ALEX FERGUSON admitted he will enjoy his 68th birthday today after Wayne Rooney inspired a five-goal knees-up.
Manchester United moved within two points and two goals of Chelsea and boss Fergie said: "I'll enjoy my birthday, don't worry about that.
"It was an excellent performance and I'm very, very pleased.
"I think the first 45 minutes were the best we have seen this season, the fluid movement and tempo of the game were terrific."
Rooney opened the scoring with his 15th goal of the season - his seventh in as many games - as United hammered neighbours Wigan 5-0 for the second time this season.
And the England strike star, 24, vowed to beat his Old Trafford best of 23.
Ferguson added: "Rooney was excellent again tonight, the energy he shows in his game and the desire to win. But on this particular night the whole team played well.
"You never know, goal difference could be important come the end of the season."
Rooney said: "We went into the game knowing we were seven goals behind Chelsea and we wanted to close the gap.
"Could I beat 23? I hope so. If I don't get nine goals between now and the end of the season, something is seriously wrong."
Roberto Martinez, whose Latics were beaten 9-1 at Spurs last month, must have feared a repeat.
He said: "We made it too easy. We never played like a team and were too naive."
United, meanwhile, must battle it out with Milan and Juventus if they want to sign Serb midfield star Gojko Kacar, 22, from Hertha Berlin.
FABIO CAPELLO has warned Alex Ferguson that Manchester United are no longer a "war machine".
And the England boss has virtually guaranteed United old boy David Beckham a World Cup spot.
Beckham, 34, rejoined AC Milan yesterday for a second loan spell from LA Galaxy and faces United in the first knockout stage of this season's Champions League.
The former England captain was met by a driver from AC Milan in an official car but opted to get behind the wheel himself as he smiled and waved to photographers and waiting fans.
And he received a lift from England boss Capello who backed him to shine in Milan before heading to South Africa with England for next summer's World Cup finals.
Capello said: "David will do well at Milan again - he is a player with his head screwed on as far as football is concerned and he'll help them succeed.
"I've no doubt about that and I'll take him to the World Cup at the end of the season so long as he is fit and playing regularly.
"I don't look at the birthdate on a player's passport, age is not the primary concern. I always judge on quality and David has tons.
"He is serious about his game, he's a top-class professional and cares a great deal about this World Cup."
Capello had more bad news for Ferguson by suggesting that United could be pipped to a fourth straight Premier League title come May.
The Italian reckons they are losing power at the wrong time, saying: "Manchester United were a war machine but they have started to slow down a bit compared to previously.
"At this moment I'd rate all the top four - Chelsea, United, Arsenal and Aston Villa - as each having a 25 per cent chance of winning the title, it's that close.
"I also think Manchester City and Liverpool will improve in the second half of the season but the top four share equal chances of winning. It will be a very beautiful title race."
Capello, who led Milan to Champions League glory in 1994, expects an English team to make the final again this season but believes they could well face Italian opposition.
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He added: "The English clubs and Italian clubs are at the same level right now.
"But after the African Cup of Nations and other fixtures in the next four or five weeks, who goes forward will depend on the shape each side is in when the knockout ties arrive in February.
"I'm sure an English club will play in the Champions League final but against whom let's just wait and see."
The man who has led three different clubs to the Serie A title is also loving the fact Italian football is in vogue in the Premier League again with new Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini joining West Ham's Gianfranco Zola and Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea.
But he is not surprised, saying: "We export good products.
"Italian coaches don't just come for the salaries, we bring ideas, talent and experience.
"But in England you live well, there is a special atmosphere, full stadia, safety for players and fans and there is less stupidity than in Italy."
DAVID BECKHAM insists he will not celebrate if he scores against Manchester United in the Champions League - although he may burst into tears!
AC Milan's new loan star admits he almost wept with joy when he heard his temporary club would be facing his old one in the next round of Europe's elite competition.
Beckham supported United as a kid and played 394 games for them - scoring 85 goals - before leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid in 2003.
This will be the first time he has played against Alex Ferguson's troops and he said: "If I score I will not celebrate.
"I would love to score but I definitely wouldn't celebrate.
"I know that sometimes when it's a big occasion you don't think, so you can never tell what will happen.
"But I am telling you I wouldn't want to celebrate."
The Sun was the only British newspaper present as Beckham was reintroduced to a select gathering of the local and national media here in Milan yesterday.
The England midfielder, 34, has rejoined AC on a six-month loan from LA Galaxy in a bid to seal his place in Fabio Capello's squad for next summer's World Cup finals in South Africa.
And what promises to be a momentous year for old Goldenballs features a dream Champions League double-header against his beloved Red Devils.
Becks will welcome his former club to the San Siro on Tuesday, February 16, for the first leg of their last-16 showdown.
He will then make what is bound to be an emotional return to the place where it all began for him when the return leg takes place at Old Trafford on Wednesday, March 10.
Despite growing up in east London, Beckham was a United fan as a lad - and still is today.
