Not Internazionale in the hothouse of San Siro, not Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final, not even facing Juventus over two legs with a place in the European Cup final at stake. No, according to Alex Ferguson last Friday afternoon, the game that would determine whether Manchester United have it within them to complete a fantastic treble this season was here, yesterday, against Everton at Old Trafford.
Ferguson was talking about his talented players' attitude, their willingness to rise to such an apparently mundane but none the less crucial fixture as this, and during an anaemic first-half performance the United manager must have been thinking in terms of doubles rather than trebles. Perhaps even singles. Ferguson called his side "pedestrian".
The poverty of United's play then was such that unconfident, unexpectant Everton were comfortable. Thomas Myhre had only one save to make and that an effort from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that was going wide.
But then, with Ferguson's halftime soliloquy ringing in their ears, United delivered the answer the manager wanted - and most had anticipated - via three goals in 12 minutes. The four-point lead at the top of the table was restored. The treble is still on.
For that Ferguson and United fans everywhere have two men to thank, Gary Neville and Dwight Yorke, but mostly Neville. He may not be regarded as the most elegant member of the United pageant but, on a day when all around are uninspired and the opposition are happy just avoiding a beating, it is then that characters such as Neville the elder are at their most voluble and valuable.
It was in the insipid first period when Roy Keane's absence because of suspension bit hardest. With Paul Scholes also suspended, Ryan Giggs injured and everyone else in slumber, Neville was conspicuous by his cajoling. This is a man who would come back for thirds.
Yorke, playing in the Cantona hole behind Solskjaer and Andy Cole initially and then pushed further forward in the second half, was the other deserving of praise for his persistence and, fittingly, it was Neville and the Tobagan who engineered the 55th-minute breakthrough. Neville slid the ball to Solskjaer, he exchanged it quickly with Yorke and buried it in the corner. It was the Norwegian's sixth goal in a season of 14 starts.
Everton's resistance fell at that first significant test and 10 minutes later Neville and Yorke carved out the second, Yorke accepting Neville's punched pass in his stride and ghosting by Oliver Dacourt. He then returned the ball to Neville, who was allowed to score only the second goal of his career by some timid goalkeeping from Myhre.
With Everton heads drooping already, two minutes later Craig Short fouled Ronny Johnsen 25 yards out and David Beckham curled in a direct free-kick which crept in despite Myhre's touch. It was Beckham's fifth of the season and Ferguson expressed some relief: `It's good to see him scoring again after a bit of a drought." A 19th game without defeat ensured, on came Teddy Sheringham and the young Jonathan Greening, who immediately hit a post.
By now Everton were sad to watch. Don Hutchison scored with a quick-thinking free-kick that caught Peter Schmeichel and the United wall by surprise but the visitors looked like they wanted it over with as quickly as possible.
Walter Smith's team drop below Coventry on goal difference and, after losing at home to Arsenal last weekend and United this, their next game is at Anfield on Saturday week. They have not lost to Liverpool for five years but the question concerning all Evertonians is, who will score the goals to win them games? Ibrahim Bakayoko, who limped off pathetically after five minutes, is their top scorer with four goals and Smith guffawed at suggestions that Everton might miss a player bought for £4.5 million. It was Smith who bought him.
For Ferguson there was delight that a sequence of six games in 18 days has concluded with treble thoughts intact. `They will come back two weeks from now ready for the challenge," he said. `We're looking very powerful."
Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Berg, Stam, P Neville, Beckham (Greening 71), Butt, Johnsen, Cole (Sheringham 71), Yorke, Solskjaer (Curtis 90). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Brown. Goals: Solskjaer 54, G Neville 63, Beckham 67.
Everton: Myhre, O'Kane (Jeffers 60), Short, Materazzi, Ball, Weir, Grant (Degn 64), Unsworth, Dacourt, Hutchison, Bakayoko (Cadamarteri 5). Subs Not Used: Watson, Simonsen. Booked: Weir, Hutchison, Dacourt. Goals: Hutchison 80. Attendance: 55,182.
Referee: M Riley (Leeds).
