United need time to gel

The significance of any one football matched played in mid-September can only ever be gauged by what happens afterwards. It would, therefore, be unwise to make too much at this stage of Manchester United's 5-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa in Group F of the Champions' League on Wednesday, even if commemorative T-shirts reading "I was there when Forlan scored'' are no doubt already being churned out by the hucksters on Matt Busby Way.

The question now is whether Diego Forlan and his team-mates can reproduce Wednesday's improved form against stronger opposition, starting with Tottenham at Old Trafford on Saturday and Bayer Leverkusen in the Ruhr next Tuesday. A tentative conclusion, supported by Wednesday's score line, would be that, while the midfield and attack are in better shape, there is still much to be done in forging a sufficiently solid back line.

After two successive defeats without scoring it was important for the team also for several individuals to hit the net. Forlan's late penalty was his first success in 27 appearances while Ruud van Nistelrooy, without a goal in open play in the Premiership this season, and Juan Sebastian Veron, without one of any sort in any competition, both scored.

"Our attacking play was terrific at times and I was pleased for the scorers,'' Sir Alex Ferguson said. "Diego deserves his goal for his movement and work rate, and, hopefully, that'll settle him down.''

While much has been made of United's lack of options since injuries and outgoing transfers depleted the squad, it could be argued that what the team needs most is a period without changes to cement partnerships like Neville-Veron, Solskjaer-Van Nistelrooy and Rio Ferdinand-Laurent Blanc. That was most evident in the case of the defensive pair, opened up with disconcerting ease for Maccabi's two goals.

United now find themselves involved in the Group of Goals, 15 having materialised in Wednesday's two games as a result of Leverkusen's stunning 6-2 defeat by Olympiakos. "I don't know how to assess that, that was the shock result of the night,'' Ferguson said. The two most obvious conclusions are that last season's Champions' League runners-up are not the side they were after losing players like Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto; and that Olympiakos will be a threat in their two meetings with United next month. Ferguson will need to do his homework on the right team this time.

The away game with Maccabi on 29 October seems certain to take place in Cyprus as planned, even though a Uefa security delegation is to visit Israel shortly.