Mission accomplished. Manchester United rediscovered the winning formula in Europe here last night to bolster their challenge for a fourth successive Champions League quarter-final.
Unspectacular yet effective, United maintained their 100 per cent record in second-phase Group A courtesy of goals from Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and the type of controlled performance that had seemed to desert them in recent Continental excursions.
For all their pomp in the Premiership, the seemingly carefree abandon with which they are strutting towards their seventh title in nine years (not to mention the habit of English teams to capitulate in their company), United's inability to do likewise abroad had pained their manager for longer than he would care to remember.
The tepid resistance shown in losing to PSV and Anderlecht still rankles with Ferguson while it was only the excellence of United's form at Old Trafford that saw them gratefully clamber out of their opening group, albeit with scraped knees.
Sterner tests doubtless lie ahead, with trips to Valencia and Panathinaikos to come, but Graz's home record dictated this would be a night when United, if they were to negotiate a position of real strength in Group A, would have to restore their reputation as intrepid travellers.
The Austrian champions had not lost at the Arnold Schwarzenegger stadium in a European match since United plundered a 3-0 win here 15 months ago, while Ferguson's team arrived having failed to win on the Continent since beating Bordeaux in March. It was a sequence, the United manager conceded, that was threatening to sap morale.
Ferguson resisted the temptation to recall the fit-again Ryan Giggs, opting instead to retain the services of Nicky Butt, while Denis Irwin came in at right back ahead of Phil Neville to face a side that had beaten Galatasaray, Rangers and Monaco in their opening wave of matches.
Graz went into last night's match fifth in the Austrian first division, having reserved their best performances for the Champions League this season. Even so, United swiftly found their customary air of authority and their first serious attack on 17 minutes brought an opening goal that was exquisite in its creation and clinical in its execution.
Dwight Yorke instigated the move with an incisive pass to the fringe of Graz's penalty area where Teddy Sheringham wrong-footed the entire home defence with a sublime flick back that was timed to perfection for Paul Scholes's darting run. The England midfielder lifted the ball over the oncoming goalkeeper Kazimierz Sidorczuk expertly and United had registered their first goal in open play on the Continent for 473 minutes.
Visits of United can either invigorate or overawe smaller clubs in Europe and Graz seemed to be engulfed by an inferiority complex for the remainder of an opening half in which Fabien Barthez had to make only one save, diving to his right to keep out Ivica Vastic's 25-yard free-kick. In their blue and white stripes Graz were inviting unfavourable comparisons to Sheffield Wednesday.
The gulf between the two teams grew after the interval with Graz seldom attacking with any conviction and United continuing to dictate the tempo.
In fairness, the home side did muster a few sporadic bursts of energy, but they lacked potency and Scholes was unfortunate not to score again when his fine volley was beaten out by Sidorczuk's one-handed save. Other chances were few and far between but United's solidity was a welcome change to their recent excursions and as the temperature dropped so did the heads of the Graz players.
Tomislav Kocijan struck the United crossbar with a rasping drive in the 72nd minute and there was more late drama when Barthez's acrobatics kept out what would have been a spectacular headed own-goal by Roy Keane.
But United were not to be denied and, barely nine minutes after coming on, Giggs made sure of the victory with an emphatic left-foot drive beneath Sidorczuk's body. This particular red vintage may not have travelled well since Bordeaux but the signs are that United are getting it right again.
Sturm Graz: Sidorczuk, Neukirchner (Strafner 81), Mamedov (Mahlich 85), Popovic, Schopp, Korsos (Reinmayr 70), Prilasnig, Fleurquin, Minavand, Kocijan, Vastic. Subs Not Used: Knezevic, Foda, Feldhofer, Szabics. Booked: Fleurquin.
Man Utd: Barthez, Irwin (P. Neville 89), G. Neville, Brown, Silvestre, Beckham, Butt (Giggs 80), Keane, Scholes, Sheringham, Yorke (Solskjaer 89). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Fortune, O'Shea, Greening. Booked: Butt. Goals: Scholes 17, Giggs 89. Att: 16,500.
Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden).
