Leeds. Amos, usually the third-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford, was a virtual spectator. Federico Macheda and Mame Biram Diouf, two of Ferguson's reserve strikers, played as wingers. The seven substitutes were aged 18 to 20, including five with no previous first-team experience. This was a team that ought to have been ripe for an upset – and yet Leeds never even sought to investigate.

I can't comment on the reports of chanting coming from the away end, but I can comment on The Telegraph apparently fixating on the possibility of trouble.  They had Henry Winter and Mark Ogden at the game, and Mark Ogden's piece is solely on the chanting and that sort of thing.  He's obviously the new football morality correspondent.  Henry Winter also mentions the chanting.  Overkill much... And I'm sure the paper's official line is one of denying these people the oxygen of publicity.  To combat The Telegraph's concentrating on our fans' chanting (which from what I've read on Twitter is a misrepresentation - it wasn't just our fans) The Daily Star say that the Leeds fans "created a spiteful atmosphere."

Finally, Sir Alex and Owen's post-match quotes here:

“Young Fryers did very well and was not fazed by it,” added Sir Alex. “The atmosphere at Elland Road is hostile and he coped very well. Paul Pogba had a good 45 minutes. Larnell Cole is very young but it is good for them to get a taste of what the first team is like.

“It is great for the young players to understand the club and see their temperament on these nights. The young lads did really well. It was a great experience for them.”