Wembley, the United way

AND SO the Carling Cup final, no big deal in itself, merely underlined what is already crushingly evident from their procession to another league title: Manchester United simply have too much in reserve — and in their reserves — for everyone else.

The sight of Rooney, Berbatov and van der Sar suited, not booted, should be a source of encouragement for any opposing team, but even if Spurs made United work for their silverware at Wembley yesterday, the Reds could still call on sufficient manpower and mental and physical strength in depth to see out 120 minutes of energy-sapping action and then emerge unscathed from the searching examination of nerve, skill and experience that is the penalty shoot-out.

The talk in the build-up had been all about Fergie’s fledglings but apart from goalkeeper Ben Foster — alert and capable on the few occasions he was tested in play and a hero in the shoot-out — the young ‘uns were largely eclipsed by the old boys.

You can tell by just looking at Darron Gibson’s heads-up posture that he has been a student of one of the Old Trafford greats, Roy Keane, but while the Derryman did well enough yesterday — keeping it simple and effective for the most part and, after just 12 minutes, coming within inches of scoring one of Wembley’s great goals with a cracking drive — he was never going to be mistaken for the leader or heartbeat of this United team.

That role fell, yet again, to the player beside him, another man from whom young Gibson will learn a lot. Before his legs caught up with him in extra-time, Paul Scholes had given something of a masterclass in the midfield art, his superb raking passes to the flanks a repeated, gilt-edged invitation to Ronaldo to do his thing.

Unfortunately, for United, Ronaldo’s thing most of the time yesterday was to do little or nothing with Scholes’ supply of high-grade ammunition — although being Ronaldo, he still managed to have a say in three of the game’s key moments.

The first came just short of the 70-minute mark, which was about as long as it took for him to make a significant impact on proceedings. This time, it was a crisp pass from Gibson which gave him the opportunity to run at the Spurs defence, a threatening sprint which was rudely ended by a trip inside the box by Ledley King.

But Ronaldo, as we know, is the boy who cried wolf, which was why, outside of Old Trafford, there will have been precious little sympathy for the Portuguese after referee Chris Roy wrongly booked him for diving and failed to award a rightful penalty. And then, having awoken from his slumber and with virtually the last kick of normal time, the World Player of the Year was denied again, this time by a post.

But Ronaldo would still have the last laugh on the day — it’s the United way, after all — finally getting and taking his opportunity from the spot when it counted the most, as one of four players to make it look easy after Giggs had begun the shoot-out by knocking one in off the post.

Yep, that would be the 35-year-old Ryan Giggs, the extra-time man for extra-time, Fergie having finally turned to those fresh old legs with Gibson the one to make way.

But, again, that’s also the United way. They put out a so-called fringe team which includes the likes of Jonny Evans, Danny Welbeck, Nani, Gibson and Foster — but also the likes of Ferdinand, Ronaldo, Evra, Scholes and Tevez — and then, when the going gets a little bit tougher than expected, they send Giggs and Vidic and the man who took the decisive penalty, Anderson, into the fray.

In truth, the penalties were a welcome shot of drama on what was an otherwise uneventful and underwhelming cup final day at Wembley.

The significance of the occasion for Manchester United will only become apparent should the League Cup prove to be the first in a clean sweep of trophies this season.

As such, it probably ranks somewhere above the Club World Cup — yes, they are officially the champions of the world, lest we forget — and below the FA Cup.

But, should they suffer an unlikely collapse in the Premier League or find that retaining the Champions League proves a hurdle too far, yesterday’s win will scarcely merit a footnote in the club’s folklore.

It was just another clean sheet, another narrow win, a chance for young and old to mix and match and, in the end, a nice gong to show for their middling big day out in the capital.

It was the United way on show down Wembley way.

Business as usual, in other words.