BY MATT DICKINSON ( The Times )

QUANTITY was always going to be the measure of success against a team as feeble as Brondby and, in rattling in five goals last night, Manchester United came through with nonchalant ease. With Barcelona and Bayern Munich to follow, the accent switches to quality, but, in that respect, there should be no fears over Alex Ferguson's rampant side.

Their next fixture in the Champions' League takes them into the Nou Camp lair of Barcelona, but the journey to Spain will be fuelled by confidence after another display of ruthless efficiency that kept United at the summit of group D. It is a safe bet that they will not be dislodged on goal difference.

After thrashing the Danes 6-0 and 6-2 earlier this season, the Old Trafford crowd willed their team on to wrap things up game, set and match last night. They had the opportunities, but the forwards were almost tripping over each other in their desperation to add the final flourish.

There was only Paul Scholes's wonderful solo goal to show for a second half of sustained pressure, but as the goals flew in past the dishevelled Danes, minds had already drifted towards the Nou Camp.

Victory in Barcelona would give United 11 points, almost certainly enough to ensure a passage to the quarter-finals as one of the best two runners-up in the six groups. After Barcelona's second defeat to Bayern Munich last night, United could even afford to lose in Spain and come back to Old Trafford for a final and decisive meeting with the Germans. Whatever the permutations, Ferguson, the United manager, was buoyant last night. "If we retain this sort of form, we can beat anyone," he said. "I think the first-half performance was one of the best I have seen at United because of the speed and imagination. Some of the goals were stunning."

In Copenhagen, it had taken United half an hour to rattle in their first three goals. Here, it took them half that time - and even that was allowing for a miss or two. They must have endured tougher training sessions.

With Brondby lining up in what was meant to be a secure 4-5-1 formation, there was always a danger that Ferguson's call for patience - not a quality that United are renowned for - would prove frustratingly correct.

Such fears proved unfounded as early as the sixth minute. When David Beckham sized up a free kick from fully 30 yards so early in the game, one expected little more than a loosener. His low, curling shot failed to rise above head height, but it still evaded both the Danish wall and Emeka Andersen's attempts in goal to stop it creeping in low and to his right.

The Brondby goalkeeper had been drafted in on the eve of the game after Krogh, the normal choice, had declared himself unfit. It is unlikely that Andersen relished the promotion. He even had to worry about goal threats from his own players as Nielsen directed a backward header against the post. First to the rebound was Andy Cole, whose shot was blocked, but he had to wait only another two minutes for his next chance, which he finished with aplomb.

It was a fine move set up by Blomqvist, who caused such havoc that Giggs was not missed. The Swede cut inside from the left and played the ball to Cole, who cleverly stepped over the ball and dashed for goal.

His run was spotted by Dwight Yorke, who laid the ball perfectly into his stride and what followed was of the highest order as Cole took his time before delicately chipping the goalkeeper from an acute angle. In terms of confidence and precision, he has probably not scored a better goal in a United shirt.

Less than a quarter of an hour had gone and the contest had already become a rout. If supporters' minds were drifting towards Barcelona, though, the players were remaining impressively focused and they added the third just a couple of minutes later when Phil Neville scored his first goal at Old Trafford after a neat interchange with Cole.

They could even afford to miss opportunities and still be 4-0 ahead by the 28th minute and, again, Blomqvist was at the heart of things. His dashing run carried the ball 60 yards forward, where he laid the ball wide to Beckham on the right. The England international's cross was measured to perfection on to Yorke's head and Andersen allowed the ball to squirm beneath his body. How he must have been cursing Krogh's injury.

Manchester United (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - P Neville (sub: W Brown 31min), J Stam, G Neville, D Irwin - D Beckham, R Keane, P Scholes, J Blomqvist (sub: J Cruyff, 45) - D Yorke, A Cole (sub: O G Solksjaer, 56).

Brondby (4-5-1): E Andersen - S Colding, K Rasmussen, P Nielsen, A Skarbalius - O Bjur (sub: S Krogh, 74), K Daugaard, A Ravn, J Jensen, R Bagger (sub: J Thygesen, 70) - E Sand (sub: B Hansen, 75).

Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).