THE INDEPENDENT
Under a manager who likes to make the most of an early start – Sir Alex Ferguson can normally be found in his office by 8am – Manchester United are getting to enjoy their bracing Saturday mornings. For the third week in succession they tucked into lunch with three points tucked away, West Ham, as expected, having proved even less troublesome opposition than Liver- pool and Arsenal over the past fortnight.
An eight-goal victory would have put United on top of the Premiership for the first time this season, and when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Juan Sebastian Veron scored in the first quarter of the game against a demoralised-looking side, such a margin was not out of the question – the visitors were, after all, spanked 7-1 three seasons ago, before achieving unlikely 1-0 victories in their next two visits.
In the event, their defence, involved in a catchweight contest against Ruud van Nistelrooy and whoever happened to be supporting him at any given time, managed to limit further damage to one self-inflicted wound, an own goal by Sebastien Schemmel.
That left them rooted to the bottom of the table without a win in nine matches. United have won seven out of seven in all competitions since an eventful 1-1 draw at Upton Park. They have jumped from 10th place to their current position, lead their group as the Champions' League goes into hibernation and, as Ferguson said: "You could see the confidence all over the pitch."
It was no problem that Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane and Nicky Butt remained unavail-able, and they could equally well have done without David Beckham; England's captain was given 45 minutes as a replacement for Solskjaer to show off his new Rod Stewart hairstyle. Rod, the former Brentford apprentice, would have been more effective.
There were no others off-key in red shirts; Veron impressed again, and at the back Wes Brown and Mikaël Silvestre looked a sound partnership once more, with John O'Shea giving another performance at left-back to delight the Republic of Ireland as much as his club.
THE OBSERVER
Manchester United failed to record the 8-0 scoreline that would have taken them to the top of the table for the first time this season, but it was a close-run thing. Of all the places Glenn Roeder could have asked to visit after seven winless games, Old Trafford and a meeting with a resurgent United must have been low on the list.
The banner unfurled by visiting supporters on the final whistle - 'Brown Out' - demonstrated that chairman Terry, rather than Roeder, is the man held culpable in the eyes of West Ham folk. But, despite that back-handed support, Roeder must wonder quite whom he has upset to deserve an afternoon like this. Referee Rob Styles denied him a blatant first-minute penalty, ruled out a goal television proved to be onside, then two of United's three goals were turned in to the Hammers' net by their own players.
Sir Alex Ferguson, in his self-appointed role as godfather of the family of Premiership managers, gave a very public display of support for Roeder in the build-up to the game, but that was as far as any real backing extended.
Ferguson's current team is a different proposition to the one the Hammers faced, and drew against, in mid-November at Upton Park. The seven successive victories now recorded since have United folk talking, not unreasonably, of concerted campaigns for Champions League and Premiership titles in the new year and, to that end, this was an important signpost.
It is one thing rousing oneself out of bed for noon meetings at faltering Liverpool and weak-kneed Arsenal, quite another when the division's bottom-place club are in town as sacrificial victims. Had Styles kept his nerve, and incited the wrath of most of the 67,555 crowd, by awarding a first-minute penalty for Phil Neville's trip on Jermaine Defoe, that test could have been even more meaningful.
THE TELEGRAPH
Even allowing for the Hammers' poverty at the moment, this was an impressive performance by United which, as West Ham manager Glenn Roeder pointed out afterwards, would have given any team in the world problems.
United are oozing confidence right now. This win, was their seventh on the trot and the first and third goals were vintage United in the way the ball was moved swiftly and accurately from player to player, never mind that both owed something to a deflection off a West Ham player at their conclusion.
And in between them came a free-kick from Juan Veron which would have done credit to David Beckham, watching enviously from the bench again. By the time the England captain took the field the match was as good as won.
No one was pining either for the still injured Rio Ferdinand, although West Ham fans might have been. But at least there was a Ferdinand on the bench: Anton, Rio's younger brother, was among the West Ham substitutes, and he did not get a kick either.
United's chance centre-back pairing of Wes Brown and Mikael Silvestre were never tested here, nor were they likely to be by a strike force which included converted centre-back Ian Pearce.
Sir Alex Ferguson will disrupt the new partnership at his peril: This was United's fourth consecutive game without conceding a goal. Whatever the merits of the individuals concerned, United's run of success has been a victory for continuity over rotation, just as Chelsea's has been. The kind of understanding and fluency with which they are playing can only come from stability.
THE TIMES
WAS it no more than a month ago that a fan stood up at Manchester United’s AGM and demanded Sir Alex Ferguson be retired “just like his horse”? By early afternoon yesterday Ferguson’s team had their necks out in front again, alongside Arsenal, in the Premiership title race.
This United revival looks to have staying power. West Ham were just the sort of low-lying hurdle on which they have stumbled in their recent past. But there was never a suggestion that, having won on their last two visits to Old Trafford, Glenn Roeder’s men would repeat the trick. United are too tight, too positive right now, having rediscovered the truth that to impose their talents upon teams they first have to assert themselves physically and athletically.
The game was won within 17 minutes of a first half in which United, powered once again by Phil Neville and Juan Veron, swept through the flimsy West Ham midfield and past their plodding full-backs to overrun Tomas Repka and Christian Dailly.
The two-goal lead they established sapped suspense from the contest and uncharacteristic wastefulness by Ruud van Nistelrooy starved it of more scoring.
We have had Fergie’s fledglings, now witness Alex’s alchemy, as the United manager continues to make gold from base elements. It was a tribute to his starting team of stop-gap men and out-of-position players — given a third consecutive outing after wins against Arsenal and Deportivo La Coruña — that the introduction of David Beckham and Laurent Blanc actually weakened them.
Ferguson’s only concern might have been how, having had West Ham for lunch by 12.32, his side spent long periods sleeping off their meal. During one nap, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hacked a clearance into Scott Minto’s face and the ball rebounded for Jermain Defoe to score. Minto was left with blood on his face — on the face of the far-side linesman there was egg, after replays showed him wrong to flag offside.