SIR ALEX FERGUSON has been a union man since he was an apprentice toolmaker in the Govan shipyards. He has no problems with the principle of industrial action but this was a walk-out too far. The context to the match was provided by Roy Keane’s resignation as Sunderland manager but the story was Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to quit, mid-action, without warning or consultation with Ferguson and his management team.

Ronaldo, who appeared one dropped lollipop away from a tantrum from the moment the game kicked off, took a blow to the ribs when attempting to convert a chance created by Dimitar Berbatov early in the second half. A quarter of an hour later, after much wincing and limping, Ronaldo just walked off the field. He was prompted by seeing Anderson getting stripped for action and the fourth official holding the substitutes board but replacing Ronaldo was not the switch United had in mind. A puzzled Anderson looked on and a flustered Mike Phelan made a hasty phone to Ferguson, in the stand because of a touchline ban, as Ronaldo walked straight off the field of play and down the tunnel with barely a look to his bench.

While the re-calculating was being done, two minutes elapsed with United having 10 players on the field. Eventually Anderson came on for Ji-Sung Park and Ryan Giggs for Ferguson’s departed No 7.

The confusion did not help United in their attempts to break down obdurate opponents. Sunderland parked the bus in front of Marton Fulop’s goal and it took United until the 91st minute to find a way to vault it. They so nearly paid for a tired, uninspired performance with a third goalless draw in five games. After Ronaldo departed, Berbatov missed when offered a clear header from six yards out — he sent it over the bar — and Teemu Tainio was Sunderland’s short-lived hero for making what appeared a decisive late block to prevent Anderson scoring. In a hectic finale Carlos Tevez and Giggs also squandered opportunities, as did Nemanja Vidic but the Serbian defender was to prove the unlikely matchwinner.

Sent up front for the closing moments, he pounced when Michael Carrick’s shot struck Anton Ferdinand and spun past a wrong-footed Fulop to rebound off a post. Vidic slammed the ball into the empty net and hared towards his bench in celebration.

United had the time and possession with which to hone attacking strategies. Sunderland’s plan for going forward seemed no more complex than to knock long, early passes into the area behind Rio Ferdinand and Vidic and see if Djibril Cisse could get on the end of one. Ferdinand and Vidic were too quick and clever to be undone in such a way, however, so visiting attacks tended to be over before they began. It left United to do the probing but, 10 minutes into the second half, Ferguson’s men were still frustrated. Fletcher turned on a Rafael Da Silva cross eight yards out but sliced his left-footed shot and though Fulop spilled Carrick’s shot no home player could reach the rebound.

Sunderland’s change of manager on Thursday came too late for the publishers of the United programme. In his column, Ferguson lamented “how sorry we are that Roy Keane’s career with them has come to an end”, while the centre pages carried a feature titled “A-Z of Irish Reds” which bore Keane’s photograph and the message “Welcome back, Roy”.

Another former United employee, Ricky Sbragia, picked Sunderland’s team in the capacity of caretaker boss. He recalled Dwight Yorke, El-Hadji Diouf and, lining up against big brother, Anton Ferdinand.

Fulop also returned for the visitors, because of an injury to Craig Gordon. Fulop — to summon a cliche often used in reporting about goalkeepers — “never looked convincing.” This phrase is usually deployed when the writer is dissatisfied with a keeper but cannot cite specific evidence to explain why. On the surface, Fulop spent the first half keeping United out, but a lot of his saves appeared to be works of brinkmanship. There were weak punches from corner kicks and failures to gather the ball or push it away from danger areas when making parries.

One example: Ronaldo, awarded a free kick when his jinking run was halted by Dean Whitehead’s trip, surprised his opponents by rolling a pass to Wayne Rooney instead of shooting. Rooney’s side-footed shot was diverted towards the corner of the goal by Berbatov and Fulop got down to block. But he could not hang on to the ball and it spun towards Berbatov. Only a lunging interception by an alert Danny Collins prevented Berabatov scoring.

Fulop had looked better when stopping an earlier shot from Berbatov, struck on the swivel from 12 yards out. He was also unimpeachable when racing quickly from his line to stifle an effort from Ji-Sung Park, who had dispossessed a dawdling Yorke and run clear after playing a one-two with Rooney.

Despite a five-man block in the area, Sunderland were doing little to prevent Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher controlling midfield, but their formation made it difficult for United to get through on Fulop using passes down the centre of the pitch. They tried too many of these in the first half, especially when near the edge of the opposing area.

MANCHESTER UNITED: Van Der Sar 6, Da Silva 7, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 8, Evra 6, Ronaldo 4 (Giggs, 68min), Fletcher 6 (Anderson, 68min), Carrick 7, Park 5 (Tevez 57min, 6), Rooney 6, Berbatov 6

SUNDERLAND: Fulop 6, Bardsley 7, Whitehead 6 (Edwards, 76min), Malbranque 5, Cisse 6 (Jones, 69min), Diouf 6, Collins 6, Yorke 6 (Tainio, 60min, 7), Reid 6, Chimbonda 5, Ferdinand 6