smelling sweet, it is Sir Alex Ferguson. A smile as broad as
the Stretford End lit up his face as he left the Old
Trafford pitch yesterday and who could blame him? Even his
defeats take on the uncanny appearance of score draws.
‘His Manchester United rearguard is a mess, he is so short
of defenders that Ryan Giggs finished the match at left back
yesterday and his best goalscorer is still smarting at being
left out of the starting line-up last week. Yet Ferguson can
contemplate playing in the Champions' League against Porto
on Tuesday, knowing his side are third in the Premiership
and in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
‘What you do not expect from Manchester United is a defence
so porous Old Trafford is holding its collective breath
every time the ball goes over the halfway line. It may be
down to part stupidity (Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville) and
part misfortune (Mikaël Silvestre and Quinton Fortune) but
Ferguson was without his potential first-choice back four
yesterday and it showed.
‘Ferguson put that down to tension being transmitted from
the crowd but it was not edginess that allowed Roy Keane to
be dispossessed by the corner flag and it was not nerves
that propelled Wes Brown into a lunge that nearly took Luis
Boa Morte's leg off. Penalties for visiting sides at Old
Trafford are as rare as Tony Blair's Christmas cards to
Claire Short, but the referee had an easy decision to make.
‘But if United's defence creaked at all times it looked rock
solid compared to the closing 15 minutes when Eric Djemba-
Djemba replaced Keane and, instead of joining the back four,
lined up in midfield. Paul Scholes looked mystified, John
O'Shea did not know where he was supposed to play, and it
required two visits to the touchline by Mike Phelan before
the message got to the best left-winger in Britain that he
had to play at left-back.
‘Whether Ferguson's decision would have stood the test of
the criticism in the light of a replay is another matter but
when Boa Morte cut in from Giggs' flank and aimed a low shot
towards United's goal after 88 minutes, the most likely
result was a goal for the visitors. Instead, Tim Howard
dived and got enough of a touch on the ball to divert it
away from Fulham's preying forwards. Ferguson had got away
with it... but then he usually does.’