Roy Keane may be about to cost Manchester United the equivalent of £1 per spectator per week for the next four years, but last night Old Trafford would doubtless have contributed generously to a collection for the United captain had one been arranged.
Confirmation by the chairman, Martin Edwards, that Keane would be staying at the club was broadcast over the PA system as the Champions League match with Valencia kicked off, an astute piece of psychology rewarded when the Irishman put United ahead late in the first half, to be followed by a goal from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the start of the second.
Paul Scholes then repeated his second goal for England against Scotland at Hampden Park, heading in from David Beckham's cross after 69 minutes, as the walls of Valencia's defence crumbled.
The 2-0 defeat in Florence a fortnight ago meant Sir Alex Ferguson's side could ill-afford another slip-up as the Champions League went into winter hibernation. Last night Ferguson sprung another of his surprises in team selection, bringing back Beckham and Andy Cole but leaving Dwight Yorke on the bench. Solskjaer, scorer of four of United's five goals against Everton on Saturday, kept his place up front.
Lacking Adrian Ilie, their inspirational Romanian midfielder, because of illness, Valencia set out to stifle United's attack in the hope of catching them on the break. The possibility of this soon became apparent as Mendieta and Oscar, tucking in behind Claudio Lopez, wasted no time getting behind the United midfield and running at their back four.
One early run from Mendieta took him past Scholes and Gary Neville, the latter playing alongside Jaap Stam at centre-back, and but for an over-hit centre, Valencia might have caused United all sorts of problems at the far post.
United, meanwhile, put their faith in their wings and trusted that Beckham and Ryan Giggs, in their contrasting ways, would give them a grip on the game.
The holders might have gone ahead on the quarter-hour after a cannily-floated free-kick from Beckham had momentarily confused a defence expecting a shot. One shot by Cole was blocked and a second, from Solskjaer, saved by Palop.
Valencia were happy to allow their opponents space in midfield, drawing them on to a packed defence with the intention of using this as a mainspring for their counter-attacks. Premiership teams do this at their peril, but the Spanish side were not so easily disturbed either by United's reputation or their scoring potential.
Nevertheless, allowing a player of Giggs's quality to run at your defence is a somewhat risky business. Midway through the first half Solskjaer's pass sent the Welshman through the middle for a shot which was deflected just wide as the defenders belatedly converged.
The sharp, speculative 30-yard lob from Lopez which half-surprised Raimond van der Gouw before the United goalkeeper caught the ball warned Old Trafford not to expect the obvious from Valencia. Not that anyone warned Palop about the stunning free-kick from Beckham which ricocheted off the right-hand angle of post and bar on the half-hour.
Otherwise Manchester United's movements tended to be let down by the indifferent quality of their centres and final passes. Something less predictable was needed to outwit Valencia's well-organised cover.
Or maybe not. What could have been more predictable last night than that Keane would eventually give United the lead? The goal arrived eight minutes before halftime and followed a free-kick from Giggs which was half-cleared. Gary Neville chipped the ball back into the goalmouth and Miroslav Djukic, under pressure from Solskjaer, nodded it out to the edge of the penalty area from where Keane drove a low shot past Palop.
Within two minutes of the second half the match was virtually beyond them anyway. Mauricio Pellegrino should have cleared Beckham's low centre at the near post but allowed the ball to run past him, whereupon Solskjaer darted in to score an impudent second goal.
A jubilant Alex Ferguson gave his reaction to the Keane announcement afterwards. "To everyone associated with the club it's absolutely marvellous news," said Ferguson. "I get on well with Roy. I've got a good relationship with him. I made him my captain when other people thought . . . `Roy Keane?' . . . but Roy Keane epitomises everything I believe in footballers."
"This has been a good day for Manchester United. Firstly we knew that Roy was going to sign and secondly we got the result an performance that showed we were back to our very best form.""His determination, his will to win and hunger: they are all qualities that I can identify with. Roy told his team-mates at tea-time and it gave them all a lift. There was a good atmosphere all night. The players want the best players to play here."Man Utd: Van Der Gouw, P. Neville, G. Neville, Stam, Irwin, Beckham, Keane, Scholes (Butt 71), Giggs, Cole (Yorke 71), Solskjaer. Subs Not Used: Culkin, Sheringham, Cruyff, Berg, Higginbottom. Goals: Keane 38, Solskjaer 47, Scholes 69.
Valencia: Palop, Angloma, Djukic, Bjorklund, Pellegrino, Carboni, Farinos, Milla, Mendieta, Lopez (Vlaovic 84), Oscar (Sanchez 68). Subs Not Used: Bartual Molina, Camarasa, Soria Lopez, Fagiani, Cabezas. Booked: Mendieta, Carboni, Farinos.
Referee: Kim Nielsen (Denmark).
