PRESS BOX VIEW – TIMES

It has become a favourite past time of Manchester United supporters to ponder how different life might be without Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, but imagine a world without Wayne Rooney. Life at Old Trafford has been chastening enough over the past two seasons, with upheaval in the boardroom and precious little happening in the trophy room, but Rooney has brought happiness to their lives and for that, at least, they should be thankful.

Not for the first time since his arrival in Manchester, those supporters went away yesterday enthusing about Rooney above all else. It had been one of United’s best performances of the season and everything revolved around the man in the No 8 shirt. It was not only the two goals — remarkably his first of 2006 in the Barclays Premiership — it was another masterclass from a 20-year-old with the world at his feet and, it is pleasing to report, a smile on his face.

Rooney proved unplayable for a Newcastle United defence that he seemed intent on taking back to the dark ages of the Graeme Souness regime. Glenn Roeder, after tasting defeat for the first time in seven matches in temporary charge, would have been forgiven for cursing the 20-year-old for the way he humiliated Peter Ramage, Jean-Alain Boumsong and others, but even the Newcastle caretaker manager expressed his admiration.

Rooney was in one of those moods where he could have beaten the opposition on his own, but Newcastle gave him several helping hands. With as little as 12 minutes gone it was game over and Alan Shearer looked a sad figure in attack on what promises to be his last appearance at Old Trafford.