Van Nistelrooy at risk as Ferguson's patience snaps

ALEX FERGUSON'S patience has finally snapped.

After watching the sixth goalless draw of a frustrating Premiership campaign in which his side have lost only twice yet still trail champions-elect Chelsea by 13 points, Ferguson is promising changes.

The notoriously protective Scot is refusing to identify the men at risk but it would be no surprise if Ruud van Nistelrooy were to find himself on the bench at Norwich next Saturday - and possibly not at Carrow Road at all.

Van Nistelrooy might already have etched his name in Old Trafford folklore, but seven games into his comeback from an Achilles injury, he is not worth his place in the United side. And with Louis Saha and Alan Smith desperate for a chance to impress their ruthless manager, the Dutchman's head is on the chopping block.

"It will be a different team next week," grumbled Ferguson. "Louis Saha is back in training on Monday and Alan Smith needs a game, so I have some big decisions to make."

The extraordinary events at St James' Park that were occurring as United's Premiership title fight finally collapsed have enhanced the Red Devils' FA Cup chances. But with the trip to East Anglia coming just eight days before United tackle Newcastle at the Millennium Stadium, Ferguson needs to ensure his selection is spot on. Not only that, with Arsenal finding their form again, he must also galvanise his troops for the remaining seven games of the league campaign and at least ensure runners-up spot. For the footballing staff, third place means a Champions League qualifier. For chief executive David Gill it means a 50% cut in income from the English pool, a sum that could take £2m out of United's coffers at a time when profits are falling and Malcolm Glazer is hunting a takeover.

"This is a critical stage of the season and we simply cannot afford to feel we are in some kind of comfort zone or that with the championship looking out of reach and Europe gone there is nothing left worth striving for," said Ferguson. "The battle for second place is still very much on and unless our form improves there is a very real danger we could miss out on the runners-up finishing place. It is essential we get to grips with our form, both for the Premiership and for the semi-finals of the FA Cup, our remaining chance of a trophy this season."

That statement could signal a spell on the sidelines for van Nistelrooy, a sad and largely anonymous figure in a United side that battered the Blackburn defence for an hour on Saturday before running out of ideas. The hosts could point to two superb Brad Friedel saves that denied Wayne Rooney and Mikael Silvestre, Morten Gamst Pedersen's acrobatic goal-line clearance that kept out another Silvestre header and the shots from Rooney and Roy Keane which cannoned back into play off the inside of a post as evidence of misfortune.

Ferguson, who is likely to be without Ryan Giggs for the Newcastle encounter after he limped off with a hamstring injury, was honest enough to point out other deficiencies. "We lacked composure and patience in the second half," he said. "The speed and width of our play wasn't good enough and it just contributed to a very frustrating afternoon. We can forget Chelsea now, that's for sure. You don't win leagues with results like that."