Sir Alex Ferguson may live to regret suggesting 1-0 is his new favourite scoreline because his team appears only too happy to oblige him. Without a significant deflection to a rare Wayne Rooney shot four minutes from time Manchester United would have won by a single goal for the second game in succession. The United of old might have been expected to run riot against ordinary opposition after taking the lead as early as the eighth minute but, just as at Everton on Saturday, the United with Rooney in midfield played the game out unadventurously and contented themselves with the points.
There was never a question of the floodgates opening. Playing in this manner, United never built the required pressure. It was hardly a statement of intent but back-to-back wins against the Romanian side have produced the effect Ferguson desired. United now top their group on goal difference and have second-placed Benfica at home next.
"If we beat Benfica we'll win the group, simple as that," Ferguson said. "It's a big incentive for us, especially considering the history between the two clubs. It should be a good night."
This should have been a good night for Michael Owen too, promoted to the starting line-up with Fabio Capello in the stands. Unfortunately his involvement did not last beyond a crucial part in the opening goal. Guessing right when Phil Jones sent over a low cross to the near post after eight minutes, Owen could not quite get enough of a touch to divert the ball past Branko Grahovac but his attempt distracted the rest of the Galati defence and it was a simple matter for Antonio Valencia to tap in unopposed at the far post. Owen appeared to overstretch a thigh muscle and was replaced by Javier Hernández. "It's a real shame because he made the goal," Ferguson said.
Owen later tweeted: "Gutted about my injury. Felt my left quad as I reached out to try and score prior to Valencia's goal. Was really looking forward to playing."
Conceding so early did not tempt Galati to change their shape or go chasing the game, a mistake Ferguson admitted United made to disastrous effect in the Manchester derby. The Romanians kept most of their players behind the ball and made their opponents work. At least that allowed the home full-backs to push forward and attack. Jones continued making promising overlaps on the right, with Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov playing him into space behind the Galati defence almost at will, though from United's point of view the quality of his crossing was disappointing.
Jones seemed to work that out for himself and cut inside for a shot on the half hour, and would probably have been rewarded with a goal but for Cristian Sarghi getting his head to the ball at the last moment. Rooney looked comfortable in midfield, playing so far down the pitch he usually had time and space in which to work. That helped him record a remarkable 88% pass completion rate, though it was hard not to feel his contribution was being missed closer to goal, where Dimitar Berbatov and Hernández were failing to strike up a productive partnership.
The otherwise underworked David de Gea was required to make two saves in quick succession from Ionut Neagu just before the interval, the second one much smarter than the first. Rio Ferdinand had initially been beaten for pace but managed to recover in time to take some of the sting out of Neagu's shot, which De Gea kept out with one hand.Both saw attempts saved at the start of the second half, the latter from a carefully weighted through-ball by Rooney, making a rare foray forward in support of his attack. If Ferguson is going to make a habit of deploying his best player in midfield he surely ought to have him more advanced rather than last man before the back four. His talents are largely wasted in that role.
United livened up a little as the game entered its final half-hour, with Anderson seeing an effort cleared off the line by Sergiu Costin and Hernández uncharacteristically missing with a header from a Jones cross. Berbatov had the best chance of adding to the scoreline before the second goal, significantly when a stray backpass put him one on one with the Galati goalkeeper but the Bulgarian summed up United's general lack of urgency with an almost careless shot into the side-netting. The late goal, unwittingly helped by Cristian Sarghi past his own goalkeeper, made the score identical to the one in the earlier game, and possibly reminded United where Rooney should be playing against Benfica. If Rooney is going to be the new Paul Scholes, he will not score many goals as a holding midfielder. Scholes played so deep only right at the end of his career.
"It's only a short term thing really, to cover injuries we have in midfield and to give us a but more defensive strength," Ferguson explained. "Wayne was easily our best player, though. He's got all the necessary qualities to play in that position." Rooney was in full agreement. "I've played there before and I can do it again," he said. "The main thing tonight was getting the win but I'm happy to do whatever job the manager asks me to. Without wanting to sound big-headed I feel I'm a good enough footballer to play anywhere on the pitch."
