GREY SKIES OVER OLD TRAFFORD, but, for the first time in what has felt like an age, even the hardened cynics on the Stretford End seemed to be permeated by a sunny sense of optimism yesterday. They came in unprecedented numbers, an attendance of 75,115 constituting Manchester United’s biggest at the stadium and, if this performance can be taken as a sign of things to come, that record will be quick to tumble as more supporters come to witness the captivating talents of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, those World Cup foes turned friends reunited.

Sir Alex Ferguson would counsel against getting carried away and he would be right to do so, given that his team were given more freedom by a wretched Fulham side than by any visiting team last season, but it should not be overlooked that United produced some marvellous football.

At 1.50pm, their season barely 20 minutes old, they were 4-0 up, with Ronaldo, Rooney and Louis Saha off the mark, and it was possible to buy into Ferguson’s vision of his team emerging stronger for the absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy, sold to Real Madrid and not yet replaced.

These are early days, but the form of Rooney and Ronaldo was highly encouraging. Much will be made of the fact that it was their first appearance since their infamous confrontation during in Gelsenkirchen on July 1, their rapport on and off the ball serving a perfect response to some of the nonsense written about their relationship since their return to pre- season training.

More relevant, perhaps, is a contrast with their performances at Old Trafford against Sunderland last April, shortly before Rooney suffered his metatarsal injury; they were awful that night, each of them earning a blast of Ferguson’s infamous hairdryer treatment, but here they were superb.

Ronaldo thrived on the predictable jeers from the Fulham supporters after his role in Rooney’s red card against Portugal in the World Cup quarter-final, and was lauded by the home fans for his efforts.

It is only a matter of weeks since he was telling anyone who would listen that he wished to move to Real Madrid — an act that was potentially far more damaging than the overblown spat with Rooney — but the smiles that greeted every goal, every step-over and every near-miss suggested that his reintegration has been successful and that, for the next 12 months at least, his mind is firmly focused on United. It is funny how players can be brought back into line once they are told they are going nowhere, but Ferguson will hope that Ronaldo’s experience is not mirrored by Owen Hargreaves at Bayern Munich.

Having agitated very publicly for a move to Old Trafford over the past week, the England midfield player was left out of the squad for Bayern’s Bundesliga match away to Bochum yesterday and, while Uli Höness, the general manager, maintains that the situation will have blown over by the time the transfer window closes on August 31, the news gave United renewed optimism of concluding a £17 million deal.

With Michael Carrick likely to make his debut against Watford on Saturday, having missed out yesterday because of an ankle injury, United’s midfield may finally be taking shape, but a partnership of John O’Shea and Paul Scholes gave them more than platform enough to overcome Fulham.

Saha scored against his former club within seven minutes, glancing home Ryan Giggs’s cross, and, when Ian Pearce put through his own net and Rooney converted a loose ball with barely a quarter of an hour gone, Chris Coleman, the Fulham manager, must have known that it was going to be one of those days.

By the time Ronaldo squeezed a shot in at the near post from Rooney’s cross after 19 minutes, resignation might have given way to horror on Coleman’s part, but his team improved thereafter. Frank Queudrue, awfully culpable for Ronaldo’s goal, began to improve at left back, while the other debutant, Jimmy Bullard inspired in midfield, teeing up Heidar Helguson for a shot that looped over Edwin van der Sar after taking a huge deflection off Rio Ferdinand.

At least one Fulham supporter remained optimistic — Sonny Coleman, a chip off the old block, roaring his father’s team forward from the directors’ box — but they were fortunate that Michael Brown was shown only a yellow card for a terrible lunge on Giggs early in the second half and that United contented themselves with just one more goal, Rooney sweeping the ball home after Ronaldo sent Wes Brown rampaging down the right wing after 64 minutes.

The final 25 minutes were a virtual non-event, save for the crowd willing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to score his first goal in almost three years, but 5-1 was a hardly a bad way to start for a team who scored only once in their first five home games in the Premiership last season. Top of the league, too, for the first time since August 2003. It was almost tempting to believe that the good times are back at Old Trafford.

HOW WILL THEY DO?

Tougher tests than this lie ahead for United, but they showed more verve, penetration and attacking intent than their supporters have seen for some time. Fulham were awful. Some of the pre-season predictions of a relegation struggle have seemed harsh, but this did not bode well and that defence looks alarmingly vulnerable