United's corner routine consigned to history

Alex Ferguson has declared Manchester United’s great corner-kick experiment dead.

Ferguson was exasperated that Cristiano Ronaldo’s header was disallowed against Chelsea on Sunday when the officials decided Wayne Rooney had not taken a legal corner kick.

Rooney ambled over to the quadrant, rolled the ball in and then out again, before walking off as Ryan Giggs strode up.

The Welshman then swiftly changed direction, floated a cross onto Ronaldo’s head for a goal United insist was legal.

Referee Howard Webb decided otherwise, meaning Ferguson has still not enjoyed any success with a move he first tried as a manager during his Aberdeen days after remembering Celtic doing something similar during their run to the 1967 European Cup Final.

“I don’t think we will be using the corner kick routine for a while,” reflected Ferguson.

“I used it at Aberdeen and it didn’t work for us then. But after seeing Celtic try it in 1967 I always hoped I would do it at one point – and then it gets chalked off!

“In that situation you hope to hit the target or make the goalkeeper work because it definitely creates confusion.”