Former Westmeath minor footballer Conor O’Brien might this week be preparing for a Leinster SFC semi-final showdown with Kildare in Croke Park, but instead it’s the World Rugby U20 Championship final.

Bournemouth 2 Man Utd 1: Michael Carrick held his tongue but it was impossible for the midfielder to disguise his frustration after Manchester United’s bad week turned a lot worse.

Manchester United 2 West Brom 0: Critics of Louis van Gaal and his Old Trafford style lament that his team might win but ‘it’s not the Manchester United of old’.

Man Utd 3 Sunderland 0: As a proven winner of league championships across Europe, Louis van Gaal knows what it takes to stay the course and finish on top.

Darren Fletcher’s Manchester United’s credentials are so unquestionable that the West Brom midfielder, 15 years a player at Old Trafford, admitted he lined up on the wrong side of the tunnel before his new team’s surprise victory.

Premier League

Manchester United 3 Hull City 0

The rare sight nowadays of an old-style cattle fair on the street distracted attention from the goat at Puck Fair yesterday.

Police in the UK say a plane has been escorted into Manchester Airport after information "about a possible device on board".

Manchester United claimed some early bragging rights over Liverpool as Louis van Gaal ended his first pre-season tour as manager with yet another morale-boosting win.

British specialist building services firm Arkoni has expanded into the Irish market via the signing of a joint-venture product partnership with Dublin-based firm Linham Construction.

West Ham 0 Man United 2

Get the earplugs out, because it’s going to get loud. The natives are restless.

Manchester United 2 Swansea 0

Man United 0 Newcastle United 1

Manchester United 0 Everton 1

Cardiff City 2 Manchester United 2

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Man United 2 Crystal Palace 0

What’s left to say? Even if there was anything new, nobody is listening. This narrative is written. The capsule buried.

Manchester United 2 Reading 1

Man United 2 Southampton 1

Manchester United 1 West Ham United 0

Man United 3 Sunderland 1

Manchester United remain in control of the title race but they now know that one more slip will open the door for City after coughing up points against Wigan for the first time last night.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle has accused the Blackburn fans of never giving under-fire manager Steve Kean a chance.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S Achilles’ heel, a defence that has displayed uncharacteristic flaws in Europe and at home so far this season, again cost Alex Ferguson dear following 80 potentially disastrous seconds that leaves them facing the possibility of Champions League elimination.

Chelsea 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson is confident Javier Hernandez will not be affected by second season syndrome.

OF the Manchester United youngsters that have won so much praise and faith from Alex Ferguson, Danny Welbeck has been the one to raise eyebrows, yet he justified the hype with a goal and an assist as the champions maintained their perfect start to the season last night.

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson says he has shelved all thoughts of retirement.

MANCHESTER UNITED midfielder Anderson was dragged unconscious from the burning wreckage of his car after a weekend crash that is now the centre of a police investigation in Portugal.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S Champions League hopes were left in tatters at Old Trafford last night, where Bayern Munich produced a thrilling fightback to gain suitable revenge for events of 1999 and leave Alex Ferguson facing the unthinkable prospect of seeing his season disintegrate around him.

Jason Roberts is the latest Blackburn player to come down with suspected swine flu ahead of the team’s trip to Manchester United tomorrow.

ALEX FERGUSON wants a Carling Cup last 16 meeting with son Darren, manager of Coca-Cola Championship side Peterborough.

MANCHESTER UNITED or Barcelona would cash in on a €110m windfall by becoming European champions in Rome tonight, according to football finance experts.

MANCHESTER United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday walked away uninjured after writing off his £200,000 (€221,785) Ferrari sports car in a crash.

Hull 0 Chelsea 3

MANCHESTER UNITED may have been held to a scoreless draw against Juventus at Old Trafford last night, but at least they were able to report a clean bill of health.

STEVE HARPER has warned Shay Given the fight for the Newcastle goalkeeper’s shirt is far from over.