It took six minutes. Six minutes for Juan Mata to demonstrate his worth to Manchester United, six minutes for him to link, albeit circuitously, with Robin van Persie and conjure a goal at Old Trafford. Unfortunately, this being the David Moyes edition of the champions, it was not until the 59th minute that they could feel safe, thanks to a cracking goal by Ashley Young. Even so, baby steps, baby steps. By the time Mata began tiring late in the game — the odd mistimed tackle here, a rare misplaced pass there — few were in any doubt that they had seen the debut of a future Manchester United great. Mind you, they have been starved of good news around these parts of late.

Impish brilliance: Juan Mata lit up Old Trafford with a promising debut performance to make United fans purr

Quick off the mark: Robin van Persie took just six minutes to put the hosts a goal to the good after his return from injury

Much-maligned: Ashley Young made it 2-0 with a long-range shot

Unhappy return: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was welcomed warmly on his return to Manchester, but failed to take any points back to Wales

Mata was not brilliant but he was better than many expected, having played no football for close to a month, and his pass which set up United’s first goal earned him considerable credit. He collected the ball from the defence, deeper than a conventional No 10, but he immediately demonstrated a counter-attacking instinct that is the hallmark of this club.
A perfect crossfield pass to Patrice Evra and United were away. His cross was headed against the crossbar by Luis Antonio Valencia then ricocheted around the penalty area pinball style. Out it came and was followed up by Van Persie, whose effort was saved by David Marshall; out it came and was followed up by Van Persie, whose header, second time, gave the goalkeeper no chance.
So it wasn’t an assist, or even the assist for an assist, but had Mata not applied his singular vision to the build-up, United would not have been able to play with a safety net for so long; and those little buffers are important these days.
This is a team with the jitters, but Mata is a cool customer and on the ball did the simple things well. Another deep cross could have advanced the gap in the 19th minute but Young failed to get the necessary touch at the far post.

Dutch treat: Van Persie (right) nets the opener with this precision header

Letting fly: Young unleashes an unstoppable drive to make the points secure for David Moyes's side

Changing of the guard: Wayne Rooney replaced Van Persie in the 63rd minute

Robin van Persie netted after six minutes to give Manchester United the perfect start... check out more brilliant stats with our Match Zone

Robin van Persie goal

Ashley Young made the points secure with a rasping drive... check out more brilliant stats with our Match Zone

Ashley Young goal

He is better from distance, it would seem. In the 59th minute, Young ensured Cardiff would end the night where they began — bottom of the table — with a goal that banished the memory of some insipid performances and dubious falls this season.
He received the ball on the left, cut inside, kept going and finally unleashed a shot across Marshall that flew in at the bottom corner from 25 yards. It could have been three 15 minutes later, but Marshall tipped the ball on to the far post after Valencia tried to curl one past him from inside the penalty area.
The problem for Mata, obviously, is that he is the first. There will be improvements, a transformation most likely, and Manchester United will be better than this. Until that happens, however, there will be spells — as there were here — when they are being pegged back by Cardiff City and the new man is left to wonder how soon it will be before he belongs to a team who just brush inferiors aside.
It does not help that, for all his improvement, David de Gea is still a goalkeeper vulnerable to an  old-fashioned up and under — and Cardiff, being Welsh, are not averse to a bit of that. De Gea made a very intuitive save with his feet from  a Mark Hudson header after  Peter Whittingham’s 24th-minute corner, but it is worth noting that Cardiff would not have had the chance at all had De Gea come for a cross that looped up by his far post.