For those wishing to deprive Old Trafford of its fifth Premier League title in six years, the most depressing sound just now must be that of Manchester United tuning up. Only at Everton have United approached a full orchestral performance this season, but they will still resume their quest in the Champions League this week having won five Premiership games out of six, with only one goal conceded.
That goal, the first to enter the Manchester United net in 694 minutes of league football, was scored by West Ham United's John Hartson early in Saturday's match at Old Trafford. West Ham have begun the season in a bullish mood and for at least half the match, they passed the ball more accurately and more perceptively than their opponents and looked well capable of winning.
In fact, had Paul Kitson scored a second goal for West Ham two minutes later after a pass from the busy Eyal Berkovic had split the Manchester United defence, it is hard to see how the champions could have recovered. But Kitson, possibly awed by Peter Schmeichel's bulk, tried to place a shot past the goalkeeper's left and the Dane made a relatively easy save.
"Whether he froze or whatever, it was a golden opportunity for him," said Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager. "Had he scored, then it would have made things very, very difficult for us." "If that goes in, it's a different game," concurred West Ham's manager Harry Redknapp, whose mood was not improved by memories of two more chances Kitson missed later in the match.
As it was, Manchester United drew level when a shot from Roy Keane, who had wacked the ball against the crossbar shortly before West Ham scored, took a deflection off John Moncur and flummoxed Ludek Miklosko. They then controlled more of the game in the second half and won it after Paul Scholes had headed in a precise centre from David Beckham for the second time in four days, the pair having combined to score England's opening goal against Moldova at Wembley on Wednesday night. Beckham also hit the bar to heighten West Ham's frustration at their own missed opportunities.
The 2-1 win moved Manchester United back into top position on the same weekend that had seen them briefly take the lead last season before a poor run of results, including heavy defeats at Newcastle and Southampton, dragged them down to seventh place while they were also struggling in the Champions League. Ferguson believes the younger elements in his side will cope better this time.
The first test will come on Wednesday in Kosice, a steel town at the eastern end of Slovakia.
"This is the biggest thing since we split from the Czechs," declared Miroslav Miklos, Kosice's commercial director at Old Trafford on Saturday. For Ferguson, with Juventus and Feyenoord to come, it will probably not be the biggest thing since Scottish devolution.
The strained hamstring which forced off Ryan Giggs after 67 minutes is Ferguson's only immediate injury worry, although against West Ham, Manchester United were without two regular defenders, Ronny Johnsen and David May, and two strikers, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Solskjaer.
This is what such championship aspirants as Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Blackburn must find so depressing. At Old Trafford, the brass section is puffing somewhat and the drums miss the occasional beat, but somehow the band plays on. On Saturday, Gary Pallister and Henning Berg were regularly split by the wiles of Berkovic and Hartson, while up front, Andy Cole was as useful a percussionist with one cymbal, but the string section of Keane, Scholes, Beckham and Nicky Butt could not be faulted.
Keane is one player England do not want to have to face in a World Cup qualifying play-off while Scholes, Glenn Hoddle's obvious successor to Sheringham, increasingly looks like Ferguson's answer to the retirement of Eric Cantona.
Before half-time, Beckham foolishly began responding to West Ham supporters who were chanting unprintable things about his girl friend, Posh Spice, whereupon the chanting merely intensified. When he concentrated more on his football, however, the young United player offered further reminders of how important his delivery of a pass and taking of shots will be for England.
West Ham should have a more rewarding season this time, despite the loss from their defence of Slaven Bilic and Marc Rieper. Berkovic is giving their movements an added element of surprise and as Redknapp pointed out on Saturday, "having two men who might score a goal for you is a big difference."
Hartson's goal at Old Trafford followed a misheader by Pallister, but he took it well and 10 minutes from the end, his was the through pass that should have led to Kitson scoring an equaliser, only for the shot to go wide.
The Welshman's problem continues to be a temper, which on Saturday saw him booked by David Elleray following a spat with Keane. At Rorke's Drift Hartson would have won the Victoria Cross while on a charge for gross insubordination. Manchester United used to have somebody like that, but he went to Chelsea.
Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole (McClair 89), Giggs (Poborsky 67), P Neville, Keane, Scholes, Berg. Subs Not Used: Irwin, Van Der Gouw, Clegg. Booked: Berg. Goals: Keane 21, Scholes 76.
West Ham: Miklosko, Breacker, Potts, Ferdinand, Unsworth, Moncur (Lampard 80), Berkovic, Lomas, Hughes, Hartson, Kitson. Subs Not Used: Sealey, Dowie, Terrier, Rowland. Booked: Hughes, Hartson. Goals: Hartson 14.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