After beginning his career with the club, he helped them to six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and, of course, that memorable Champions League crown in 1999.
Now he will bid to end their hopes of trying to win this year's competition.
But he admitted: "When I first heard about the tie I almost cried.
"I was asleep in bed in LA when I got a message at 3am telling me we had drawn United.
"I can't tell you what my reply was! But the draw was a great surprise.
"I'm quite an emotional person and as soon as I heard I would be going back to Manchester United as an AC Milan player I became very emotional because it is such a special place for me.
"I've got a great rapport with the fans, the staff there and the manager.
"It was the club I always wanted to play for and it is my dream club.
MILAN MAN ... David Beckham
"I still miss being a United player. I haven't been back to Old Trafford since I left nearly seven years ago and I miss it every day.
"This will be the first time - and to go back with AC Milan makes it even more special.
"It will be a very special occasion for me. But the biggest thing is that I am going back with AC Milan.
"It will be a special night, but it's business. It's difficult for me to think about knocking out United.
"But I won't like it if we lose, so I'm going to have to be professional."
And Beckham scoffed at claims his old team will be there for the taking after selling superstar Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world-record £80million last summer.
Becks said: "When you lose someone like Cristiano, you lose a lot - not only on the pitch but in the dressing room as well.
"But I wouldn't say they are weaker because they've still got great players in their squad.
"It's the same when any great player leaves a club like Manchester United, AC Milan or Real Madrid - the club moves on."
So Becks cannot wait to face his old pals.
And the Old Trafford regulars may even see their former hero playing in an unfamiliar role.
Reports in the Italian media claim Milan boss Leonardo has been trying out the Three Lions midfielder as a right-back.
Becks, always the diplomat, would only say: "I've played lots of positions in training, even goalkeeper.
"I realise I have spent almost my entire career in midfield, but there are a number of positions I could play in.
"I am sure Leonardo will know the best position in which to play me."
FRANK LAMPARD has flown to Serbia for treatment by the Belgrade 'miracle worker' who cures injuries using horse placenta.
Now the Chelsea star, sidelined with a thigh injury, is hoping he will be fit for next weekend's derby with Arsenal.
Lamps yesterday jetted out to see Marian Kovacevic, who has fled her clinic in the Serb capital due to the media attention and reports she is not licensed to practise.
But SunSport can reveal she continues to work.
During the week she has been treating Arsenal ace Robin van Persie and Liverpool stars Yossi Benayoun, Albert Riera, Fabio Aurelio and Glen Johnson.
All have been attracted by claims the treatment gets players fit quicker than conventional methods.
Lampard was accompanied by Chelsea club physios for the treatment.
Van Persie hailed his treatment 'a miracle' after having horse placenta massaged into his ankle.
As he left her home he told Serbian newspaper Alo: "It's good, I'm happy. The woman is a miracle."
World champion Jenson Button will drive for McLaren alongside Lewis Hamilton in an all-British Formula One dream team.
Button announced on Thursday morning (EDT) that he had ended his long association with Brawn, with whom he won his first driver's title this year, to team up with 2008 champion Hamilton in a combination of two of the hottest properties in motor sport.
Button said it had been a tough decision to leave Brawn but admitted the lure of McLaren and its illustrious history, had proved too strong to resist.
"I've followed the McLaren team ever since I was a small boy, and it feels unbelievable to finally be a part of it," he said.
The deal marks the first time in Formula One history that a team has started the new season with a line-up featuring the most recent two successive world champions.
It is also the first pairing of two British world champions since Graham Hill partnered Jim Clark at Lotus in 1968.
Brushing aside predictions of an Alain Prost/Ayrton Senna-style battle to be top dog within the team, Button insists he was looking forward to working with Hamilton.
"Lewis has achieved an incredible level of success in a very short period of time, and he's a wonderfully gifted driver who has earned the respect of every Formula One driver," Button said.
"I'm sure there's plenty that we can learn from each other, and I'm really looking forward to using our combined knowledge to push the team forward."
Hamilton added: "I already know Jenson, and we get on very well together. We both really want our team to succeed. Although we'll be pushing each other hard, I'm sure we'll very quickly establish a great working relationship."
Ross Brawn, the boss of Button's former team, had urged the 29-year-old not to jump ship. But there was uncertainty over the extent to which Mercedes, which acquired a 75 percent stake in Brawn GP earlier this month, was committed to keeping him.
Brawn will be rebranded Mercedes GP for the 2010 season and German Nico Rosberg has already been lined up as one of their drivers. Another German, Nick Heidfeld, is the favourite for the second seat.
Button's move to McLaren became possible after the team decided not to retain Heikki Kovalainen and then failed to reach an agreement with former world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who has decided not to race in Formula One next year.
McLaren are expected to have one of the fastest cars next season after finishing this year strongly.
After emerging from the ashes of the Honda GP team following the Japanese manufacturer's withdrawal from the sport, Brawn dominated the early races while McLaren and Ferrari struggled but faded towards the end of the season.
