Premiership: United should replace Fergie now - Cragnotti

Italian soccer chief Massimo Cragnotti believes Manchester United must replace Sir Alex Ferguson now to get their season back on track.

The Lazio managing director thinks the United players are struggling for form because they know Ferguson is retiring in May.

Cragnotti replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson as coach of the Rome club after the team’s form slumped following his decision to accept the England position.

And he says a similar move would enable the champions to put their early-season wobbles behind them.

Cragnotti said: ‘‘Ferguson is an institution and it’s difficult to send away such a man.

‘‘But if they want to do the right thing for their club, United should change the manager quickly.

‘‘The players lose their way when they know the coach is leaving. The team are like sailors on a ship who know the captain is about to jump.’’

United have already lost three times in the FA Barclaycard Premiership and were beaten twice by Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna before reaching the second group stages of the Champions League.

‘‘There was much to learn from our experience. United don’t seem to have thought it through properly and they’ve done themselves damage as a result.’’