Manchester United 2 Newcastle United 0 BOBBY ROBSON probably spoke for the whole of the Premiership when he declared: "That performance by Manchester United was probably the benchmark for the rest.

"I'm just glad we don't have to come here seven times a season. Now we have got that game out of the way we can start our season.

"Manchester United are in with a good chance of retaining their title on this performance. Their movement and passing was excellent, at times too good for us.

"We were 2-0 down then on comes Solskjaer and Yorke. I thought, 'That's clever Alex'. And now he is going to buy Van Nistelrooy. That's clever too. He's a terrific player," added Robson, who had a spell managing PSV Eindhoven in Van Nistelrooy's homeland of Holland.

Until United struck in the 19th minute with a marvellous Ronny Johnsen header, Newcastle had put in the only two shots on target from Alan Shearer and Robert Lee.

United though had always looked menacing, in front of a record crowd of 67,477, and after former Blackburn Rovers' keeper Shay Given had made a superb one-handed, leaping save to tip Jaap Stam's powerful header over the bar, Johnsen shook off the over-affectionate attentions of two Newcastle defenders to run in and smash home a thumping header.

The mercurial Ryan Giggs, Teddy Sheringham, Andy Cole and David Beckham should all have added to United's tally long before the rejuvenated Cole fired in United's second in the 69the minute after taking a Giggs pass and blasting past Given in some style.

United took their foot off the pedal after that, but Robson almost played a blinder when he sent on young Kieron Dyer at half-time for Alain Goma.

Dyer came into the game in the second half and as Robson said: "He put the lights on for us for a little while before fading."

But with an indifferent Shearer and new signing Carl Cort wasted out on the wing, Newcastle were never going to be anything more than cannon fodder for a United side that look ready to kill off those suggestions that Chelsea, or anyone else for that matter, are about to pinch their Premiership crown this season.