THE INDIE
Ruud Van Nistelrooy has had plenty to ponder during a month in which Manchester United have scaled the heights of their season with their celebrated marksman languishing in the depths of his Old Trafford career. Internazionale, Tottenham Hotspur or confront the test of character presented by Sir Alex Ferguson? The Dutch striker has kept his counsel throughout. He has kept his predatory instinct intact too, and as a consequence it is now his manager who faces the dilemma of the Dutchman's immediate future.
The 29-year-old was last night handed his first United start since their FA Cup exit at Anfield on 18 February and responded with the goal - his 149th in 213 appearances for the club - that vanquished a resurgent West Ham United and established a five-point gap over Liverpool in the pursuit of the second automatic spot in next season's Champions' League. It was the response Ferguson had expected from a seasoned professional bearing a grudge, and extended the team's Premiership sequence to seven successive victories despite a performance that bore the scars of too many unnecessary changes by the manager. It was also a defining contribution that will heighten speculation over Van Nistelrooy's future should he be sent back to the sidelines at The Reebok against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. "I've got a very difficult decision to make," admitted Ferguson, "but that is what I am paid to do."
The United manager, however, chose a good night to remind his entire strikeforce of the need to sacrifice personal ambitions for the collective good. Three members of the club's treble-winning attack from 1999 were present at Old Trafford last night, Teddy Sheringham, in his role as a West Ham substitute just four days before his 40th birthday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Sydney FC's Dwight Yorke, who is training with his former club following the end of the Australian league season.
"Having four great strikers was a key factor in winning the treble, no question, and we can do that again if we get four strikers who compete for places and deliver at the right moments," Ferguson pointedly added.
THE TIMES
Barring a collapse of Devon Loch proportions by Chelsea in the Barclays Premiership title race, it was nowhere near the most important of the 149 goals that Ruud van Nistelrooy has now scored for Manchester United, but it might just have felt that way for him last night.
Bemused at his exclusion by Sir Alex Ferguson over the past five weeks, the forward returned with a point to prove and prove it he did, scoring the goal that maintained the winning habit his team-mates have built up without him.
For the record, the deficit to Chelsea has been reduced to an almost respectable nine points, but only if the leaders run into serious and unexpected trouble before United's visit to Stamford Bridge on April 29 is that likely to be of much consequence. Far more important for Ferguson is restoring the confidence and swagger that his team have lost over the past couple of seasons.
Even if there was an end-of-season feel about this match, a seventh consecutive Premiership victory, with Van Nistelrooy's goal enough to beat an increasingly admirable West Ham United side, is not to be sniffed at. Van Nistelrooy did not do too much else to demand his inclusion away to Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, but goals are not a bad indicator of a striker's worth. As a former centre forward, Ferguson, remarkably unsympathetic to the Holland striker of late, appeared to recognise that.
"He's the best in Europe at that," the United manager said. "And what that does is give us that great confidence of knowing we've got three great strikers and also the potential of Giuseppe Rossi. When we won the treble in 1999, having four strikers working hard for each other was a key factor. We can do that again if we get four strikers competing for the positions and rotate them."
Leaving aside the questionable assertion that United can win the treble again during Ferguson's tenure, the most significant comment was the one implying that Van Nistelrooy must accept the realities of squad rotation. "I've got a job picking my team for Saturday now, but that's what I'm paid to do," Ferguson said. "For Ruud, this was his first game in quite a few weeks. That's the kind of response we wanted to see."
Van Nistelrooy's moment arrived in first-half stoppage time and he had Graham Poll to thank, the added time stemming from an interruption caused by a hamstring injury that forced the referee's replacement by the fourth official, Martin Atkinson. Given the proximity of the World Cup finals, England's most experienced, if least self-effacing, referee may not have shared the delight of a Premiership record crowd of 69,522, but the way he joked with Ferguson on the touchline suggested it was not a cause for concern.
THE GUARDIAN
There have been times over the past six weeks when Ruud van Nistelrooy must have wondered whether he would ever get the chance to join the illustrious band of seven Manchester United players who have scored 150 goals for the club. Last night those misgivings were condemned to the dustbin of history as the Dutchman marked his return with No149 and the game's decisive moment that reaffirmed his importance to England's biggest club.
Dropped from the Carling Cup final and subjected to rumour and innuendo about his future, Van Nistelrooy resisted the temptation to mark the occasion by running towards Sir Alex Ferguson with burning eyes and a wagging finger. His point was made in much subtler terms, his 20th league goal of the season a poke-in-the-ribs reminder to his manager that he might not be the most elegant striker in English football, or indeed the hardest working, but he is still its most accomplished goalscorer.
A few myths may also have been exposed given that Van Nistelrooy was not only reinstated in place of Louis Saha but installed as captain in the absence of the injured Gary Neville. It was a ringing endorsement from Ferguson and a wet flannel over the bushfire of speculation that the relationship between manager and player has been irreparably damaged. Ferguson might be the most unpredictable manager in the business but one certainty is that he does not give the captaincy to a player he is trying to usher out of Old Trafford.
"That's exactly the type of response I wanted to see," said Ferguson. "It's his first game for quite a few weeks and he's come back with a vital goal. He's the best in Europe at that, without question, and it gives us great confidence because we know we've got three great strikers and Giuseppe Rossi's coming through as well. We won the treble using four strikers and we can do all that again if we've got four strikers competing for the positions and are able to rotate them."
Ferguson had provoked a debate about whether Van Nistelrooy's goalmouth loitering was as effective for the team as Saha's sleek running. What nobody could dispute is that Van Nistelrooy's period out of the team has not dulled his predatory instincts and, typically, the goal that restored him above Thierry Henry as the Premiership's leading scorer stemmed from his first chance of the evening. Park Ji-Sung did all the spadework, turning away from Paul Konchesky before darting into the penalty area, and Van Nistelrooy's angled shot found the corner as if directed by computer.
It set up United for their 10th successive victory at Old Trafford, one that reduces the gap to Chelsea to nine points. Yet Van Nistelrooy's restoration coincided with Ferguson experimenting with another four changes and, in doing so, United's manager disrupted a team who had produced some exhilarating stuff over the past few weeks. Wayne Rooney flickered sporadically, as did Cristiano Ronaldo. Park was full of energy and zest, but overall United seldom replicated the flowing, first-touch football that had swamped the likes of Newcastle United and Birmingham City of late.
THE TELEGRAPH
Ruud Van Nistelrooy marked his return to Manchester United's starting XI with his 149th goal for the club in a 1-0 victory over West Ham at Old Trafford last night.
Van Nistelrooy has had to play second fiddle to Louis Saha since the Carling Cup final, but showed that he has lost none of his predatory powers.
The Dutchman, who had been a substitute for the last five matches, was named captain in the absence of Gary Neville, but had barely had a kick until Park Ji-sung picked him out with an inspired cut-back in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Typically, he steered it home in a flash, proving his prolonged stint on the bench had not blunted his striking prowess.
It was Van Nistelrooy's 20th Premiership goal of the season and took him one clear of Thierry Henry in the race for the golden boot. It also sealed United's 10th consecutive win at Old Trafford.
Van Nistelrooy was given a huge ovation, as was Teddy Sheringham when he came on late in the second half for Matthew Etherington as West Ham tried to get back into the game.
The victory increased United's lead over third-placed Liverpool to five points and they still have a game in hand on their North-West rivals and a superior goal difference.
The game was watched by a Premiership record attendance of 69,522, beating the previous best of 69,070, set against Birmingham City three days earlier. The record is set to fall again on Sunday, April 9 when Arsenal are the visitors.