The forgetful one limped out of the away game against Wolves in January and United arrived at yesterday's game having shipped 15 goals in six-and-a-half games, the worst record in the Premiership. The defence, like Ferdinand's in the original hearing, has been lame, and United have gone from being top dogs to yapping also-rans.
"Forget all the rubbish being written about us," Ferguson snorted yesterday, but when fans stop putting The Exorcist in the video and scare themselves with City of Manchester Stadium - The Highlights you know there are problems. Conceding goals to Porto's Benni McCarthy is one thing, letting Jon Macken and Trevor Sinclair make monkeys out of you is another.
An apology was in order, and while it appears hell will be hosting ice hockey before Ferdinand says sorry, Ferguson came as close as he does to admitting there is a problem in the programme yesterday. "Overall we defended badly again," he wrote in reference to the derby massacre. "Given the changes we've had to make to the back four, the players have... forgotten the simple things." Marking, tackling, heading came to mind - not to mention composure in Gary Neville's case - but Fergie would not be the knight ever pursuing the holy grail if he did not have a retort. "We can work on that, though, and while I don't underestimate our task, the situation is not as black as some would have us believe."