It's Greece Frightening: Olympiacos tie will be a step up for Moyes and United
When you have endured a season like Manchester United’s first under David Moyes any signs of life are sure to be welcomed with open arms.
It may have cost them £86million, but keeping Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford for the remainder of his top-level career still represents a significant victory for United and Moyes.
Quite how significant a victory Saturday’s 2-0 win over relegation threatened Crystal Palace turns out to be remains to be seen as United’s focus now shifts firmly to their last 16 Champions League encounter away to Olympiakos on Tuesday.
Signs of life: Wayne Rooney helped Manchester United back to winning ways with a stunning goal against Crystal Palace - but Olympiacos will prove much sterner opposition
But in keeping a second successive clean sheet to provide the platform for Robin van Persie, from the penalty spot, and Rooney, via a sublime finish, to do the business at the other end skipper Nemanja Vidic feels United can at least look forward with a renewed sense of optimism.
‘We played solidly as a team,’ said Vidic reflecting on a job well done at Selhurst Park. ‘It is not just about the defenders, it is about the whole team and we had a good shape and defended well. If we keep a clean sheet, I always believe we will score.
‘Fourth spot is not going to be an easy task, but we play against Liverpool at Old Trafford soon and if we keep playing as we did we have a chance to do something good. That means fourth place and the Champions League.’
One to watch: Marko Scepovic scored a hat-trick this weekend for Manchester United's next opponents, Olympiacos
The way things stand in the league United’s best hope of Champions League qualification for next season would indeed seem to rest with winning it.
But long gone are the days where United could travel to Palace resolute in the knowledge that a routine victory would be the only outcome and the same applies to taking care of Olympiakos over two legs.
On paper the Greek champions look like the easiest task to be faced by an English side, particularly now that their star striker Javier Saviola will miss the first leg with a thigh injury, while it is worth remembering that in four previous meeting United have won every game.
But such is United’s see-sawing form this season, coupled with the fact that Olympiakos have not suffered a league defeat for over a year, and nothing can be taken for granted.
Shame then that cup-tied Juan Mata cannot play, just as the Spaniard is showing signs of the kind of form which saw him voted Chelsea’s player of the season twice in succession.
Rooney, with the ink still drying on his new £300,000-a-week-deal, may have grabbed the headlines and the man-of-the-match award thanks to his superb strike.
But it was Mata, especially as the game wore on, who largely ran the show to the understandable delight of Moyes.
‘Juan was exquisite,’ said the United manager. ‘He must have been on the ball I don’t know how many times. He was terrific in his play. Everywhere he popped up he helped us play better.’
The same can be said of Marouane Fellaini who had arguably his best game in a United shirt to date.
Meanwhile, in Mata, Rooney, Van Persie and precocious talent Adnan Januzaj, United still have a forward line to beat anyone provided Vidic and company can keep it tight at the back.
There is, of course, no bumper new deal for the United captain who seems destined to move to Inter Milan on a free transfer at the end of season.
But while he may have already given his best years to United, Vidic is still dreaming of the perfect send-off in the Champions League.
‘I believe we can do something special in the Champions League, I really do,’ he insisted.
Amazing what a win over Palace can do for the confidence.
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ROONEY COIN PROBE
The FA are waiting for referee Michael Oliver’s report today before deciding whether to take action against Crystal Palace after coins and other missiles were thrown at Wayne Rooney as he prepared to take a first-half corner. Rooney was seen handing a coin to Oliver which appeared to come from the section containing Palace’s ‘Ultra’ fans.
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