United lords of the manor

THE advantage of a batsman facing a 100 miles per hour bowler is that when he faces someone throwing them down at 50 mph, it seems nothing more than a dolly drop.

So United, having been Lilly and Thomsoned by Juventus in midweek, hardly batted an eyelid at Nottingham Forest's Derek Pringle impersonation on Saturday, swaggering around with the merciless ease of Graeme Hick on a flat county track.

The challenge for United is to transfer this sort of imperious performance, in which at times their passing and movement were exquisite, on to the international stage.

Confidence plays a huge part. Amid familiar Premiership surroundings, United romp around with a freedom borne of the knowledge that they are the best. The Turin cloud was partly caused by self-doubt and caution.

But even if United could replicate their display against Forest in a Champions League game, it would offer no more of an answer. For interwoven with the flowing moves were the sort of basic errors which will always undermine United's aspirations to be a European force.

A nagging problem is their profligacy in giving the ball away - especially Cantona. It comes from the hallmark requirement of top sides to play split-second, one-touch passes. The higher the level of football, the quicker the pass has to be made, and the less space there is to play it. This, by definition, increases the chances of the ball finding the opposition.

Juventus are the best team in Europe largely because they can consistently marry speed and accuracy, but United remain erratic. This shortcoming went unpunished by Forest, and mostly by Juventus, but remains a potentially deadly gift.

At the highest level, United still have concerns up front. Boksic showed the virtue of signing the finished striking article and although Solskjaer looks a player of high promise, he needs another season at least to mature.

But, having criticised United, let us also praise them. For few English sides can attack with such verve and style as Alex Ferguson's team demonstrated on Saturday. And the man at the hub of it was Cantona - a master amid the mistakes.

Forest took an early lead when a defensive mix-up let in Haaland, but Cantona's stabbed flick with the outside of his foot set up Solskjaer for United's first after Pearce trod on the ball. Their second goal started with the Frenchman's impertinent back-heel to Poborsky, whose run to the by-line and cross found Giggs unmarked at the far post.

Cantona drilled in the third from 25 yards and Bart-Williams's foul on Poborsky led to the Frenchman scoring from the spot for the fourth.

As has been said many times, Cantona needs to repeat this brilliance on the big stage. If he can, and with Keane due back from injury for the Rapid Vienna game next week, United might yet start to feel at home in Europe.