Ronaldo fills the Rooney void

If there was a sharp intake of breath around Manchester United’s training ground on Friday, when Wayne Rooney twisted his right ankle during a game of head tennis, it cannot have taken long for a sense of calm to be restored. A quick look around the United dressing-room would indicate that it will take more than a twisted ankle to throw their title challenge off course and, by the time Cristiano Ronaldo had scored twice in as many minutes at Old Trafford yesterday, they were coasting back to the top of the Premier League. This was not a vintage performance from United or their No 7, but it was another of those afternoons on which their credentials were underscored in bold. In beating an obdurate and talented Blackburn Rovers side, they succeeded where Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool had failed, but there is nothing more impressive about United than the outstanding individual ability that abounds in their ranks and the devastating football that they can produce. For all the recent eulogies to Arsenal, there remain few more thrilling sights in English football than United in full flow, even without Rooney.
Oliver Kay, The Times