Van Nistelrooy spot-on for shaky United

Tottenham Hotspur too high in the Premiership? Manchester United too low? This result gave an affirmative answer to both questions, but if you wanted conclusive proof it was not at Old Trafford yesterday.

United won thanks to Ruud van Nistelrooy's 63rd-minute goal, but it was the scruffy sort of victory beloved of managers grasping at straws rather than the majestic sort more normally associated with Sir Alex Ferguson's team. The fact it was a penalty that proved decisive said it all.

This means United have not scored in open play in the Premiership since they drew with Sunderland, and they might have extended a run of only one domestic win in five matches but for Fabien Barthez's enterprise in the last minute. Spurs were three on one and would have had an open goal if Matthew Etherington could have found his colleagues at the far post. Instead the goalkeeper cut out the cross on his six-yard line.

As for the rest of the match, United dominated, would have scored many more but for the saves of Kasey Keller, yet failed to convince that their early-season trouble is just a blip. Tottenham? They looked what they are: a well- organised but limited side.

Seasons come and go but some things are constant, and Ferguson's dislike of journalists is one of them. "We mustn't let ourselves get rattled by the criticism that has been heaped on us lately," he wrote in the match programme, "so much of it plainly hostile... The main danger is if we start believing some of the stuff."

Of course, if you make your worst start ever in the Premiership the plaudits become scarce, and even Ferguson acknowledged things are imperfect, listing injuries and poor finishing among the problems.

More pertinently, he also laid some of the blame at his own door, wondering whether the number of changes he had made had contributed to a record of eight points from six Premiership games. Nevertheless he tinkered again, preferring John O'Shea to Laurent Blanc and restoring Nicky Butt to central midfield.

In contrast to United's troubles, Tottenham arrived at Old Trafford having made their best start in 35 years and, while the cockerels of north London did not exactly strut around at the start, they had an assured air. Whether that would have survived if Phil Neville's third-minute pull- back from the right had not been smothered at the second attempt is debatable, but when the opening red charge produced nothing, Spurs began to have attacking ideas of their own and would have scored after 13 minutes if Barthez had not made a flying save to his left to guide Goran Bunjevcevic's 25-yard strike round the post.

Even a confident side are going to be put under pressure at Old Trafford, though, and the remainder of the first half belonged to United, who would have reached the interval ahead but for a fine stop by Keller. A header from Ryan Giggs gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer room and he lashed a volley that the keeper blocked with lightning reactions.

That was a rare moment of fluency and the first 45 minutes were summed up by a scuffle between Van Nistelrooy and Dean Richards that ended with the United striker on the floor. Both could have been sent off but the referee, Rob Styles, leniently handed out cautions.

United's tempo was better after the break and, within seconds of the restart, Giggs's flick put Van Nistelrooy clear but he scuffed his shot after trying to correct his body for the ball coming over his shoulder. A minute later, David Beckham's free-kick was blocked by the admirable Keller.

Keller knew nothing about a save from Van Nistelrooy after 53 minutes that hit him and bounced away, but Barthez was also fortunate when Richards located his legs from close range four minutes later. The chances were coming quicker and quicker, something had to break, and it was Gary Doherty.

The Spurs centre-back may have been lucky to survive a penalty claim when he brought down Van Nistelrooy, but as he clattered into Solskjaer 45 seconds later, he was nowhere near the ball. Van Nistelrooy, whose temper had looked increasingly volcanic, suddenly assumed the cool of a Buddhist monk and stroked the ball to Keller's left.