United retreat to lick their wounds

THE consequences of Manchester United’s spectacular act of self-destruction at Fulham will become clear in the fullness of time but you know there must be something wrong at Old Trafford when Alex Ferguson greets an international break with something approaching relief.

Ferguson is a past master at protecting his squad from the pressures that build during the final weeks of a title race but even he knows that, right now, the best place for them is out of sight and mind.

For two weeks the focus will shift from speculation about whether United are losing their nerve and onto the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers. The distraction couldn’t have been better timed. During that fortnight, Ferguson will have time to analyse what has happened in the course of a week to turn his cocksure team into a bunch of anxious, petulant wrecks.