It has been a while since there was much joy to be concealed at Manchester United. With the team clear at the top of the Premiership and, better still, three points ahead of
Events are running in their favour. Much as he resents the three-match suspensions for Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney that began against Charlton, their absence had the side-effect of creating an opportunity for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to feature.
Coming off the bench, he scored from a Louis Saha cut-back in the 90th minute to record his first goal since he struck against Panathinaikos in the Champions League in September 2003. The intervening period has been consumed by a knee problem that, to many, appeared certain to end his career.
The cumulative effect of all the omens is serious since the United players, in these early matches, are like men giving themselves a prolonged pep talk. Every reason for optimism is savoured. Victory was theirs by overwhelming merit, but a tiny incident did help.
Under pressure from Hermann Hreidarsson, Wes Brown put his hand up and touched the ball in the 63rd minute for what should have been a penalty. Had the referee, Chris Foy, awarded it, Charlton could, ludicrously, have levelled at 1-1. All the same, their new manager, Iain Dowie, did not pretend that he or his players had been persecuted by the official.
Utter humiliation was barely averted, with United hitting bar or post on three occasions. As it was, the second goal of the night was delayed until eight minutes from the end. Saha was granted the leisure to double back, gather a Wes Brown cross and fire home from the edge of the area while some Charlton defenders were running in the wrong direction.
The club got several things wrong and the chairman, Richard Murray, had predicted that Charlton fans would have better things to do than boo Ronaldo. In practice, they reviled his every touch, yet, as everyone ought to realise, he simply loves to surf waves of hostility.
He hit the bar with a shot in the 44th minute. Prior to that, Scott Carson had saved a Park Ji-Sung shot after a shrewd Brown pass in the 23rd minute, although the goalkeeper was powerless when a first-half free-kick by Ryan Giggs pinged off the inside of his near post.
Charlton not only failed to check the visitors' momentum but were at fault when conceding the opener a minute after the interval. Park sent in a testing low cross from the right and Jonathan Fortune was unable to clear. Credit, though, had to go to Darren Fletcher. He was highly composed as he gathered and tricked the defenders to give himself the space to shoot home.
The Torygraph
Second-half goals by Darren Fletcher, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secured a second successive victory for Manchester United and put them top of the table.
Though Charlton, who have lost their opening two fixtures for the first time in the Premiership, did not have the rub of the green with a couple of penalty decisions, United deserved their win, playing some outstanding attacking football and making light of the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes.
Despite zero points Charlton should not reach for the worry beads just yet. They will not play a side of United's pedigree too often and it was harsh on Jonathan Fortune that he lost his footing on the wet surface to let Fletcher in for the opener.
Ryan Giggs, making his 599th start for United, led the side as well as the forward line, the winger playing as a makeshift striker alongside Saha in place of Rooney.
Cristiano Ronaldo, perceived by many to be the villain when Rooney was sent off against
Having said that, the home team started brightly, showing no sign early on of being intimidated by the only Premiership side they did not beat during the 15 years Alan Curbishley was in charge. Their former manager was able to watch last night's match without the usual pressure as he joined the Sky Sports commentary team.
The home team's goal led a charmed life in the five minutes before the interval,
But four minutes later Fortune slipped on the edge of the six-yard box and Fletcher was quick to take advantage, giving
The visitors started to turn the screw and in the 58th minute Ronaldo, after four step-overs, centred to Park whose shot hit a post.
But United were fortunate that Foy could not see Brown's outstretched hand touch the ball in the 65th minute, the United defender hidden from his view by other players.
With nine minutes remaining Brown crossed to Saha, who was given the time and space to turn and score his 26th goal in 43 starts for United with a rising drive. In stoppage time Solskjaer made it 3-0 from Saha's cross.
The Times
While Roy Keane considers a return to football at the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship, the players he berated on his way out of Old Trafford are sitting handsomely at the top of the Barclays Premiership. The likes of Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea still have much to prove (and not just to their demanding former captain), but a second stylish victory in four days amounts to a flying start.
News of
“He's persevered through a torrid time,”
With Michael Carrick making an earlier than expected return after injury and Cristiano Ronaldo thriving on the predictable and wearisome jeers around The Valley, United fans sang lustily in the southeast
Like his team, he was full of attacking intent and, while it would be overstating things to say that he has abandoned the flicks and tricks, there seemed to be more directness. Perhaps the change in style has been inspired by a desire to prove himself in
This ground has become a place United love to visit — make it ten goals in their past three trips — and, despite Wayne Rooney beginning a five-match ban (three for club, two for country), they could have scored plenty more. Three times they struck timber and
Charlton had not lacked endeavour but their only clear chance of the first half had come from a United error. No surprise to report that it was Patrice Evra who created the pa