Sub Saha Pops Up to Sink Plucky Sunderland

This match was supposed to be all about Roy Keane's attempt to put one over his old club but in the end it was Louis Saha who managed that. A single goal from the former Fulham striker was enough to settle an undistinguished game, and though Saha may never be one of Manchester United's favorite center forwards, the home crowd were never more glad to see anyone than when he emerged at half time to give much needed urgency to their attack.

Before that United were in danger of surrendering another two points to a determined though entirely ordinary Sunderland side. Things should improve when Cristiano Ronaldo returns from suspension, for the idea that Carlos Tevez can lead an attack appears wildly misplaced on this evidence.

Keane said he wasn't expecting red-carpet treatment at Old Trafford and he didn't get it. The retirement of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earned a guard of honour on the pitch and had both sets of fans united in applause before the kick-off, although when the PA system had finished playing a truly awful version of Country Roads - killing the spontaneity of the anthem as well as inserting some naff new lyrics - it was possible to hear all four sides of the ground affirming that there's only one Keano.

The returning hero would scarcely have recognized his old team - no Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs or Gary Neville, Michael Carrick on the bench and starts for Anderson and Chris Eagles - though his present team was much altered from the one that started the season. New arrivals Kenwyne Jones and Danny Higginbotham were pushed straight in, with Paul McShane moving to right back to accommodate the latter.

With players on both sides still introducing themselves to each other the game took a while to get going. Sunderland had Jones on his own up front most of the time, while rather weirdly United had no one.

Tevez and Anderson were merely a notional front pairing. In practice Anderson spent more time in midfield, partly because Paul Scholes stationed himself almost as deep as Owen Hargreaves, while Tevez, who is even less happy with his back to goal than Rooney, took up forward positions without seeing enough of the ball.

By the mid-point of the first half neither goalkeeper had made a save and the only goal attempt of note was an early rangefinder from Nani that drifted wide. United were not able to stretch Sunderland sufficiently, and as a result Dwight Yorke, also returning to his old ground, spent a surprisingly comfortable first half hour strolling around in front of his back four.

When Yorke finally made a mistake, losing out to Anderson in the 33rd minute, United surged forward and Tevez forced a save from Craig Gordon to give the first half its only highlight. Unless you count the Sunderland fans taking advantage of the eerie silence with their cheeky chant of 'Who are you?' followed by a chorus of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'.

At the conclusion of a scoreless first half the Sunderland fans felt sufficiently emboldened to sing: 'You're not very good', and it was true. United were all midfield and no attacking focus. They either needed to bring Saha into the action or, at minimum, get Scholes further forward.

As if to underline the point, Scholes ended the first half with a shot deflected just the wrong side of a post. It was just about United's best effort in 45 minutes, but Scholes had only ventured so far upfield to take a flat pass from a free kick.

Saha replaced Anderson at half time and United's shape improved immediately. Their football became less convoluted too. When Rio Ferdinand launched a long ball forward in the 50th minute for Saha to nod down and enable Tevez to hit a shot on target it was practically route one, though no one was complaining.

When Saha produced a terrific shot on the turn after an hour, only to see it equalled by a top quality save from Gordon, the crowd came alive and it felt like the match had finally started. None of United's midfield midgets, as the bloke in the row behind the press box rather unkindly dubbed the starting line-up, would have managed so direct an attack. Sunderland attacked more in the second half too, perhaps sensing a single goal might be enough for an upset, though they never managed to put Edwin van der Sar under serious pressure.

Gordon had to save a long shot from Hargreaves before he was beaten from close range 20 minutes from the end, all Sunderland's defensive organisation being undone by a goal of such simplicity it was a mystery how it had taken so long to arrive.

Nani swung in a corner from the left and Saha moved quicker than Gordon or his central defenders to meet it with a glancing header at the near post. It was far from the most impressive goal Saha has ever scored, but sometimes you just need to take up the right position to exploit a momentary lapse in defensive concentration.

Man of the match: Louis Saha

Has to be Saha for making Manchester United recognizable again. Until he came on to score the only goal, United looked a different team from the one that won the title last season. Saha has rarely been the number-one striker at Old Traff ord, but right now he is the only centre-forward around, and United need him.