VIEW FROM THE PRESSBOX - TORYRAG

By the time the clock had reached 85 minutes at the Reebok Stadium, Sam Allardyce might as well have been marking David Beckham. The Bolton manager was a yard inside the touchline on Manchester United's right wing and was motioning his players back towards their own goal with the urgency of a man evacuating a burning house. Life is simple when you are near the bottom: you score, you defend and you try to survive. Contrast that with Sir Alex Ferguson, whose team lose to Arsenal but beat Juventus. Who conquer the broiling politics of their own dressing room only to throw away points at humble neighbours.

Their manager could break the boundaries of his own technical area, but what would he shout when he ventured outside it? Ferguson looked more baffled than angry afterwards. The theme of his career has been dramatic rebuilding, the ability to tear up what works well and replace it with something that works better.

This lacklustre draw with Bolton, at such a crucial stage of the season, suggests the need for something more subtle from the United manager. In Wes Brown and John O'Shea for instance, Ferguson has two great talents who have shone in some of United's darkest hours this season. Even a Keane with one working hip bone is better than no Keane at all and David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville should be in the form of their lives. Ferguson's tendency towards blame and forgiveness will have to be replaced by a more cerebral search to unlock the potential of his last great United team.’

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