Tinkerman McCarthy rolls over for United

ALEX FERGUSON’S 900th league game as Manchester United manager ended in a comfortable victory over Wolves at Old Trafford last night although the occasion was overshadowed by a controversial piece of team selection from his opposite number Mick McCarthy.

First-half goals from Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic were always going to be more than sufficient to earn United three points and enable them to move into joint first place with Chelsea; the fact that Antonio Valencia added a well-taken third after the interval merely added to the comfort of the occasion.

Wolves, meanwhile, may yet face Premier League sanctions for their extraordinary decision to rest 10 of the 11 players on duty for the impressive weekend victory at Tottenham.

Ahead of this Sunday’s meeting with fellow relegation candidates Burnley, manager Mick McCarthy was clearly of the opinion that it was worth effectively forfeiting the game at Old Trafford in favour of the next, more winnable, contest.

While understandable, the policy clearly contravenes Premier League guidelines.

With only goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann surviving McCarthy’s wholesale changes, the quality of replacements could lead to punitive action being taken.

The visiting supporters added their collective view to the debate early in the second half chanting “We want our money back” as their team faced a half of damage limitation and the fact that Wolves fielded a stronger line-up at Old Trafford earlier in the season in the Carling Cup will not count in McCarthy’s favour. The abiding memory of the evening, for the neutral and visitors at least, will be of those supporters singing “Where is our first team?” at their manager as the clock ran down.

Chelsea will also take a dim view of the Wolves approach.

The outcome was inevitable almost from the opening stages when, after just three minutes, Rooney was clean though after a Darron Gibson shot was deflected into his path only for Hahnemann to race out and block.

Rooney soon had a half-hearted appeal for a penalty turned down after a clash with George Elokobi but there was a warning at the other end as George Friend missed a great opening, shooting high and wide from seven yards as United’s defence failed to deal with Greg Halford’s long throw.

Tomasz Kuszczak did not help the growing nerves when he flapped at Andrew Surman’s free-kick and needed two attempts to gather the ball but normal service was resumed as Rooney saw a shot deflected inches wide from an Evra cross and Vidic, skipper for the night, wasted a golden opening, shooting over from 12 yards.

The opening goal was coming, and duly arrived, with Rooney’s 29th minute penalty settling nerves. It came from a Gibson corner and a needless handball from Ronald Zubar who flailed at the ball in a crowd of players. Rooney calmly strode up and blasted in his 13th goal of the season.

Zubar tried to make amends with a spirited run down the right before the interval but his cross flew low across the face of an open goal.

Gibson’s 43rd minute right-wing corner was placed neatly onto the head of Vidic, who powered the ball past a woeful attempted save by Hahnemann, the one man to survive McCarthy’s team changes. Presumably, the former Ireland manager was left wishing he had made a full 11 alterations.

Things might have fared worse before the interval with Gabriel Obertan skipping into the area and seeing a near-post effort blocked.

The second half was destined to be little more than a training ground exercise. Obertan started it as he ended the first, almost scoring with a clever shot that curled just over the crossbar.

Friend placed a wild shot over at the end of a rare, promising attack by the visitors, one of his last acts of the game before being replaced.

United’s continuing target practice produced results, of a fairly impressive nature, after 65 minutes.

Paul Scholes chipped a well-weighted ball into the Wolves penalty area, beautifully helped on by Dimitar Berbatov, for the fast-arriving Valencia who struck an unstoppable shot past the stationary Hahnemann. Even had the American decided to move, it is doubtful he could have done anything about the attempt.

Taking a leaf out of Wolves’ book, Ferguson made substitutions of his own, although the addition of Darren Fletcher, Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen was hardly comparable.

Welbeck might have capped his brief cameo with a 74th minute goal, showing neat control before shooting too close to Hahnemann while Gibson almost capped another strong midfield display by leaning back to meet Dimitar Berbatov’s lay-off and shooting well over.

Owen saw a difficult header fly wide with Hahnemann struggling, not for the first time on an evening Wolves will wish to forget.

Manchester United subs: Fletcher for Vidic, 60; Welbeck for Obertan 70; Owen for Rooney, 75.

Wolves subs: Jones for Halford, 75, Jarvis for Friend, 60; Iwelumo for Maierhofer 54.