While Scholes frequently made it into the backside zone, it began to look as if United had used up their share of deflections when Giggs’ free-kick took a decisive detour off Sim?Sabrosa six minutes before half-time.Despite their lead, it was apparent that United’s problems run deeper than one influential individual being out of touch. Then came a headlong dive at Giggs’ cross, an ambitious attempt given that he was 15 yards from goal, and before the break a thunderous volley which fizzed tantalisingly wide.Sir Alex Ferguson talked beforehand of being happy to accept a scruffy goal; one going in off an unwitting posterior would do nicely. A typical break from midfield in pursuit of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s through-ball was thwarted only by the goalkeeper’s rapid advance. The beauty of Scholes as a finisher is the range of his repertoire – brutal drives, impudent flourishes and flashing headers that belie his 5ft 7in – but the way he skied the ball was merely a reminder of the stadium’s occasional use for rugby league.Starting as an advanced midfielder, Scholes could certainly not be accused of being frightened to fail.

It never arrived, though not for want of trying.The first 50 seconds found him swivelling on to Cristiano Ronaldo’s knock-down inside Benfica’s penalty area. However, as he lined up before kick-off – on the surface, the same, pink-cheeked, urchin-like figure who struck two goals on his debut at Port Vale 11 years ago this week – the pressure was on him to reproduce something that resembled his best football.If relinquishing the captaincy to Ryan Giggs was a relief, a first goal in 13 games would have been a cause for rapture. One match was never going to provide a definitive answer, but as Benfica discovered, he will not fade away quietly.

Neither popular acclaim, nor its downside, has ever interested Scholes, a semi-reclusive family man. The question vexing the Old Trafford faithful was whether his display against Blackburn, whose winning goal he gifted, signified a long-term decline. By the standards which led Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira to hail him as England’s best player, Scholes has endured a mediocre start to the season. Paul Scholes was one of the fledglings Alan Hansen had in mind when he famously pronounced: “You win nothing with kids.” A decade later, some pundits maintain the Ginger Pimpernel is showing his 30 years, but his contribution to Manchester United’s stuttering success showed that he intends to fight his way back to form. We don’t have too many centre-forwards in the squad, and as to whether he plays, I will see how he does in the next couple of matches for Reading.”The Tottenham winger Andy Reid is suspended for the Cypriot game, while crucially, Roy Keane, the Manchester United midfielder, misses both games after breaking a metatarsal bone in his left foot..

But he has always been in our thoughts.”He had a decent season last year with Leicester, and I have good reports on him because he has made a bright start and looks like his old self.” Kerr has also handed a debut squad appearance for Reading’s Kevin Doyle, who has made a superb impact in the Championship this season following his £80,000 move from the League of Ireland side Cork City.”I’ve watched Kevin at various levels and I’ve seen him this season for Reading,” Kerr added “He has maintained a high level of performance. Despite 40 caps to his name, Connolly has not played for Ireland since the country’s devastating 2-0 European Championship qualifying defeat to Switzerland in October 2003.
The Wigan forward was one of the fall guys for Ireland’s failure to reach the subsequent finals in Portugal, earning his last call-up just under a year ago, only to withdraw through injury.But following a recent £2m deadline-day move from Leicester, Connolly is in form and has scored five goals in his first six matches this season.Kerr is without the suspended Clinton Morrison for the game against Cyprus in Nicosia, while Tottenham’s Robbie Keane and Sunderland’s Stephen Elliott are both short of goals and match time this season.Connolly recently expressed his disappointment at failing to figure in Kerr’s World Cup plans, and the manager responded: “Players always feel hard done by if they are not in the squad. The Republic of Ireland manager Brian Kerr yesterday ended David Connolly’s exile from international football, naming him in a 24-man squad to face Cyprus and Switzerland in critical World Cup qualifiers next month. Fulton was accused by Shane Warne of doing one of the “dumbest things” he had seen on a cricket field when he accepted an unlikely run chase against Nottinghamshire in the penultimate match that gave Notts the title.. “That’s complete rubbish and I certainly don’t think we’ve seen the last of Marto,” Ponting said.Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has reversed his decision to withdraw from the World XI.* David Fulton yesterday resigned as Kent captain. “England deserved the win, but it’s about performing at that level over a number of years.

We have done that and remain No 1 in the world.”He also rejected claims by former opener Michael Slater that Damien Martyn’s omission from the side to play the World XI in next month’s Super Series was not just about poor form but about a falling-out with key personnel. “It has annoyed me, the way some people have reacted, you’d think we’d lost five-zip,” Ponting said. There was miscommunication.”Mahendra said he was confident Chappell and Ganguly would work together in future. “We have demarcated the role of captain and coach,” he added.Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, yesterday admitted that the reaction in his home country to the Ashes defeat has badly hurt him. “Some of the points, particularly with regard to Sourav faking injury, after hearing the concerned people, the committee came to the conclusion that that is far from the truth.

An email from Chappell to Board officials, which was leaked to the media, said Ganguly was no longer fit to lead the side. Mahendra said the committee had rejected Chappell’s view that Ganguly was faking injury to avoid facing fast bowling. “Both coach and captain have to work as a unit and a professional relationship is to be maintained.”
The rift between Chappell and Ganguly became public on the recent Zimbabwe tour when Ganguly said Chappell had suggested he should step down. “They were together in the meeting and have assured the committee they will work together in the interests of cricket,” he said. The Board president Ranbir Mahendra said after a committee meeting that the pair had been urged to bury their differences.