Anxious Listeners in Manchester : Episode Two

Caught the result against FC Seoul on the BBC website. So far, none of the new players has got a game and no-one has returned from injury. Very much last season. Nothing wrong in that of course.

Also viewed some fairly shaky video footage of the goals over the web.

Anyway, Manchester United were convincing 4-0 winners over FC Seoul in the second leg of their promotional tour of Asia. Clearly, United are generating more enthusiasm in Asia than Chelsea are managing in the USA. Unless the Becks effect is miraculous, it seems MUFC will be looking at other markets, so roll-on the pre-season tour of Africa. After all, the Glazers already have vehcles for draining money from the US sports market and the NY Yankees tie-up never seemed to produce anything much (apart from free beanie hats for some of the players).

There was a sell-out home crowd of 60,000 or so, many of them wearing United's colours (although it would be interesting to know what proportion of the shirts were authorised club versions) : a banner draped over the stand behind one of the goals read - "Welcome to Korea - Here's Another Old Trafford." United were playing in their white change kit (unclear if there is a new black kit on the way).

The most interesting feature of the team was that Evra started on the left wing (his usual position when picked as full-back, of course). The first goal started from his throw in with Ronaldo topping it off with a low, powerful shot from outside the penalty box. Admittedly, the keeper seemed slow going down.

Evra again was at the heart of the second goal, starting it from the centre of the park, with a neat backheel on by Ronaldo onto the path of Eagles, who showed decent composure to finish it off from the edge of the box.

The third goal was the result of a Rooney-Ronaldo interchange, Rooney going past a Seoul defender and shooting in off the hands of the goalkeeper at the near post. Again, the keeper Kim should have done better, if only to discourage this obsession with blasting the ball at the near post.

The cameras focused every so often on the local favourite Park Ji-Sung, who had earlier carried the Premiership trophy onto the pitch, and then acknowledged the crowd again during half time. He seems very popular in Korea and noise levels rose every time he appeared on the big screen. Hopefully he returns sometime soon in our next campaign, and isn’t just reserved as another marketing ploy.

Scholes, Giggs and Smith came on in the second half, Scholes picking up his customary booking. The home side failed to test Edwin van der Sar in the first period but stepped up a gear after the break, coming close when a header by Kwak Tae-hwi, from a free kick, went narrowly wide.

But it was United who struck again on the hour when Giggs advanced into the Seoul penalty box to set up Evra for the goal he deserved with a finish from a narrow angle. Rooney and Ronaldo were the headline grabbers, but from all reports Evra was good on the left wing and so was Eagles.

Also, going from all reports, Rooney looks very very hungry to be back playing again, after his longest summer break in years.

United next play matches in China against Shenzhen FC and Guangzhou Pharmaceutical. The club confirmed that the squad will be joined by Dong Fangzhuo on Sunday, presumably to fulfill the Park role, rather than actually play.

FC Seoul 0 Manchester United 4 (Ronaldo 6, Eagles 18, Rooney 21, Evra 61)

FC Seoul: Kim (Kim, 82), Kwak, Adilson, Lee (Kim, 45), Kon (Koh, 73), Choi, Ki (Song, 82), Lee Chung-Yong, Ricardo (Ahn, 73), Lee, Jung (Shim, 45)

Manchester Utd: Van der Sar (Kuszczak, 45), Bardsley (Simpson, 45), Ferdinand, Vidic (Evans, 77), Silvestre, Eagles, Carrick (Scholes, 45), O'Shea, Evra, Rooney (Smith, 45), Ronaldo (Giggs, 45)

Goals: Ronaldo06, Eagles 18, Rooney 21, Evra 60

Attendance: 60,000