MORE DOOM LADEN MEANDERINGS

‘Sir Alex Ferguson's regime at Manchester United is more precariously placed now than at any time since Mark Robins' goal against Nottingham Forest opened up the path to his first trophy, the 1990 FA Cup.

The humiliating 4-1 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday evening has cranked up the pressure on the 63-year-old Scot to almost unbearable levels. His greatest burden is that he has no clear exit strategy, other than regaining the European Cup and then riding off into a livid sunset.

Ferguson has pointed out that last season Liverpool were able to focus on the Champions League because they had lost interest in the Premiership. Should United lose to Chelsea on Sunday - the 19th anniversary of his appointment at Old Trafford - Ferguson will endure a similar scenario because they would then be 16 points adrift of Jose Mourinho's runaway leaders.

If United are to win the European Cup they will probably have to do it this season before the age of their midfield and the size of their debt conspire against them. The Glazer family paid £270 million of their own money and £265 million of other people's to seize control of the club.

By the start of next season, Ruud van Nistelrooy will be 30 and the club will have to decide whether to sell him for something approaching the £19 million they paid PSV Eindhoven.

Roy Keane, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, the heartbeat of Ferguson's great sides, are all nearing retirement and attempts to replace them have proved a constant stumbling block to his ambitions of building a fourth great team.

However, as a football man he must know that the great sides - Don Revie's Leeds, Stan Cullis' Wolverhampton Wanderers and even the Liverpool of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley - have a finite lifespan of usually around 10 years. United's time is up.’

When Roman Abramovich marched in to take control of Stamford Bridge he must have feared Manchester United.

They were champions of England, the wealthiest football club in the world and completely free of debt. They could accommodate 15,000 more spectators than any other club in England and had already begun preparations to expand Old Trafford to a 75,000-seat arena.

Under the circumstances, their response to Chelsea's new order has been lamentable.’