British racing legend Sir Jackie Stewart said Button was making the wrong move and predicted tensions as McLaren attempted to accomodate him and Hamilton.
"If I had been him I would have wanted to do a deal with Brawn," Stewart said.
"The McLaren car will be one of the best, if not the best, on the grid next season.
"But it will be difficult for him to take on Lewis Hamilton. It is like walking into the lion's den.
"Lewis will want to retain his position of prominence in that team and will be a tough guy for Jenson to marry into.
"What we are looking at is two guys that want to be number one and that, in one team, sometimes does not make for perfect bed partners."
McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh insisted that Button had not quit Brawn because his former team had not met his salary demands, as had been reported.
"We'll be paying him no more than he could be getting elsewhere," Whitmarsh said.
ERIC CANTONA says he would have HIT Thierry Henry if he was one of the Republic of Ireland players cheated of their World Cup spot.
The former France and Manchester United star said: "What shocks me the most quite frankly, is not the hand-ball.
"What shocks me the most is that this player, at the end of the game, in front of the TV cameras, went to sit down next to an Ireland player to comfort him - when he had just screwed him."
Cantona could not believe Henry chose to sit and chat with Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne after his handball set up William Gallas for the goal which ended Ireland's World Cup dream in Paris.
Cantona, infamous for his kung-fu kick at a fan, added: "If I had been an Irishman, he wouldn't have lasted three seconds."
Former Arsenal striker Henry has finally done the decent thing and admitted that the World Cup qualifying play-off should be replayed.
Henry said: "The fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control."
The incident has destroyed Henry's reputation as a football ambassador.
There was a feeling that if Henry and the French had asked for it, the Irish may have had a chance.
But FIFA have already said they will not order a replay and the French Football Federation last night insisted they do not want to play the game again.
Henry admitted: "I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who deserve to be in South Africa.
"But I am not a cheat. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was instinctive."
THE world turned on Thierry Henry last night - with even his own country France branding him a CHEAT.
Irish football chiefs have written to FIFA demanding Wednesday's World Cup tie is replayed after the striker's blatant handball led to William Gallas' decisive goal.
The game's governing body insists there will be no replay.
But Henry's former Arsenal and France team-mate Emmanuel Petit said: "The feeling among the French public is one of embarrassment.
"More and more often we see people cheating to reach their targets so Thierry's handball will not send out a good message."
French legend David Ginola added: "I do not feel very proud to be French at the moment. Something should be done. The whole world saw it was handball. I am very embarrassed."
Henry's stomach-turning act meant France won the World Cup play-off 2-1 on aggregate to reach next summer's finals.
Petit and Henry were team-mates when France lifted the World Cup in 1998. Another '98 winner, Bixente Lizarazu, slammed France coach Raymond Domenech on live radio.
Domenech refused to answer questions about the handball and invited Lizarazu to attend a qualification party hosted by the French FA.
But the former defender replied: "France have done nothing. I'm in no mood for a party."
A FIFA spokesman dashed hopes of a replay, saying: "The rules of FIFA are absolutely clear and the referee's decisions in the game are final."
FRENCH FLIES ... Patrice Evra is desperate to jet out for World Cup finals
PATRICE EVRA is prepared to see red tonight if it means France reach the World Cup finals.
The Manchester United full-back was in the thick of it as his team-mates clashed with Republic of Ireland players at Croke Park on Saturday.
And he will not be worried about getting sent off - as long as he is on the plane to South Africa in the summer.
Evra said: "You have to be willing to sacrifice yourself in these circumstances, you have to think about the team.
"If I had to pull someone's shirt in the last minute when they are through on goal, I would have done it in Dublin, even if it meant missing the return leg."
The French hold a 1-0 lead in this World Cup qualifier play-off.
Evra reckons he was brought down in the box by Irish keeper Shay Given in the first leg - and a second goal would have given France some breathing space.
The defender added: "The referee had a great game, he let the play go a lot. But I had both my feet taken away from me during that move while I still had the ball.
"I'm sure it was a penalty. I asked myself why he hadn't booked me if I thought I had dived.
"He must have thought I'd dived just because I jumped up just before the contact because I was scared to get hurt." Should France fail to book a finals place, coach Raymond Domenech troubled spell in charge would come to an end.
But he does not want to consider that possibility.
Domenech said: "The only feeling I have now is impatience for the game. This games opens the door to the World Cup.
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"I know I can die and it could be my last game. But we will play to win the game on the night. We have quality players and can play positive football. What will I tell them? I will invite them to go out there and win."
Domenech insists the storm surrounding Lassana Diarra's row with the Irish at full-time on Saturday will not disrupt the focus of Les Bleus.
Diarra has denied making an obscene remark to midfielder Keith Andrews.
And Domenech added: "It's not a problem. Me and the players are used to side-shows and they never interfere with the main show.
"Lassana never said those things.
"We need cold blood, patience, intelligence and enthusiasm. I trust the fans to show the will to go to the World Cup.
"I don't need to motivate these players. I actually need to quieten them so they dont get over-excited."
