FERGIE HAS HIS WORK CUT OUT

Ferguson returned to work yesterday needing a holiday. Not a ball has been kicked at Manchester United's Carrington training HQ for six weeks — but trouble is already brewing.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy are threatening to write off United's hopes of winning the title next season before a whistle has been blown.

The Portuguese star almost had Ferguson falling off his sun lounger when he announced through a Spanish paper that he wanted to join Real Madrid.

Such disloyalty is something Ferguson rarely forgives.

Yet in Ronaldo's case he wanted to make an exception by despatching Carlos Queiroz to Germany to talk him round.

Yesterday, on the instructions of Fergie and United chief executive David Gill, Rooney made an uneasy peace with Ronaldo.

He texted him and received one back.

Although that little bit of good work has been undone by Ronaldo making it public and rather over-egging what Rooney said.

Ferguson will not worry about how United fans might take to Ronaldo if he stays.

Rooney remains combustible and to have the pair of them in the United camp with these tensions will not be good for the team. Ferguson must think the combination of all these problems and the prospect of getting £20million for the player means it is time to sell.

Ronaldo is not always the match-winning figure he can be for Portugal. He is often selfish on the ball, tries too many tricks and does not have a fantastic goals record. He has notched just 18 in 95 appearances.

For every United fan who thinks he is a steed amongst footballers, you will find another who dismisses him as a show pony.

The only silver lining for United fans is that Ronaldo's potential exit may lead to Van Nistelrooy staying.

At the end of last season, Ferguson backed Ronaldo in a training ground bust-up with Van Nistelrooy.

He ejected the Dutch ace from the club ahead of their final game of the season. Van Nistelrooy wants to stay at Old Trafford and is seeking peace talks. The club's owners, the Glazers, are also urging Fergie to make it up with a player who has scored 150 goals in 200 games for the club.

Selling Van Nistelrooy would not make financial sense right now for Fergie or the Glazers.

The sun lounger at his holiday hotel in France must seem an awful long way away right now as the storm clouds gather over Manchester.