Depleted but unbeaten, United remain a real threat

AS Manchester United somehow extended their current unbeaten run of matches to the quarter-century barrier against a valiant Wolves at Old Trafford, it was hard not to think that, should Alex Ferguson’s team manage to get key players fit, healthy and at peak form for any length of time this season, their title rivals will be left suffering from the same feeling of nausea that swept through the United squad this weekend.

Most things that could have gone wrong, have gone wrong for Ferguson and United since the night in March when they exited the Champions League in Munich and Wayne Rooney badly injured his ankle.

United failed to add silverware after that date, best player Rooney has barely turned in a single competent performance since; best defender Rio Ferdinand continues to be plagued by injury; there have been off-field distractions with Rooney and his contract; the recent loss of form of Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia is out for the season due to injury.