EMBARRASSING AND PATHETIC

Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday sought to blame the press for the sense of crisis that is threatening to engulf Manchester United's season. Echoing the thoughts of the former United manager Tommy Docherty, who once said there was a place for journalists "but they haven't dug it yet," Ferguson claimed there was a vendetta against the club and a deliberate campaign to force him out in the wake of their exit in the Champions League.

"I know exactly where it comes from," he said. "They have a hatred of Manchester United. It's always been there. It goes with the territory, I suppose, with us being such a high-profile club. I can understand it a little, but they go over the top. They are trying to fragment the club; the players from the supporters, and the supporters from the players."

His diatribe follows on from his comments at the weekend when he claimed that "inevitably at moments like this the media seek to make it personal". His position has come under intense scrutiny since the 2-1 defeat against Benfica in Lisbon, a result that saw United eliminated from the Champions League, without even the consolation of being diverted into the Uefa Cup.

United are 12 points behind Chelsea going into tonight's home match against Wigan Athletic, with only eight Premiership victories at Old Trafford in the whole of 2005, and confronted by the possibility of a third successive year without the league title. To Ferguson's intense irritation, there has been growing speculation about how United's notoriously ruthless new owner, Malcolm Glazer, might react at the end of the season.

Ferguson, however, has convinced himself that the club's difficulties have been exacerbated by an orchestrated media campaign. The players were booed after drawing 1-1 against Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday and he is appealing to supporters not to be swayed by newspaper coverage.

"I think our fans are aware of it and I don't think they will fall into that trap," he said. "I make the point - and I make it strongly - that we are at our best when the fans are right behind us. That is the only thing that should matter right now. We have to stick together."

Ten things the media didn't do

- Encourage the fans to boo the team and perpetually sing Roy Keane's name

- Suggest they abandon the European Cup-winning 4-4-2 system

- Write the "Ten Reasons Why Fergie Must Go" feature on www.unitedrant.co.uk

- Become embroiled in a legal battle over a racehorse with individuals that owned a huge stake in the club

- Sign Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Liam Miller and David Bellion

- Sanction the departure of 20 players through transfers, loans or releases last summer

- Spend £20m on Diego Forlán and Louis Saha

- Fail to sign a replacement for Roy Keane then try to make a central midfielder of Alan Smith

- Decide that it was time that David Beckham and Jaap Stam left the club

- Fail to sign Michael Ballack, Arjen Robben and Ronaldinho