Roo red a blow to Van Gaal

Manchester United 2 West Ham 1

Sent off, correctly, for a rash, late, high — and completely unnecessary — professional foul on Stewart Downing just before the hour, Rooney insisted after the game that the inexplicable moment of madness was not an indication that he is returning to the wild behaviour that plagued his earlier career.

Meanwhile, van Gaal was also fighting a rearguard action over the incident, insisting Rooney need not change and need only commit such fouls in a more “friendly” manner in future. It was significant, however, that the only time the pragmatic Dutchman appeared to lose his cool was when quizzed whether the incident made him question the wisdom of having appointed Rooney captain in the first place.