Sir Alex Ferguson's trump card in the pursuit of Wayne Rooney might well be the prospect of Champions League football after Manchester United's place in the competition was secured with the modicum of fuss last night. They will go into today's draw alongside Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool but, perhaps crucially in the bartering process for Rooney, no Newcastle.
Whether Ferguson will be able to guarantee Rooney first-team football is another matter entirely. By scoring twice in the space of three second-half minutes Alan Smith has now accumulated four goals in five appearances for his new employers. With the fit-again Louis Saha on the bench and Ruud van Nistelrooy back within three weeks, Ferguson could soon have an attacking quartet to rival Real Madrid's of Ronaldo, Michael Owen, Fernando Morientes and Raul.
The natural conclusion is that Smith would be fourth in the order of merit but the £7m recruit from Leeds could hardly have done more to justify a prolonged run in the team. United's supporters might have been initially dubious about his switch but his tenacious style has swiftly won them over and there was genuine warmth in the standing ovation that greeted his substitution.
As has become the norm so far this season, Smith will attract most of the plaudits, but Ferguson will take just as much pleasure from the performances of several of the supporting cast, not least David Bellion, who sprinted clear to add the third six minutes after emerging as substitute. It was Bellion's second goal in four days but he is unlikely to find it prevents him being surplus to requirements should Rooney join United.
Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djemba, two of Ferguson's most-maligned signings, controlled midfield, Cristiano Ronaldo was not far behind Smith as the outstanding performer and there were competent European debuts from Chris Eagles and Jonathan Spector, both 18 years old. Eagles was particularly impressive, although Dinamo Bucharest's attacks were so rare it was difficult to judge Spector's ability at left-back.
Protecting a 2-1 lead from the first leg, and even without the injured Roy Keane, Ferguson was relaxed enough to omit Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs and his confidence was not misplaced, even if it was a sluggish start from his players.
Neither side could muster prolonged meaningful pressure in a disappointing first half, but there was always the sense that United were in control. Their best moments usually stemmed from Ronaldo, who has wasted little time in dispelling Ferguson's theory that a hectic summer might have dulled his attacking instincts. His mazy runs on the left constantly caused problems but, with the exception of a Smith header against the top of the bar, United seldom threatened until finishing off Dinamo at the start of the second half.
Having turned in a skew-whiff clearance by Adrian Iordache, Smith was initially denied his first goal by a trigger-happy linesman who ruled him offside. After vehement protests, United eventually persuaded the referee Markus Merk that the "assist" had come from a Dinamo defender and the goal was given.
Smith's second was far more straightforward as he coverted a low Gary Neville centre to remind Ferguson, yet again, that he has no intentions of playing second fiddle to anyone - Rooney included.
Manchester United (4-4-1-1): Howard; G Neville (P Neville, 56), O'Shea, Silvestre, Spector; Fletcher, Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson, Ronaldo (Richardson, 64); Eagles; Smith (Bellion, 64).
Subs not used: Carroll, Saha, Giggs, Scholes.
Booked : Eagles.
Dinamo Bucharest (4-5-1): Munteanu; Irimia, Irodache, Galamaz, Semeghin; Petre (Balan, 67), Naidin, Margaritescu, Danciulescu, Grigorie (Pacurar, h-t); Niculescu (Serban, 81).
Subs not used: Haybu, Ciobotariu, Baltoi, Goian.
Referee: M Merk (Germany).
