Manchester United claimed a much-needed victory over Burnley to ease their worries on the field even if they are piling up outside Old Trafford.

Chants of “We want the Glazers out” from the Stretford End emphasised the debt mountain being carried by the Red Devils.

For a long time it looked as though it was hanging round the players’ necks too.

But a five-minute purple patch just after the hour brought Dimitar Berbatov’s seventh goal of the season and Wayne Rooney’s 17th.

And, with new-boy Mame Biram Diouf adding another near the end, United had regained a sense of superiority, even if the outcome could have been vastly different if either Steven Fletcher or David Nugent had taken golden opportunities when Brian Laws’ first game in charge was still deadlocked.

However, the United faithful will be acutely aware much better will be required at Eastlands on Tuesday if Carlos Tevez is not to celebrate Carling Cup glory at the expense of his old club.

MUFC:
Edwin van der Sar, Jonathan Evans, Wes Brown, Patrice Evra, Gary Neville, Michael Carrick (Anderson), Paul Scholes, Nani, Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney (Diouf), Dimitar Berbatov (Owen)

Subs:
Michael Owen, Tomasz Kuszczak, Ji-Sung Park, Rafael, Anderson, Fabio, Mame Biram Diouf

Burnley:
Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Tyrone Mears, Kevin McDonald (Gudjonsson), Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Chris Eagles (Blake), David Nugent, Steven Fletcher (Thompson)

Subs:
Robbie Blake, Christian Kalvenes, Joey Karl Gudjonsson, Diego Penny, Steve Thompson, Richard Eckersley, Fernando Guerrero Vasquez

Goals:
Dimitar Berbatov ‘64
Wayne Rooney ‘69
Mame Biram Diouf ‘90