United blitz pitiful Panathinaikos

Man Utd 5 Panathinaikos 0

Manchester United contemptuously flicked away their first Champions League challenge of the season to stride purposefully towards Sunday’s Barclaycard Premiership showdown with Arsenal.

With such a crucial fixture looming, even in his wildest dreams, Ferguson could not have expected to have spent the interval contemplating which of his players to rest ahead of the weekend confrontation.

But that is exactly the happy situation the wily Scot found himself in as the visitors kissed goodbye to any hope of a shock win by conceding four first-half goals.

On his return to the starting line-up, Mikael Silvestre hit the first, Quinton Fortune got the second within two minutes, before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Nicky Butt joined in the fun before the interval whistle had blown.

A captivated home crowd also had the gratification of seeing one of their new boys, substitute Eric Djemba-Djemba, round off a handsome win seven minutes from time, as United squeezed the life from their hapless opponents.

Through it all, Roy Keane looked on from the bench, injured ankle rested and Arsenal in his sights.

Ferguson has repeatedly stressed the need for home victories in a successful group campaign, so his side were acutely aware of what was demanded against opponents who arrived in England with a 100% domestic record from their opening three matches.

On the evidence of the opening 45 minutes though, the Greek competition must be of similar standard to the Salford and District Sunday League.

Not since Anderlecht travelled to Maine Road and found themselves on the end of a 10-goal hiding in the first home European tie of United’s illustrious history back in 1956 can any side have put up such a flimsy defensive display as Panathinaikos turned in.

When Ruud van Nistelrooy slipped free of his marker and sent a header just wide within the first 20 seconds, the alarm bells must have been ringing on the visitors’ bench.

On a woeful night, Panathinaikos somehow managed to keep the prolific Dutchman off the scoresheet, but it was about their only creditable achievement as, combining with Ryan Giggs, van Nistelrooy ripped the Greek defence into so many pieces, there were gaping holes for everyone else to charge through.

If that wasn’t bad enough, goalkeeper and captain Antonis Nikopolidis suffered the indignity of being replaced at half-time as coach Itzhak Shum took decisive action over his abysmal personal performance.

It was Nikopolidis’ fumble from Phil Neville’s snapshot which opened the floodgates from United.

In fairness, the keeper did not have much protection from his defence as Silvestre got on the end of Giggs’ floated corner, the Greeks failing to clear even though the defender’s initial weak effort rebounded into van Nistelrooy.

The Dutchman looked set to hook the ball home himself, but, leaning back, Silvestre beat him to it, smashing his follow-up into the net.

Within a minute, United had doubled their lead as van Nistelrooy played a pass into the box which Giggs laid off to Fortune, who blasted a first-time shot into the roof of the net.

It was Fortune’s first European goal for United, maybe not a complete shock given the South African was making only his 17th appearance this evening.

Of more surprise was that Solskjaer had not broken his duck for the season, not until the 33rd minute that is, when the Norwegian met Giggs’ cut-back with an instant drive which Nikopolidis should have saved but somehow let squirm through his body.

It proved to be Solskjaer’s last meaningful contribution as he hobbled off before the interval, one of three early United substitutions, but, with Arsenal in mind, the only one to give Ferguson any cause for concern.

By the time the striker turned David Beckham replacement had departed, United had scored another, with Butt improving his European scoring record to two in 67 outings as he glanced John O’Shea’s cross neatly into the corner.

Given the lop-sided nature of the score, it was understandable that United’s motivation sagged somewhat after the interval, although Djemba-Djemba had enough to desire to free himself from the visiting defence and tap home Gary Neville’s cross late on.

From his virtual action-free perch at the other end, Champions League debutant Tim Howard must have wondered what the fuss was all about. How he must hope to be similarly redundant at the weekend.