THE PREM ERA 9ALEX FERGUSON
hurt the club. Meanwhile, the PLC
era has been eclipsed by the age
of the oligarch. Roman Abramovich’s
billions mean that no club other than
Chelsea can currently harbour genuine
ambitionsof winning the Premier
League title.
For all that, the sign that Ferguson
has really lost his way is on the pitch,
with the howling hole in the centre of
his midfield. United’s defence is still
serviceable, with Gary Neville,John
O’Shea and Wes Brown maintaining
a homegrown core. In attack, Ferguson
has Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha,
Cristiano Ronaldo and the faintly
uber-human Wayne Rooney. But,
aside from the scurrying Darren
Fletcher, United have no midfield.
In that absence lies Ferguson’s hubris.
The force that made him great became
his undoing. Roy Keane, the captain, left
earlier this season after a clash of wills
over his delivery of some home truths
in an interview with United’s in-house
television channel,MUTV. Ferguson had
made a stand, we were told, for the
wider discipline of the dressing-room.
ButdidKeanereallyhavetogofor
that? And where was a replacement
being groomed to take over?
Beckham might have moved into
central midfield from his right-flank role.
But he had already left after arguments
over his lifestyle, in a show of strength
by Ferguson, and for no better
footballing reason than that.
Butt, another of the young boys
thrown in at Port Vale, has also gone,
because Ferguson decided United could
do without him. Scholes is missing this
season with eyesight problems, which
feels desperately sad and is somehow
a symbol of the end of an era.Against Wigan, Ferguson resorted to
handing the central midfield role to a
most unlikely lad, Giggs, the dazzling
winger. United won, and Giggs played
well, but the first trophy of the Glazer
era did not seem like United’s rebirth.
Instead, the celebrations in Cardiff
smacked of a great old manager raging
against the dying of the light.Look at United now, as Ferguson’s
dynasty groans to its end.