Fergie hails reborn Spurs

To be fair to the referee, appointed late to the Tottenham game, he sought the advice of one of his assistants before confirming that Erik Edman's challenge on John O'Shea was a penalty. Later, a spokesman for United denied that Walton had been in their dressing room but Santini remained perplexed, particularly by the circumstances that led to Walton's appointment.

Steve Bennett was originally due to take charge with Graham Poll named as the fourth official at White Hart Lane.

However, Poll was moved to Craven Cottage to take charge of Southampton's trip to Fulham, with Bennett, who refereed the Arsenal-United game that developed into a brawl last season, dropping down to be the fourth official.

Walton, in his first season as a Premiership official, was then drafted in to take charge at White Hart Lane. Santini said: "I was surprised at this decision because the best referees should be in charge of the big matches."

The Spurs manager did make it clear however that the referee was not the reason why Spurs were beaten in the Premiership for the first time this season.

Despite the fact that Spurs started with three strikers in Freddie Kanoute, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe, they looked excessively cautious at times, with Defoe frequently operating as a lone attacker.

Spurs had chances to equalise but, in the end, goalkeeper Paul Robinson was the man who would have caught the eye of Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The England coach will be pleased, too, to learn that United's new signing Wayne Rooney is almost certain to return to first team action in Istanbul.

Ferguson has yet to decide whether to start with him - unlikely in my view - but there is a good chance he will get his first taste of Champions League football at some stage.

Rooney, 18, hasn't played since he broke a metatarsal against Portugal in Euro 2004 in June. Since then, of course, he's been transferred from Everton to United for £30m and, if he proves his fitness, will be in Eriksson's squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Wales and Azerbaijan next month.

His return to fitness would also be a considerable boost to United at a time when they are just beginning to rediscover their form. Wins against Liverpool and Spurs have lifted them to fifth in the table, although they remain seven points behind Arsenal.

Eriksson would also have been delighted with the form of Rio Ferdinand, playing his second match following his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test. Ferguson said: "Rio was magnificent and with him in the side the general level of our performance has risen."

The return of Ferdinand, Van Nistelrooy and now Rooney significantly reinforces United at just the right time. The upcoming Premiership matches are against Middlesbrough and Birmingham - with leaders Arsenal the visitors to Old Trafford on 24 October.