Manchester United duly booked their place in next season's Champions League group phase with an Old Trafford win over Charlton. The odds on Ruud van Nistelrooy being with them by then are long indeed.

The terse pre-match statement confirming van Nistelrooy had 'gone home' prior to the annual home stuffing of the Addicks hinted strongly that the end of an era had been reached.

On this evidence, the new one could be thrillingly joyous as Louis Saha, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kieran Richardson all found the target, as well as unlucky Charlton veteran Jason Euell to see United romp home.

For once, United did not miss Wayne Rooney. And they certainly did not miss van Nistelrooy, who now heads to the World Cup with Holland knowing the tournament now offers him the best available shop window to escape his Red Devils hell.

The list of players who have fallen foul of manager Sir Alex Ferguson's ruthless streak over his 20 years is extensive, including names such as Jim Leighton, Paul Ince, Jaap Stam and David Beckham. The list of those who have lived to tell the tale is non-existent.

When he climbed into his expensive car at mid-day and drove away from the ground on which he expected to make his 201st Red Devils start, van Nistelrooy must have known he was effectively ending his United career.

No official reason was given before kick-off for the Dutchman's departure but the rumour was he had just been told by Ferguson his services were only required for the bench as 19-year-old Giuseppe Rossi had been chosen to partner Saha instead of him.

In a sense, the selection rendered van Nistelrooy's response irrelevant. To all intents and purposes, the former PSV Eindhoven striker's time at Old Trafford is over and he will remain on 150 goals for the club, one of only eight players in history to achieve such a feat.

Whether he watched the game on TV, listened on the radio or was just told about it afterwards, van Nistelrooy will have learned his soon-to-be old team-mates coped very well without him.

It was impossible to miss the extra verve Rossi's introduction brought to a United side who had picked up just five points from their last four games.

Rossi might not have got his name on the scoresheet during a mesmeric opening period but his impact was telling nonetheless.

The teenager had already carved out a couple of half chances for himself when Richardson let fly with a brutal 30-yard shot which crashed down off the crossbar.

For one fleeting moment, it looked as though it had crossed the line but TV replays proved it had bounced right on the line and the officials had been correct to wave play on.

It was not long before Charlton keeper Stephan Andersen was picking the ball out of his net though as Saha, the man who originally ousted van Nistelrooy from the Red Devils' starting line-up, rose to glance home a Ryan Giggs corner.

Ronaldo made it two midway through the half, with Giggs again supplying the assist.

After failing to make any contact with his first attempt to convert the Welshman's low cross, Ronaldo was no doubt grateful for a kind rebound which offered him a second attempt to fire home his 12th goal of another mixed campaign.

There was also an element of good fortune about United's third, although Ronaldo could argue it was his far post run which harassed Euell into turning Saha's low cross into his own net.

Had Andersen not shown admirable reflexes to push a flying Rossi header over, even the young Italian would have got his name on the scoresheet.

Instead, the hosts had to wait for their fourth until Richardson reinforced his late bid for inclusion in the expanded England squad Sven-Goran Eriksson will name tomorrow by thundering home from 25 yards just before the hour.

The introduction of two old stagers, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, either side of Richardson's effort only reinforced the sense of a carnival, although this kind of party was hardly the kind Alan Curbishley would have wished for after 15 years' outstanding service in charge at Charlton.

Prior to kick-off, Ferguson had presented Curbishley with two return tickets to New Zealand so he could visit his sister, which his impending exile from the game will give him chance to do.

For all his United future is worth, van Nistelrooy might as well have got one too. Except his need may only be one way.

Teams:

Man Utd Van der Sar, Neville (Vidic 62), Ferdinand, Brown,Silvestre, Ronaldo, O'Shea (Scholes 45), Giggs, Richardson,Saha (Solskjaer 61), Rossi.

Subs Not Used: Howard, Fletcher.

Booked: Richardson.

Goals: Saha 19, Ronaldo 23, Euell 35 og, Richardson 58.

Charlton Andersen, Sankofa (Fortune 45), Sorondo, Perry,Powell, Holland, Kishishev, Euell (Ambrose 61), Hughes,Bartlett, Darren Bent (Sam 45).

Subs Not Used: Randolph, Bothroyd.

Att: 73,006

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).