Knights' day to remember - and forget

Two days ago, Sir Bobby Robson had knelt, beaming with pride, chest thrust forward, before the Prince of Wales at his Buckingham Palace investiture. Here, yesterday, it was his team who were on their knees and put to the sword, and he could only genuflect before his fellow Premiership knight.

After pouring scorn on suggestions that Sir Alex Ferguson's empire is crumbling, and stating that Manchester United still have "the best manager in the country and some of the best players", Robson could scarcely have imagined how cruelly prophetic his words would prove.

Yet, it would be erroneous to read too much into a victory that was only Manchester United's second in the Premiership in their last six games. That would be premature indeed. In a contest when defending was in danger of becoming a lost art, Sir Alex Ferguson's men won principally because of their ruthless finishing and Newcastle's ineptitude.

Alan Shearer, who netted his 100th goal for Newcastle with a venomous 30-yard free-kick, a feat overshadowed by Ruud van Nistelrooy's second hat-trick for his club against that now managed by his former coach at PSV Eindhoven, described his side's defending as "crazy" and "a total shambles". That was an accurate description of a rearguard that repeatedly went AWOL.

"It was a mixture of their brilliance and our insipid defending," reflected Robson. "It was typical of what we do away from home from time to time. It cost us a point." Shearer's observations were put to Robson. "I can't say that, not publicly about my players," said the Newcastle manager, before adding: "But I will in the dressing room. In fact, I already have."

Ferguson had attributed his side's "erratic" Premiership form to injuries. Here again, there was no David Beckham, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt. Their squad also contained two midweek "long-haul" fliers. Juan Veron was restricted to the bench until the final 10 minutes after his trip to Japan for Argentina's friendly, but Ryan Giggs, buoyed by Wales's triumph in Azerbaijan, was in the starting line-up. There were no such problems for Paul Scholes, though. His international get-together with England had been considerably less hectic. A midfield in which he had been the influential figure in the first half, alongside Quinton Fortune, and flanked by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Giggs, pressed forward relentlessly.

Yet there had been little indication of what was to ensue in the opening quarter, the only opening falling to Scholes, who drove wide of the far post. Newcastle's distribution was poor, their ambition limited, and only sporadically, notably in the final minutes when it was all too late, did they discover the form that has brought them much admiration of late. There were too many peripheral figures yesterday, notably Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas, while Shearer was quelled effectively by Wes Brown.

In the 24th minute, Van Nistelrooy turned but overhit a ball to Solskjaer. When many would have let the ball find touch, the Norwegian collected acrobatically, drove in towards goal past Aaron Hughes and cut it back to Scholes as he eluded Nikos Dabizas's lunging challenge. The England man curled the ball high and wide of Shay Given.

Newcastle had exhibited virtually nothing going forward until, 10 minutes before the interval, Olivier Bernard's fierce free-kick rebounded back off O'Shea, the Frenchman picked up the rebound and floated what appeared to be an attempted cross beyond Barthez, against the far post, and into the net.

An equaliser was considerably more than the visitors merited, and justice was done two minutes later when Mikael Silvestre beat Craig Bellamy and Jenas on the left before delivering a delicious deep cross. You could almost see Van Nistelrooy licking his lips in anticipation. It was evident well before ball struck head that it was destined for the net. It was a 12th goal of the season for the man dubbed "Clever Clogs" on the front of yesterday's match-day programme.

Just before the break Bellamy went down after colliding with Wes Brown as he broke clear of the home defence, but referee Steve Dunn was probably correct to ignore the Welshman's protests. While the Toon faithful were still debating that verdict, Silvestre set up Diego Forlan, whose miscued drive fortuitously found Van Nistelrooy, who coolly turned the ball in from close range.

Newcastle rallied again. Six minutes after the break Solskjaer felled Bernard and was cautioned for dissent. From the resulting free-kick, Shearer drove home majestically. But again, the visitors' optimism was frustratingly short-lived. Within three minutes, Forlan, enjoying a more productive game than in some he has appeared, advanced deep into the Newcastle area before driving the ball in hard from close to the line. Van Nistelrooy was perfectly placed to head home.

Worse was to follow for Newcastle when Solskjaer was sent scampering clear by Silvestre and added a fifth, although it looked suspiciously as though he had fouled Hughes in the process. Gary Speed was cautioned for emphasising his objections and Robson suggested that "it was a poor decision at a vital time".

With Tuesday's Champions' League game against Basle in mind, Van Nistelrooy, who had just been cautioned, was replaced with 25 minutes remaining by Kieran Richardson. The youngster took Giggs's place on the left of midfield, with the Welsh international moving up front with Forlan. Another young player, Lee Roche, also came on for the injured captain, Laurent Blanc.

But it was not over yet. Bellamy nodded in as the home defence hesitated to reduce the deficit to two. Though an O'Shea header forced Andy Griffin to clear off the line, Newcastle finished strongly and Jenas might have clawed back another, but skewed his header wide.

"A thriller," suggested Robson. Well, hardly, because his team never really appeared likely to contain their hosts on a day when Newcastle aspirations were placed in perspective and Manchester United demonstrated that it would be premature to dismiss their title credentials just yet.

Manchester United 5 Newcastle United 3
Scholes 25, Van Nistelrooy 38, 45, 53, Solskjaer 55; Bernard 35, Shearer 52, Bellamy 75

Half-time: 3-1 Attendance: 67,619