'So, all things considered, that went quite well, didn’t it? Sir Alex Ferguson seemed to think so. David Moyes, too. If you can overlook the lynch mob that greeted Wayne Rooney off the Manchester United team bus, the mouthful of abuse he exchanged with two corporate guests after the pre-match warm-up, the "Judas" chants and the fact that one of his team-mates was struck by one of several missiles thrown from the crowd, not to mention the 33 arrests after clashes between rival supporters, I suppose it did.
That it could be hailed a triumph that Rooney managed to leave Goodison Park unhurt — and almost, but not quite, unruffled — said much about the dangerous undercurrent of emotion that surrounded this match. Ferguson reflected afterwards that Everton’s fans had been "pretty fair" to their once-favourite son. Would he have said the same had any of the missiles thrown at Rooney — the mobile phone, perhaps, or the golf ball — hit him in the same way that a coin struck Roy Carroll? Everton’s supporters will be demonised in some quarters for their conduct but when no less a judge than Ferguson concludes that they were "pretty fair", the depth of ill feeling towards Rooney becomes clear. The "mindless moron", in the club’s own words, who injured Carroll, should be locked up. Ditto those lucky enough to miss their intended targets. Some of the chants — "Die, die Rooney, Rooney die" — were unpleasant. But the bitterness was understandable. Even Ferguson recognised that.
In his defence, Rooney handled it every bit as professionally as Ferguson said he would. He was sucked into a minor spat on the touchline before the match started and doubtless brought tears to the eyes of many an Evertonian when he produced a gap-toothed smile and two fingers when United’s supporters asked "Rooney, what’s the score?" but boys will be boys. For the most part, he behaved like a man, rising above the rancour just as he had in recent visits to Anfield, Stamford Bridge and Highbury.
It helped that the atmosphere on the pitch was rather less frenzied than that on the terraces, something that had much to do with the quality of United’s play. Considering the factors they had to contend with — highly motivated opponents, an intimidating atmosphere and a bog of a pitch — theirs was a supremely controlled display, enlivened, when the need arose, by the bewitching skills of Cristiano Ronaldo.'
New Fanzine out Wednesday