Never a grey day for Giggs - golden oldie Ryan shines in the new generation

That was a reference to the flecks of grey that have recently infiltrated the Welshman's hair, but it seems barely believable that Giggs is now Old Trafford's elder statesman.

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All around him, however, is youthful promise and once again it was United's blossoming young forwards that enriched a cold afternoon in Manchester.

Giggs, who will be 34 at the end of the month, has played with some of the best that the Premier League has had to offer during 16 years in and around the United first team.

Eric Cantona, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham. It is a remarkable roll call but how many would Giggs honestly say have offered more in terms of entertainment than the current ensemble of Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and the intriguing 19-year-old Brazilian Anderson?

Yesterday Rooney was not even present, a game of training-ground head tennis having put paid to his November. England may yet rue that particular injury more than United, however.

The champions had more than enough to roll over a Blackburn side that — despite their terrific season so far — relied too much on the physical attributes that have attracted criticism in the past.

The destroyer-in- chief was Ronaldo, scorer of two wonderfully-taken goals in the space of as many first-half minutes.

Tevez was excellent too, as was Anderson — interestingly preferred to England midfielder Michael Carrick — while Giggs's own influence increased once the dismissal of David Dunn opened up a little more space early in the second half.

In his own programme notes, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson boldly suggested that this is the best squad he has ever had. It is hard to argue.

"This is what I have been working towards," said Ferguson. "I don't like the short-term fix. I prefer to see a pool of players emerge and develop into something special which, believe me, is what is happening at Old Trafford this season.

"In fact it is difficult to know where to stop when I am talking about our important players."

Yesterday's performance was far from the best of an unbeaten Premier League streak that stretches back almost three months and 10 games to the 1-0 defeat at Manchester City on August 19.

With the Rooney-Tevez partnership put on ice, United were not always fluent. But they still managed to score two excellent goals just after the half-hour.

The first — in the 34th minute — owed much to Giggs's accurate corner but an awful lot more to Ronaldo's Zebedee-like jump that embarrassed his marker Benni McCarthy and allowed him to head powerfully into the top corner despite the efforts of David Bentley on the line.

Having held their own until that point, Blackburn must have been disappointed to concede what was a soft goal from their point of view.

However, things were soon substantially worse.

A minute later it was pace that undid Mark Hughes's team as Blackburn lost possession deep in the United half and watched as Rio Ferdinand, Louis Saha and then Tevez broke to allow Ronaldo to score at the far post with his right foot.

It was a terrific goal that had Tevez's artistry and sense of timing at its heart. The Argentina striker spent much of the afternoon fulfilling the 'Rooney role', working industriously behind the largely ineffective Saha.

But when he did break into open space down the left, the ball he delivered with the outside of his right foot towards Ronaldo was among the most impressive moments of the afternoon.

For all that Blackburn had come into this match in decent form, a two-goal deficit was always going to be too much for them to recover.

And their cause was rendered helpless seven minutes into the second half when Dunn was dismissed for a second booking.

The first caution, after a tangle with Tevez in the first half, might have been a little harsh but the second — for a swipe as Saha — was not. Hughes had his complaints but the fact is that Dunn should have been booked early on when a foul on Ronaldo allowed Christopher Samba to drive a shot against the angle of post and bar.

Hughes will never admit it, but Blackburn were far too physical all afternoon. Much of their tackling was rash and poorly timed. Referee Chris Foy booked three players. Samba, Ryan Nelsen and Aaron Mokoena as well as Dunn, and there could have been more.

Ronaldo, as is often the case, felt more than his fair share of the pain, but Anderson, Giggs and Tevez were all on the receiving end.

At times, it was rather like watching the Blackburn side that kicked Arsenal all round the Millennium Stadium in an FA Cup semi-final in the early days of Hughes's reign.

Those days are supposed to be behind Blackburn. It is to be hoped that this display was a one-off.