Ryan Giggs guides Manchester United to victory

THERE would be, promised Tony Pulis beforehand, “no bowing and scraping”. Subconsciously or not, the hosts made an exception for the magisterial Ryan Giggs. No wonder a banner among the United followers proclaims “Arise Sir Ryan”.

For an hour, Fort Britannia lived up to its reputation, heavily buttressed against incursions. United would have expected it to be, having only secured victory with a late Carlos Tevez goal on their last visit. Never remotely a threat themselves, Stoke’s rearguard, with Ryan Shawcross, the former Old Trafford defender, and Abdoulaye Faye in admirable form, ensured that the stonework appeared impenetrable. Then 35-year-old Giggs, a man of 18 seasons and his powers of perception apparently burgeoning, had his entrance.

Within seven minutes of replacing Nani, Giggs had set up Dimitar Berbatov with a ball that left the Bulgarian with a walk-in goal. By the whistle, the former Wales international had also curled in a free kick from the right which John O’Shea nodded home, and spurned a chance to score his 100th United goal.

He allowed himself a rueful smile. It didn’t matter. It was job done, again, following his pass that opened up Manchester City for Michael Owen’s winner last Sunday. Wigan had done United a favour and the champions had returned to the top of the table.

“It was a marvellous moment from Ryan for the first goal, and an excellent cross to Dimitar,” said Sir Alex Ferguson. “He had a difficult game last weekend because he used up so much energy. So, I felt it was better he started on the bench.”

After the rancour of a dramatic Manchester derby, United needed this return to normality: a clinical victory that silenced one of the most vocal crowds in football, and the clean sheet, which will have been welcomed by goalkeeper Ben Foster and Rio Ferdinand in particular. Neither will have reflected on last Sunday with relish. The only controversy yesterday concerned Paul Scholes, lauded by Stoke manager Pulis as “the best player on the park by a country mile”, who, having been cautioned for a second-half foul was then pulled up by referee Howard Webb for handball just outside his area. Pulis had no quarrel.

The Stoke manager preferred to lavish praise on United rather than condemn his men, saying: “It’s the first time this season we haven’t given it a right good go. For us to compete against the top teams we have to have everyone playing at their maximum, but we were a bit flat today.”

The result was constant pressure from United. The worst miss was when Antonio Valencia burst clear and clipped the ball past Thomas Sorensen, and the wrong side of a post. As the interval approached, O’Shea narrowly failed to make contact when Wayne Rooney’s beautiful turn and cross produced an inviting opening. Stoke had rarely suggested they could unpick United’s rearguard so the visitors did not abate. They were rewarded when Giggs worked his magic. What had appeared one of the most problematic fixtures for United had become a stroll.