VIEW: United vs Villa. 3-1

...from the Press




Yes, it's late.
Yes, it's pointless bearing in mind the far more significant result and
possibly detrimental effect the following game could have on our
season. But I need to archive this shit, ya hear?? Plus there is some
depressing amateur football on the telly tonight – international football I think they call it? So although it now seems a distant, fond memory, let’s reminisce
on the United of old…the ones who never got beat!

Mark Ogden,
in the Telegraph

In a week
when the value of a goalscorer has reached new stratospheric levels [Andy
Carroll goes to Liverpool for a measly £35million], Wayne Rooney finally
reminded Manchester United why he was too valuable to let go by
re-awakening his dormant goal touch to secure victory against Aston Villa.

Two goals
from Rooney, plus an assist for Nemanja Vidic’s second-half strike, ensured
that United equalled the club record run of 29 league games unbeaten and
consolidated their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Paul Wilson, in the Guardian

Brad Friedel – three
months short of his 40th birthday – officially became Villa's oldest ever
player in this game, and he must have felt it when Rooney belted the ball past
him to open the scoring after 48 seconds. An even older player began the move,
Edwin van der Sar launching the ultimate route one strike by spotting how high
a defensive line Villa were attempting to maintain and sending a quick
free-kick from outside his own area straight up the middle to the edge of the
opposite one.

Given something to chase Rooney lost no time in getting goalside of the
labouring Richard Dunne, took one steadying touch then lashed a shot beyond
Friedel. It was the striker's second goal of the season from open play and his
first at Old Trafford for almost a year. "It was a great ball from
Edwin," Rooney said. "We've been trying to do that for a while. As a
striker, you always want to score, but I've been happy with the way I've been
playing, except for the Blackpool game. I just couldn't get into that one. We
haven't written Chelsea off but it's up to us where the title goes."

Ian Ladyman, in the Daily Mail

While Fernando Torres
and Edin Dzeko settle in at Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, and Andy
Carroll and Luis Suarez grow accustomed to life at Liverpool, Wayne Rooney
returned to his true form at Old Trafford. It could not have been more timely.

Without a home goal
from open play since March, Rooney has struggled dreadfully. The fact that his
manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, last night challenged him in his programme notes to
score a rather modest 10 goals this season said everything.

But Rooney was always
going to rediscover his form at some stage and his two first-half goals set
United up for a victory that stretched their unbeaten league run to 29 games.
That equals a club record but it will interest Ferguson rather less than the
fact Rooney has finally played himself into form.

United’s Goals