Maybe Ryan Giggs was feeling crossed. At Old Trafford, 12 days ago, in the aftermath of Manchester United's 2-0 defeat of Internazionale, Alex Ferguson's stream of consciousness was absorbed by the concept of David Beckham's sparkling ability to deliver a football into the danger zone at the appropriate moment.
"David Beckham," enthused Ferguson, "is the best crosser of a ball in Europe." Giggs, whose job description focuses on crossing, could have been forgiven a Roger Moore-raised eyebrow. Giggs would probably like it to be known that Beckham is not even the best crosser of a ball in Salford, never mind the Continent, and set about reminding people of that in 74 nonchalantly purposeful minutes on Tyneside.
Only three of them had gone when Giggs flighted his first graceful arcing centre from the left wing. It was behind Newcastle's defence, but in front of Shay Given and it was almost mathematical in its perfection. Dwight Yorke, for once, had his sums wrong and was a yard short.
Forty-eight minutes later it was a different outcome. Giggs, again from the left, whipped in a similar waist-high cross that had Given grasping handfuls of air as Andy Cole arrived at the calculated time with the correct answer. Smart fella. In a week when Alan Shearer scored his 50th goal in black and white it is worth noting this was Cole's 50th goal at St James's Park. He has played there 48 times.
It was the decisive three-point moment. Newcastle had been outflanked and Shearer commented enviously on Giggs's "invitations" to score. United were able to address the Milan agenda with almost 45 minutes to go. Raimond van der Gouw, a half-time substitute for the allegedly flu-ridden Peter Schmeichel, did not have a save to make.
But Schmeichel will be back for Wednesday. More than likely Ronny Johnsen will too - he replaced Giggs on Saturday - and should dislodge Henning Berg in Milan. Johnsen's brief was to police Dietmar Hamann, a beat he fulfilled economically. On Wednesday it might be Ronaldo. Ferguson revealed that Gullit had pulled him to one side before kick-off to whisper some San Siro gossip apparently about possible provocation by Inter Milan in Wednesday's game.
Gullit's team could have done with some devilment themselves. Even after Nolberto Solano directed his free kick into Schmeichel's top left-hand corner in the 15th minute, Newcastle never suggested they had the belief to rumble their superiors and the most interesting incident from their perspective came just after the interval when Gullit rebuked Shearer for his lack of running off the ball. Shearer responded testily, but Gullit had a point.
Cole, a blur of movement by comparison, equalised eight minutes after Solano's goal. Shearer described it as the "ideal weekend" for the team he elected not to join and he looked hurt when talking about Milan. Cole will be there and Inter will regret concentrating on Yorke at Cole's expense.
They will also regret singling out Beckham if Giggs begins to get his talents across, although unless there is a dramatic transfer in the wings, the Italians will not try to defuse Giggs, as Newcastle did, with Warren Barton.
Newcastle: Given, Barton (Maric 83), Charvet, Dabizas, Domi, Hamann, Solano, Speed, Georgiadis (Lee 45), Ketsbaia (Saha 61), Shearer. Subs Not Used: Harper, Griffin. Booked: Georgiadis. Goals: Solano 16. Man Utd: Schmeichel (Van Der Gouw 45), G. Neville, Berg, Stam, Irwin, Keane, Beckham, Scholes (P. Neville 86), Giggs (Johnsen 73), Cole, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Solskjaer, Blomqvist. Booked: Irwin. Goals: Cole 25, 51. Att: 36,500.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow).
