Rooney 2 Nani 2 - Wolverhampton 1

ANALYSIS
By Rob Stewart at Old Trafford

Red Devils' boss Sir Alex Ferguson creating siege mentality at Theatre of Dreams as he tries to silence his critics following Champions League disappointment without key personnel

Manchester United badly needed a nice little homecoming party following their harrowing Champions League exit, and thanks to Wayne Rooney and Nani they enjoyed one to raise spirits on their return to Old Trafford.

Together Rooney and Nani put smiles back on faces in Salford as they helped themselves to two goals apiece in a one-sided encounter against a Wolves side who rarely looked capable of being party poopers. The fact that Rooney and Co. were back among the goals and re-producing their early season form helped United provide the perfect response to the Champions League defeat in Basel. Their endeavours raised the gloom that enveloped Old Trafford before this encounter and ensured the Red Devils ended what manager Sir Alex Ferguson had in his programme notes called a “black week” for the club on a high.

The road to redemption might be a long one but Sir Alex set the tone by insisting that while “we may gnash our teeth there is no point wailing about it”. He even launched a thinly veiled attack at former United skipper Roy Keane, who had voiced criticism of the d isplay in Switzerland in his role as a television pundit, with Sir Alex bemoaning “stick even from people we thought were perhaps on our side”.

If Sir Alex - who appeared impossibly upbeat as he greeted fans on his way to the dugout - was attempting to create a siege mentality then it worked because United played as if they owed their fans one against a struggling Wolves side who were there for the taking from the off with just Matt Jarvis and Steven Fletcher able to take the fight to their hosts.

It was, though, crowd-pleasers Rooney and Nani who made sure that this was the morale-booster that everyone associated with the club needed following their first failure to make it out of the Champions League group stage since 2005.

On a gloomy day, it even stopped raining following the final whistle to ensure that the mood improved in more ways than one.

That they bounced back from such disappointment was down to Sir Alex’s decision to attack Wolves relentlessly down the flanks where Nani and Antonio Valencia tormented their markers and ensured that the visitors were unable to frustrate their hosts.

That is what Mick McCarthy’s side did last season when it required a last-minute goal from Ji-sung Park to secure United all three points, and the pessimists feared a repeat performance.

However, those fans who insisted they trusted Sir Alex to weather the storm and come back even stronger in the long term had their faith vindicated.

That there was no need for late drama on this occasion is due mainly to Rooney, who was this contest’s outstanding performer; his goals that spelled the end of his barren spell meant that he has still never gone ten games without scoring for United.

The emphatic victory also marked a return to the club’s free-scoring ways that had seen Arsenal thrashed 8-2 here and then Bolton swept aside 5-0 at the Reebok. Before this game United had not managed more than a solitary goal in eight of nine Premier League outings.

Rooney’s exploits showed why England head coach Fabio Capello was so keen to have his Euro 2012 suspension reduced and gave United fans reason to think they might hold on to their Premier League crown despite the threat posed by Manchester City.

Rooney remains their key asset and they will need him more than ever now thanks to injuries in other key departments.

It is difficult to see United coping without injured skipper Nemanja Vidic for the rest of the season, and while Michael Carrick and Phil Jones were head and shoulders above their Wolves counterparts, they might struggle when facing leading Premier League midfielders.

That is why Sir Alex will need Tom Cleverley and Anderson back in the thick of it sooner rather than later.

It also explains why there seems to be an obsession with Inter midfielder Wesley Sneijder following their ill-fated pursuit of the Dutch ace last summer as the club moved to fill the void left by Paul Scholes’ retirement.

United have eminently winnable games coming against Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Wigan, Blackburn and faltering Newcastle before aiming to avenge their 6-1 pasting by City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, January 8.

Given Sir Alex’s habit of proving his critics wrong, it would be foolish to write off United’s title chances just yet.