By JOHN EDWARDS
IT was a simple enough request from Sir Alex Ferguson. For once, he wanted Manchester United to take the initiative and go in front after seeing them slip behind nine times in 13 previous Barclays Premier League games this season.
He wasn’t too concerned about how long it took them, as long as they scored first and spared him the ordeal of wondering how many more gallant fightbacks might be within their compass. The wish could hardly have been granted in more dramatic style, as Robin van Persie raised the roof with the fastest goal of the season after just 31 seconds.
Still, though, Ferguson had to endure an uncomfortable night at Old Trafford and doubts remain about this United side being the stuff champions are made of.
If the first minute could hardly have gone any better, the remaining 89 had United’s manager squirming in his seat, as the league’s leaders struggled to turn possession into clear-cut chances and suffered more anxious moments than they might have expected from relatively modest visitors such as West Ham.
The United swagger of old appears to have gone, and there was little in Ferguson’s post-match analysis to suggest it might be about to reappear.
‘With Chelsea drawing, we have pulled away from them a bit, but City are still on our tails, so it looks like being a long season,’ he admitted. ‘It’s true there wasn’t too much width to our play, but we have used the diamond formation often enough before this season and done well, so that is no excuse.
‘I must say it was particularly hard keeping a clean sheet after scoring so early and facing 90-odd minutes of keeping them out. But I thought Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and particularly Rafael were superb and we defended really well overall.’
If Ferguson was despairing of the way his team have fallen behind, he could hardly have imagined the trend would be bucked in such spectacular fashion.
West Ham had scarcely had time to think of an attack on United’s goal when Van Persie demonstrated the range of predatory talents that persuaded Ferguson to make the Dutch forward his prime summer transfer target.
A drilled through-ball from Michael Carrick took some controlling but Van Persie brought it to a standstill with a deft touch of his left boot.
He was facing the wrong way, with centre-half Winston Reid barring his route to goal, but a brilliant manoeuvre made light of that. Spinning round and lifting the ball over Reid, he was suddenly through, and if there was an element of luck about the way his shot clipped off James Collins and looped over stranded goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, West Ham could have few complaints.
This was a master marksman at work, and if West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was sparing in his praise, he did at least concede that his instinct for goal could give United a decisive edge over Manchester City in the race for the title. ‘I actually thought we kept him relatively quiet overall, but give him a glimpse of the net, and he will cause you problems,’ said Allardyce.
‘He is a quality player who could make all the difference for United. He will score 20 goals for them this season, maybe as many as 30, and that could be vital. United have not played well, but they have won the game. They have a nasty habit of doing that.’
They also have a tendency to allow opponents a glimmer of hope, where once they would finish them off. Such was the case here, as Jaaskelainen kept West Ham in it with saves from Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney.
He also tipped over from Tom Cleverley, and saw opposite number Anders Lindegaard endure almost as many awkward moments. The United keeper reacted sharply to smother a close-range shot on the turn from substitute Carlton Cole but was fortunate to see Matt Taylor miscue with the goal at his mercy.
United could argue that they had the clearer chances, but the sight of left back Patrice Evra making a hash of a back pass in stoppage time and Evans having to hack the ball into touch to save the day spoke more convincingly of the problems Ferguson must address.
Not that the United manager was the only one to look back with some misgivings. On-loan West Ham striker Andy Carroll had a frustrating night, struggling to make an impact in the air — despite the presence of wingers Matt Jarvis and Taylor — and on the ground.
While one perfectly-struck volley flew narrowly over, a-mis-hit from eight yards bobbled wide, to howls of derision from the Stretford End.
Finally, his number was held up on the sideline and he trudged off to more ironic cheers, briefly turning to grimace at his tormentors before giving way to Cole.
