THE VERDICT: UNITED 4 WEST HAM 0
JOSE Mourinho started his second season as United manager in the same way he ended his first by proving his acumen in the transfer market.
The Reds’ Europa League win in Stockholm against Ajax came courtesy of goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The near £120m investment in the Frenchman and the Armenian paid dividends on that night in Sweden last May.
It finally vindicated the outlay for the pair that had at times during the campaign looked like it had maybe been an expensive folly. Their impacts were slow burners. But we didn’t have to wait so long for Mourinho’s buys 12 months on to fit right into his new Old Trafford jigsaw.
And United fans like the look of the final picture that is developing.
Even allowing for market force there was an element of criticism aimed at United when they paid £75m for Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
Amid the chase for Alvaro Morata, the signing of the Belgian powerhouse was viewed with some scepticism.
Then when Mourinho successfully completed the £35m signing of Nemanja Matic it seemed a dubious import. Surely Chelsea don’t sell key players to a rival?
But Lukaku and Matic had Old Trafford rocking as West Ham were dispatched.
Mourinho had previously bigged up the Hammers’ summer business claiming that their new faces suggested they were “playing for the Premier League title.” His team made a mockery of his words. There was only one title contender on view at Old Trafford on the opening day.
It had all started a bit too similar to last season for comfort with United enjoying the bulk of the possession with little to show for it. It had everyone in the press box rechecking the total of damaging draws at home last season.
But once the Reds got into their stride there was no need to bother with such statistics.
United’s support has lamented the lack of the traditional fast and furious counter attacking that was a trademark dangerous weapon for many years. It had become sluggish. But not so when the indomitable Matic stepped in to seize on a West Ham error. Quick as a flash Marcus Rashford was set on his way, a beautifully weighted pass from the Mancunian and Lukaku was in to do what he does best after 33 minutes.
United’s second was more straightforward as a 52nd-minute Mkhitaryan freekick was powered in by Lukaku with his Lukaku (33, 52), Martial (87), Pogba (90) None 55% 45% 22 11 9 1 Ogbonna 74,928 Valencia, Bailly Zabaleta, Martin Atkinson head. United fans were drooling over the impact of Zlatan Ibrahimovic this time 12 months ago, another canny Mourinho import.
The Swede might be coming back but his crown is already fitting nicely on the head of the 24-year-old.
Lukaku was close to the ‘perfect’ hattrick with his left foot, head and right foot a couple of times but it was sub Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba who both tucked away right foot finishes to make it 4-0.
It was the kind of scoreline not seen too often for a while by United at Old Trafford and banished the memories of so many one pointers from last term.