Motherfucker=Redeemer

The papers are pretty positive this morning, falling short of eating humble pie, but on the whole admitting that we've answered our critics (while refusing to accept that it was themselves who were doing the over the top criticising). On the whole that's the case. There is still a ouple of reports where the sour grapes aren't very well hidden. Here's Paul Wilson in The Guardian:

Just as it was beginning to look as though Manchester United might be a really bad bet to retain their title the partnership between Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov finally sprang to life and answered Sir Alex Ferguson's prayer for goals.

The pair did not actually combine for any of the goals - not unless you count the third one which should really go down as a joint effort between Rooney and Mario Melchiot – though after an arid first half that reflected United's stodgy start to the season Ferguson will just have been pleased to see his strikers on target.

They didn't combine, unless you count the goal they did combine for, oh, and the passing that led to our second, where Berba passed to Rooney who passed to Scholes who passed back to Berba. Except for that, they looked like absolute strangers... And that description of the first half, in which we create chances and Wigan had a go, a very entertaining half of football, but described as "arid " and "stodgy" here, reflecting the unwillingness to let preconceived notions go.

And this piece in The Telegraph is one of those, "well, they won 5 nil but there's still so many negatives..." type articles which isn't worth reading at all.

This, from The Mail on Sunday, does the amazing trick of putting all the paper criticism into the mouth of Sir Alex:

After the shock defeat by Burnley, even the United manager had admitted he was worried about where his team's goals would come from, following the exit of the player who had scored 67 in the last two seasons.

Well, how about Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen? Yes, that would the same Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov who apparently could not play together and the same Michael Owen whose free transfer signing was supposed to be a gamble.

He didn't link the lack of goals to Ronaldo going in the least, he described it as a problem we had last season. To be fair, the rest of the report isn't too bad, actually giving us credit.

Daniel Taylor praises Rooney:

Even the Wigan fans clapped Rooney off the pitch after he had scored his 100th and 101st goals for United and helped his side towards their 5-0 victory at the DW Stadium. Rooney opened the scoring with a classic centre-forward's header and, by making it 3-0 with a deflected finish, he has now scored three times in as many games in the first six days of the new league campaign.

The Sunday Times doesn't know where it's at, one minute with the praise, the next with negativity, it even has the cheek, after the crisis talk of Thursday, to describe the "finding true form" as "inevitable"

The Independent's report is just dull, as is The Mirror (it seems the papers enjoy slagging us off more than praising us).

The Telegraph's Mark Ogden graciously concedes that "some of the questions have been answered."

Quotes from Sir Alex here:

“You have got to react to defeat and it is always a challenge. But we got a really good response today.

“When you are making chances and dont take them it is a worry. We made six chances in the first half and did not take any.

“But the important thing is to have the patience to keep playing and keep believing and we did that.”

From Owen:

"I probably scored the hardest chance I've had," said Owen, who had failed to find the net in United's two opening league games against Birmingham and Burnley. "I had two chances at Burnley and one against Birmingham, but this was the fourth real opportunity I've had.

"I don't think I missed a chance in pre-season, but I've missed a couple since the season started and as ever everyone is quick to write you off. It was as if I hadn't scored for a couple of years.

Owen added: "That's something I've had to deal with for ten odd years now and I don't think that will change until I hang up my boots. It was certainly a great feeling to score. I'd got a few in pre-season but there's nothing quite like doing it in a competitive game."

Finally, The Mail On Sunday takes us back to 2003 and give their article on new anti-doping rules the headline, "Rio Ferdinand among England players to be quizzed by Anti-doping agency." Thanks for the reminder of a missed test 6 years ago. No agenda there...