Hodgson pleased with players' resolve

Last updated : 11 March 2012 By Wba-mad Editor

Roy Hodgson had no complaints after watching his battling-Baggies end their winning run at Manchester United.  

Goals in each half from Wayne Rooney was enough to United a 2-0 win after Jonas Olsson saw red for two bookable offenses.

Albion enjoyed the opening stages with Keith Andrews coming close to giving the visitors the lead in the 15th minute. It was the midfielder who tested De Gea again in the United goal when his free kick tested the stopper at his near-post.

But the title-challenging hosts took the lead nine minutes before the break when Rooney poked home Javier Hernandez cross.

The Baggies regrouped after the break and should’ve been given a penalty in the 53rd minute when Patrice Evra tripped Peter Odemwingie.

Referee Lee Probert failed to give the decision but did point to the spot at the other end when Ashley Young tumbled under Keith Andrew’s challenge. Rooney fired past Foster to score his second in the 71st minute after Olsson had been dismissed five minutes earlier.

"We made a good fist of the first half until Rooney's goal," said Hodgson.

"We were working hard to contain United.

"I didn't think we were attacking them well during that period.

"When we won the ball back, we tended to lose it quickly and too easily.

"But certainly we were making life difficult for United and keeping them at bay.

"But when Rooney scored that was always going to change the complexion of the game to some extent.

"The second half was going to be harder and then going down to ten men, and while being down to ten men having to change our back-four by putting a midfield player in at right-back, we ended up conceding the second goal.

"To be frank, after that it is just a question of making sure you don't go away from here with a really heavy defeat, because at 2-0 with ten men, United, with the quality they have and the ability to keep the ball, it was always going to be an uphill task.

"I think I can commend the West Brom players for the effort they put in.

"There were plenty of tired legs out there but they never gave up and never stopped fighting, albeit we had to live dangerously a few times when the ball was buzzing around our penalty area."

Hodgson added: "I think it was a penalty for us - I don't think there is any question about that.

"It wasn't one of those penalties where Evra deliberately tried to foul Odemwingie or even make a challenge - but he did definitely trip him up

"I don't think there can be too many doubts about that when it's seen time and time again on the TV.

"We could argue, with a bit of luck, that might have helped us and got us back into the game.

"But the decisive moment was Jonas' sending off.

"That provoked the second goal from the penalty and meant we had to survive a good 20 minutes-plus with ten men and a makeshift back-four, with two left-backs, one who was playing right-back, and Tamas, who started at right-back, moving to centre-back.

"There aren't that many teams of our ilk that come here and put United under enormous pressure.

"The very, very top teams that come here and get a result tend to have got it with a tin hat on, having survived an awful lot of pressure.

"That's the way it's been ever since I can remember at Old Trafford in Alex's reign.

"So, we knew we were going to be up against it.

"We knew they would see a lot more of the ball, and we knew they would be making life very difficult for our defenders.

"Our hope was to deal with it and that the ball would break kindly for us.

"I don't think we really dealt with the ball, and kept the ball, with composure like we're capable of doing.

"But again, is that poor play on our part or good play on United's part?

"That's the discussion one can always have.

"There is no doubt that them being so quick to pressure us played a part.

"When we lost the ball, they made life difficult for us."

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