BY David Walsh ( The Times )

ON GREY and undistinguished afternoons such as this, the trick for Manchester United's players is to exaggerate the difficulty of the challenge and play close to their highest standards. Roy Keane did precisely that and took enough of his teammates with him to ensure United were never in the remotest danger.

Twenty-four minutes from the end, Alex Ferguson decided Keane had spent enough energy controlling things for United and replaced him with Jonathan Greening. Paul Scholes had already been taken off, Ryan Giggs would follow minutes later, but it was Keane who received the generous standing ovation. The folk who come here week in, week out appreciate the steel the captain brings to the ship.

Forget for a minute the volatility to which the Irishman is vulnerable, yesterday he was authoritative and combative but never mean. His lapses into bullying were directed at his own slacking teammates, not the opposition. It did not matter that depleted Forest never seriously threatened United, Keane treated the occasion as if it were a Wednesday evening in Europe.

United needed him in that mood because injuries deprived them of Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, and suspension ruled out Gary Neville. Not many teams can afford to lose their two central defenders and their first-choice strikers but, in truth, United were never in much danger.

Nottingham Forest came with five players spread across the midfield and needed to keep United scoreless long enough for edginess to unsettle the favourites. After six games without a win, United were a little edgy to start with and looked ordinary in the first half. But they got the breakthrough with a goal, a Ronny Johnsen header from a David Beckham corner in the 28th minute, and it gave them some breathing space.

After the stray pass that had sent Middlesbrough on their way to a third goal last weekend, Johnsen's ambitions may not have stretched much beyond a clean sheet yesterday. The defence managed that comfortably enough, and Johnsen himself hardly put a foot wrong, but it was what he did at the other end of the pitch that got him noticed.

Having put United ahead with that first-half header, he got the team's second 14 minutes into the second half. And what a cracking goal. United had begun the new half with more bite, like a group of men who had shared a lively cup of tea with their manager. Giggs, especially, played with extra zip, and that added a dimension to the United attack that had not been there in the first half.

That second Johnsen goal came after Giggs had stretched Forest and Steve Chettle brought down Teddy Sheringham. Henning Berg climbed well at the far post and powered a header back across goal. Although Johnsen was 10 yards out and had to react quickly, he produced a stunning volley that Dave Beasant could hardly have seen. It was the kind of goal strikers dream about.

The third goal came three minutes later and showed United at their formidable best. Sheringham crept in behind the defence and fastened on to a perfect through-ball. Controlling it, he laid it across to Beckham, who was charging in from the right. Beckham had a variety of options, but the little computer inside his head pointed towards Giggs steaming in from the left. The pass was immediate, Giggs took it in his stride and when Beasant came flying out to meet him, Giggs clipped the ball over the goalkeeper's body with a deft chip. That goal was a deserved reward for the way Giggs had played in the second period.

Forest were now dead and buried, their 17th consecutive Premiership match without a victory. In going 17 games without a win they have equalled the record they themselves set a few years ago. But that is not important, what counts is that they are now anchored at the bottom of the Premiership table, and it is hard to see how they can haul themselves upwards.

Afterwards Dave Bassett was all humility and honesty as he tried to explain how his team got to the bottom and how they might escape: "When we have got players out injured and sick, we are in a bit of trouble. United are without Gary Neville and Jaap Stam and they bring in Ronny Johnsen and Henning Berg.

"That record doesn't bother me; if I end up with it, I end up with it. I have ended up with seven promotions as well. We are a big club but not a giant club like United or Liverpool or Arsenal. During the summer I knew it would be tough to stay up but I thought, 'At least I have Kevin Campbell and Pierre Van Hooijdonk'. Between them they got 55 goals last season. Before this season started Campbell was sold and then Van Hooijdonk didn't show up for three months."

Bassett admitted he was not a big enough manager to bang the table and walk out when Campbell was sold and, anyway, he was brought up to carry on come what may. There doesn't appear to be much doubt about what will come for Forest, but Bassett was refusing to admit defeat. "When things are not going well, everything you try is wrong but we can turn it round. You can go on a run, it's not impossible." He said it to convince himself as much as to convince his audience.

Ferguson, too, has his worries, but there is every chance he will overcome them. Cole should be fit for the match against Chelsea on Tuesday evening, but Ferguson says there are doubts about Stam and Yorke. United will need their heavy artillery for the battle at Stamford Bridge but, at least he goes there with the right general. You can be certain that Keane, United's captain courageous will again lead from the front.

Man Utd: Schmeichel, Neville, Irwin, Berg, Johnsen, Beckham, Butt, Sheringham, Giggs (Blomqvist 75), Keane (Greening 66), Scholes (Solskjaer 62).
Booked: Neville.
Goals: Johnsen 28, 59, Giggs 62.

Nottm Forest: Beasant, Louis-Jean, Rogers, Quashie, Chettle (Doig 68), Stone (Hodges 77), Shipperley, Johnson, Bart-Williams (Bonalair 53), Freedman, Armstrong.
Booked: Rogers, Quashie, Chettle.