SOCCER/Sunderland 0 Manchester Utd 4:Alex Ferguson does not really do sympathy, but there seemed a look of genuine concern in the Manchester United manager's eyes as he put an arm around Roy Keane at the final whistle. With the visiting fans, somewhat insensitively, chorusing "Keano, Keano, give us a wave", Ferguson treated United's former captain to, by his brusque standards, a warm embrace.

Pity is probably the last emotion Sunderland's manager would want to attract, but after a run of one win in 13 games Keane requires all the support he can get.

"We were outclassed, it was a harsh lesson and it's not a very nice feeling. We're in a sticky patch," he said after seeing a slightly weakened United humiliate his team in the course of a beguiling performance full of pacy positional inter-changing and audacious improvisation.

With Wayne Rooney, who scored his first league goal in two months, close to his best, United, as Keane put it, "flexed their muscles" and, at times effectively playing 4-2-4, underlined a growing conviction that they will retain their title come May.

"This will do our confidence the world of good," said Ferguson. "Sunderland are going through the stickiest part of their season, but it was an excellent performance, our passing and sharpness were very good. The front players were outstanding and Wayne is now close to being back to what we expect from him. I rested some players, but this is one of my strongest squads for some time."

In contrast, Keane's appears more of a Championship squad. "We don't believe we're one of the worst three teams in this division but we need to back it up with points," he said. "If we don't improve there's a good chance we'll be in the Championship."

Baffled as to precisely who they were supposed to be picking up and when, Keane's players failed to close United down and struggled to cope with their quality of touch and ingenuity of movement. Cristiano Ronaldo had the time to run through pretty much his entire step-over repertoire.

United were ahead after 20 minutes. Wes Brown slipped a pass forward from right-back and Rooney, having timed his advance to spring the offside trap, beat the advancing Craig Gordon by slipping a low shot inside the goalkeeper's near post.

It was Rooney's 10th goal of the season, but the England forward is as much a creator as a scorer and he turned conjuror 10 minutes later. Sent racing down the left wing courtesy of Ronaldo's incisive pass, Rooney - whose excursions on to that flank tended to involve considerable embarrassment for Dean Whitehead - had time to check and switch the ball on to his right foot before delivering a cross in Louis Saha's direction. Accepting the invitation, Saha beat Gordon with a close-range volley.

By half-time it was 3-0, Dwight Yorke's unnecessary foul on Darren Fletcher having conceded a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box and slightly to the right. In other words, it was classic Ronaldo dead-ball territory and the Portuguese did not disappoint, his latest superlative delivery leaving Gordon helpless.

In between conceding goals Sunderland suffered numerous little ignominies. There was the moment when Rooney nutmegged Michael Chopra, the touchline cameo when the same player turned Whitehead three times in dizzying succession and the near miss when a Ronaldo step-over down the left set in chain a bewitchingly slick passing move concluding with Saha firing wide.

Gordon has been doubted - and dropped - in recent weeks but, spreading himself adroitly, he made several decent saves, perhaps most notably when Rooney lobbed a defence-confounding pass to Nani.

Acting on one of his "hunches", Keane had given a surprise debut to Martyn Waghorn, a 17-year-old striker, but, for all his assiduous running, he barely got a kick.

Saha finished it all from the penalty spot after Danny Collins's foul on Nani.

Keane freely acknowledges that Sunderland have a major fight on their hands, something he did not expect, but remains convinced they can get themselves out of trouble.

"We would have liked a few more points on the board - I certainly feel we deserve a few more points - but we haven't, that's the reality of the Premier League," he said.

"We are where we are. The best team will win the league and the three worst teams will go down, and I believe we are not one of the three worst teams in the Premier League.

"But it would be nice to back that up with some positive results and some wins."

Keane hopes to strengthen his squad during next month's transfer window, and hopes their pulling power remains intact.

"Obviously, if we were higher up in the table, it might be different attraction," he said. "But I always hope, and I believe, that Sunderland will be an attraction for players anyway. We had 40,000-odd here today again, and we hope Sunderland will always be an attraction for any player.

"That's what I will be saying if I get a chance to speak to one or two players.

"But let's not kid ourselves we are going to be bringing in loads of players. We hope a few, two or three, but that might be about it."