United portray a quality of leaders

Manchester United 2 Portsmouth 0:MANCHESTER UNITED displayed one of the qualities of champions, but it was a trait that should never have been required. Vigilance was essential until near the end because too many openings had been squandered following an early opener from Wayne Rooney.

There were just eight minutes left when Michael Carrick planted a low finish beyond David James after receiving a fine ball from Paul Scholes. The task had been completed, and United lead Liverpool by three points with a game in hand. The retention of the title feels imminent although Tottenham, who come here on Saturday, may well present difficulties.

Liverpool’s chaotic 4-4 draw with Arsenal at Anfield on Tuesday night must have made United feel as if order was about to be restored in full to their own affairs. This game even had a commemorative feel to it.

Scholes, after all, was making his 600th appearance for the club. He has come to the stage where a slightly more sedate role in deep midfield suits him best. There were others to produce dynamism. Anderson, whose standing has fluctuated in his time at the club, could be in the ascendant again.

There was incisiveness in the Brazilian’s pass to the left that led to the opener after nine minutes. Ryan Giggs survived unwarranted appeals for off-side and the veteran’s low ball into the centre was converted by Rooney.

The match did tend to leave pause for reflection. Portsmouth did not initially make grave demands of a United defence in which Jonny Evans deputised for Rio Ferdinand. The centre-half had been missed in some recent fixtures when a groin strain ruled him out, but there was no feeling of peril on this occasion.

It made scant difference to United that Gary Neville injured his right foot and had to be replaced by John O’Shea. The Irishman could have extended the lead when he connected with a header from Giggs’s corner that was cleared from the goal-line by Nadir Belhadj after half an hour. Almost immediately, Rooney released Giggs, but the Welshman shot against the chest of the advancing James.

United were performing as if this were no more than practice before the start of the Champions League semi-final. An insipid Portsmouth made it impossible then for this occasion to bear any sense of risk. Curiosity was aroused only by the inability of Alex Ferguson’s team to strike again before the interval. Portsmouth lost possession in the 40th minute and Cristiano Ronaldo raced down the right before aiming a cut-back. Giggs had ghosted in front of his marker, Glen Johnson, but clipped a finish off-target.

United conveyed a sense of enjoyment rather than ruthlessness. Still, the signs were that the scale of the victory was the sole matter open to debate. Ambition is never without its tinge of paranoia and a manager such as Ferguson would always fear there is a price to be paid for not polishing off an inferior side. Portsmouth, after all, had no cause for despair. Indeed they might have taken heart in the dressingroom when realising that, somehow, they were still a mere goal adrift.

It was a handicap to be without the injured Niko Kranjcar, but the manager Paul Hart did attempt to revitalise the side. There was more width with the introduction of Jermaine Pennant. United were more puzzled than concerned when the substitute O’Shea picked up a knock and had to make way for Rafael da Silva.

That, in itself, could not alter the character of the game. The visitors continued to defend with a degree of purpose and United went on letting slip opportunities for a second goal. Giggs, for example, could not quite capitalise on an excellent ball from Rooney, even if praise was also due to James for the decisiveness with which he came off his line.

The noise of the crowd rose a little as fans noticed that United had not yet completed their assignment. There was even a glimpse of unease when Johnson demonstrated his effectiveness on the overlap as he got free of Rooney and drilled a cut-back that was palmed away by Edwin van der Sar.

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Attendance: 74,895

MANCHESTER UTD:Van der Sar, Neville (O'Shea 13), Vidic, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson (Carrick 76), Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney, O'Shea (Rafael Da Silva 52). Subs not used: Kuszczak, Berbatov, Nani, Tevez. Booked: Vidic.

PORTSMOUTH:James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Davis, Mullins, Hughes, Belhadj, Nugent (Pennant 46), Crouch.

Subs not used:Begovic, Pamarot, Utaka, Cranie, Kanu, Basinas.

Referee:Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).