The first match of our pre-season was a pretty entertaining affair with plenty of talking points.

Of course, it WAS only a friendly and it WAS just the first game in a pre-season programme the only purpose of which (we’re constantly reminded) is only to get the players up to match fitness.

With these things in mind, it is important not to go too overboard, especially with the negative comments.

The one player who really looked ready to go today was Rooney. Playing in a more central role, he was behind a lot of the good work up front for United. Scoring the first and then brilliantly setting up Nani for our second.

Around the 51 minute mark, he brought down a long kick beautifully and in almost the same motion, deftly lobbed the keeper but the ball landed just inches wide. If this is a Wayne Rooney who is a little unfit, needs to get back up to match speed and was suffering in the Malaysian heat, well, he is going to have one hell of a season this year.

If that was sublime then seconds later we had the ridiculous as Ben Foster took his eye off the ball and subsequently completely failed to control a backpass and allowed the opposition striker to run in and score.

Malaysia had already scored at the very end of the first half with a very good lob over Van Der Sar who found himself a bit too far off his line.

So, that made the score 2-2 and no one would have predicted that when we raced off to a 2-0 lead.

Owen came on after an hour and within 25 minutes, he had scored his first goal which proved to be the winner.

There are some out there who will still be sitting there, pens sharpened, waiting for Owen to get the slightest injury before the “I told you so” articles appear but for now, they will have to choke on their own bile. Owen’s goal was a typical predator’s finish.

Giggs went in with the keeper for a through ball, both players collided and the ball squirmed free. Owen had already anticipated this and was alert and on the move, picked up the loose ball, set himself and fired into the bottom corner.

I know this is only a pre-season friendly and means nothing in the great scheme of things but that goal was massive for a host of reasons.

Others who impressed were Berbatov who produced some moments of magic but then missed a free header which a man of his size should be burying but I still think we will see great things from Berby in the coming season.

Nani was given a full 90 minutes and impressed and frustrated in equal measure throughout the match, he seemed to lack a little bit of confidence to me, especially when one on one with a defender and didn’t quite seem to know what to do and often made the wrong decisions.

Still, plenty of positives came out of this pre-season opener and it all bodes well for the coming season.