Cantona puts spice in routine United victory

FOR MANY, at Old Trafford on Saturday, it was probably the half-time appearance of the Spice Girls which put the compelling circus of football into some form of meaningful perspective. After all, some things enjoy longevity and are important, some are transient and are not. It is that simple.

British pop music's latest three-minute wonders were treated with only marginally more respect than were Sheffield Wednesday, who Manchester United dispatched 2-0. The footballers from south Yorkshire were over-run, the pouting young vixens from the fertile imagination of an entrepreneur were barracked. Unlike the boys, at least the girls paid attention until the bitter end.

Afterwards, United manager Alex Ferguson spoke of a job well done, a succinct analysis for moving three points clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premiership, his players had done no more than satisfactorily complete the task laid out before them.

Once the opposition's initial exertions had failed to yield anything - David Hirst missed an absolute sitter just 10 minutes in - Wednesday, more and more, came to resemble a condemned man. "Hirst always seems to score against us so when he missed that early chance I thought it just might be our day," said Ferguson.

Although quite often uncertain at the back, United were hugely impressive when sweeping forward. "To play our third game in Just six days against the team with the cleverest forwards in the country was asking a lot," said Wednesday manager David Pleat by way of explanation.

An opening quarter which was to initially set the tone and then decide the outcome was so gloriously frantic it could well have been lifted from a schoolyard. But then, there is always Eric Cantona, a player who should carry a baton so imperiously does he orchestrate and cajole those around him.

The Frenchman makes more mistakes than he used to but, significantly, far fewer than the younger men who sprint gamely into open space in anticipation of being serviced by one of his divine passes. Fittingly, Cantona was a pivotal figure in both goals, sliding the ball into the path of Andy Cole midway through the first half and combining well with Ole Solskjaer to fashion the second for Karel Poborsky on the hour.

So what are we to make of Wednesday. There is still the distinct chance of European qualification and the realisation that their season is still pulsing with life at a point when, traditionally, it has been moved to the resuscitation unit, could explain the uncertainty which infiltrated their football on Saturday.

"United are a very good side and you must now fancy them to take the title again," said their goalkeeper Kevin Pressman, the man primarily responsible for ensuring that Wednesday - unlike the hapless Spice Girls - departed from Old Trafford with their reputation intact.