PRESS BOX VIEW – TELEGRAPH

From The Daily Telegraph:

‘As the French armies fell back in disarray towards Paris during the early months of the First World War, one general telegraphed his headquarters: "My right flank has been turned, my left flank has disintegrated and my rearguard is in chaos. Situation excellent. I shall attack."

A similar degree of unreality still hangs over Old Trafford this morning, where after the pain of their exit from the Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson had demanded a demonstration that his Manchester United side were still a force in the Premiership. This frantic draw, against another club that will wince whenever this season's Champions League is mentioned, highlighted only how ordinary much of their play has become.

Ferguson began the afternoon attacking the media for attempting to "fragment" his club and then turned on the referee, Rob Styles, for denying Manchester United a penalty when David Weir appeared to bring down Louis Saha. These are mere sideshows compared with United's decline on the pitch.

The media's disapproval is something Ferguson has long been able to discount but yesterday Hugh McIlvanney, the man who worked with him on his autobiography and who counts as one of his oldest friends, said in the most eloquent and elegant terms that the task of rebuilding Manchester United was now beyond Ferguson's strength and he should seek a dignified exit in the summer.’