Wayne Rooney ensured there would be no recriminations or flak after his record breaking new United contract by scoring a belter to help beat Crystal Palace.
The England hitman was under the spotlight at Selhurst Park as they arrived to sit in judgment on just whether the 28-year-old deserved such a fat wage packet.
Well manager David Moyes will certainly have no complaints or need to justify the value the Reds have put on him.
Having committed himself finally to Old Trafford until 2019 Rooney showed the kind of finishing quality Moyes is going to need to ensure his plans for United’s future come to fruition.
Rooney himself says that the Reds future is bright but it was hard to see hold a similar the long term view as the champions once again had a fairly uninspiring time of it against Palace.
But once Robin van Persie had settled the nerves with a 63rd minute penalty, after Patrice Evra was fouled in the box by Marouane Chamakh, United started to look a little bit more like their old self.
Up to that point they had pretty much had control of the game but did precious little with it and had Tony Pulis’s side had a bit of a cutting edge about them then it could have been more woe for the Reds.
But Palace hardly worried David de Gea and once the spot kick went in it was as good as over. But 24 hours after announcing his Old Trafford deal Rooney just had to have a say in things.
He’d been United’s main man throughout covering every blade of grass almost as if he wanted to prove he was worth the cash going into his bank account.
In United fan’s eyes he did just that in the 69th minute.
Patrice Evra was on one of his many attacks into Palace territory and having already won one penalty they let him drive at them and pull back a cross. Rooney was virtually on his own and just one bounce and he finished with a driven hit that had Moyes leaping with delight off his bench.
With all his big guns on the pitch Moyes could ill afford a defeat against Palace. The only thing the Reds boss would have bemoaned was that his much-maligned £27m buy Marouane Fellaini didn’t convert his great chance in the first half.
