Nottingham Forest's visit to Old Trafford proved to be just the tonic
Manchester United needed as they brushed the Premiership's weakest team aside to
collect three vital points.
United went into the game on the back of their worst defensive run since 1992
and they had only won one of their seven previous matches. Such form ultimately
made little difference against a game, but inadequate Forest as United strolled
past Dave Bassett's basement boys.
Ronny Johnsen was United's unlikely hero as he netted their first two goals,
including a spectacular second, before Ryan Giggs completed the scoring.
Manager Alex Ferguson will be glad to record a win finally in the month of
December, but he will perhaps take more satisfaction from his side's first clean
sheet in 12 games.
Forest's battle to pull themselves free of the relegation quagmire is looking
more and more hopeless and they have now equalled their own Premiership record
of 16 matches without a win. Forest went down that season and with each passing
match that looks more likely to be their fate at the end of this campaign.
Once again Ferguson had rung the changes because of injury, suspension and the
desire to rest players and Teddy Sheringham partnered Paul Scholes in attack,
while Henning Berg and Johnsen were deployed in the heart of the defence.
Bassett knew the odds were stacked against his side and he admitted his
players would be struggling to make the United bench, while their one individual
of class, Pierre van Hooijdonk, was banned.
The first-half mirrored the dull and dismal conditions and once again United's
passing was missing its customary zip and accuracy. Forest were more than
holding their own in terms of possession and territorial advantage - until David
Beckham began to find his range.
From one delivery Dave Beasant produced a tremendous save to stop Ryan Giggs'
header flying into the top corner. From the resultant corner, which was United's
first of the match, Beckham swung the ball over to the back post where Johnsen
headed home.
United scarcely deserved their 28th-minute lead, but they picked up after the
goal. Nicky Butt pounced on a loose pass to launch a United counterattack which
almost resulted in a goal when Giggs' pass took a deflection off Steve Chettle
and nearly beat Beasant.
Roy Keane, who was clearly relishing this battle against his old club, then
unleashed a 20-yard drive, but unfortunately straight into Beasant's arms.
In the second half United began to move up through the gears and Scholes
released Keane with a delightful flick only for United's skipper to be thwarted
by Mathieu Louis-Jean at the expense of a corner. Giggs then produced a fine run
down the left and found Sheringham totally unmarked in the Forest box, but his
shot was saved by Beasant.
United were looking increasingly dangerous and they put the game beyond
Forest's reach with a two-goal burst inside three minutes. In the 59th minute
Beckham swung over a free-kick which Berg headed back across the box for Johnsen
to volley home his third goal of the season.
There was no holding United now and three minutes later Sheringham fed Scholes
who released Giggs on the left and he lifted the ball expertly over Beasant and
into the Forest goal for his sixth of the campaign.
That was the cue for Ferguson to bring on his substitutes and on came Ole
Gunnar Solskjaer, Jonathan Greening and Jesper Blomqvist. Forest also brought on
rookie defender Chris Doig for his first taste of Premier League action.
The rest of the game was little more than a training exercise for United and
they stroked the ball about until referee Jeff Winter blew for full time to end
Forest's misery.
Teams:
Man Utd: Schmeichel, Neville, Irwin, Berg, Johnsen, Beckham,
Butt, Sheringham, Giggs (Blomqvist 75), Keane (Greening 66),
Scholes (Solskjaer 62).
Subs Not Used: Brown, Van Der Gouw.
Booked: Neville.
Goals: Johnsen 28, 59, Giggs 62.
Nottm Forest: Beasant, Louis-Jean, Rogers, Quashie,
Chettle (Doig 68), Stone (Hodges 77), Shipperley, Johnson,
Bart-Williams (Bonalair 53), Freedman, Armstrong.
Subs Not Used: Darcheville, Crossley.
Booked: Rogers, Quashie, Chettle.
Att: 55,216
Ref: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).