MANCHESTER // He was christened "the White Pele" in a terrace chant not long after his arrival at Old Trafford. Now the demands on Wayne Rooney are only slightly easier.
Rather than emulating the greatest player of all time, he has to be the new Cristiano Ronaldo, less prone to preening and posturing, without the fake tan and the childish spats, but with the goals.
And this represented an important start. Rooney provided inspiration as well as his trademark industry to defeat Birmingham City. It was precisely the sort of fixture Ronaldo specialised in deciding and it was significant Rooney determined this.
Following his injury time equaliser in the Community Shield last week, it suggested that 25 goals - Rooney's own target for the campaign - is eminently achievable.
It has long been evident that Rooney has a pivotal part to play in proceedings for United this season, but this only served to reinforce that impression. Restored to the traditional No 10's position after Ronaldo's exit, this suggested he can combine the roles of creator and finisher.
His unselfishness has meant he has often preferred to be the provider. Now, however, he is required to be United's executioner in chief. It was a task he performed with relish.
Like his new teammate Michael Owen, who appeared for the final 16 minutes, Rooney has improved in the air as his career has progressed. Albeit indirectly, his aerial ability brought the breakthrough. When Nani crossed from the left flank, Rooney rose above Franck Queudrue to head against the foot of a post. The rebound fell invitingly for Rooney, affording him a tap-in.
He was at his most audacious immediately after half time, swivelling to hit a half-volley from 30 metres. Joe Hart reacted well to save. A second header, from the substitute Ryan Giggs's cross, narrowly missed the far post.
A goal could have been accompanied by an assist. One deft header sent Dimitar Berbatov clear and, after Hart blocked, Rooney retrieved possession to find Nani, who also found the Birmingham goalkeeper in obdurate mode.
Within a couple of minutes, Hart was required to excel again, the on-loan Manchester City player denying United by tipping Rooney's curling shot over the bar. In added time, he sent Owen scurrying clear, but Hart denied the newcomer a maiden United goal.
The margin of victory should have been greater. The otherwise impressive Darren Fletcher lost his composure in front of goal, somehow diverting his shot wide when Patrice Evra had provided an inviting cross. Berbatov then had a goalbound header stopped by Lee Carsley, who had retreated on to his own line.
The Bulgarian was supplied by Fabio da Silva, the novice right-back in a United defence shorn of four injured players while a fifth, Wes Brown, was only fit enough for a cameo appearance.
Normally deployed on the left, the Brazilian displayed the same adventurous instincts as his injured brother, Rafael, but was troubled by the raids of James McFadden.
Indeed, a makeshift United defence required a moment of agile defending from the one automatic choice to preserve their clean sheet. Patrice Evra headed adeptly off his own line when Queudrue met Sebastian Larsson's corner with a forceful header.
As so many matches at Old Trafford are, it was a reunion. Ferguson boasts an outstanding record against his former charges - 44 wins from 57 Premier League meetings - and many of those victories have had a routine feel. It is to Alex McLeish's credit that this did not.
Birmingham began by providing some dogged resistance when the debutant defenders Gregory Vignal and Roger Johnson acquitted themselves commendably.
Admirably well organised, Birmingham's attacks were isolated, but contained a suggestion they could equalise. First Cameron Jerome, the lone striker, and then Keith Fahey drilled narrowly wide.
Then, following the introduction of Christian Benitez, Birmingham's record signing almost made his a bow to savour. Cutting in from the left flank, he drew a terrific save from Ben Foster.
The Ecuador international may not be in the only Benitez to trouble United this season, but his was a threat the champions survived. After a largely uninspired performance, Rooney excepted, the worry is that his namesake Rafael may loom larger over United's season.
rjolly@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
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- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
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- Add tint to windows
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In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
UAE’s revised Cricket World Cup League Two schedule
August, 2021: Host - United States; Teams - UAE, United States and Scotland
Between September and November, 2021 (dates TBC): Host - Namibia; Teams - Namibia, Oman, UAE
December, 2021: Host - UAE; Teams - UAE, Namibia, Oman
February, 2022: Hosts - Nepal; Teams - UAE, Nepal, PNG
June, 2022: Hosts - Scotland; Teams - UAE, United States, Scotland
September, 2022: Hosts - PNG; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
February, 2023: Hosts - UAE; Teams - UAE, PNG, Nepal
RESULTS
5pm: Rated Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AF Alajaj, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Hawafez, Connor Beasley, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Tair, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner: Son Of Normandy, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash