How Fergie's risks are costing Man United

Sir Alex Ferguson’s 25th year in charge of Manchester United is threatening to be the year he would want to forget.

In the final analysis, his analysis of United’s draw at home to Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night, just shows the loss the great man is at right now.

He called the result “freakish” based on the two goals United conceded. And the goals were conceded – in the softest fashion possible.

The in the larger scheme of things, Fergie’s running of the gauntlet on a four-trophy chase has meant mixing and matching players every other game to keep all fresh and ready.

It now looks like United will end Fergie’s 25th year with nothing. Chasing all, winning nothing.

The biggest loss for United has been Tom Cleverley. His injury has halted the smooth running of the engine room from defence to attack. It only serves to augment the gaping hole left by Paul Scholes.

Fergie’s risk (and faith in his young players), in not buying an experienced attacking midfielder – Wesley Sneijder – is not turning out to be a bad one taken.

Anderson has fallen short, Giggs and Park look old and Carrick and Fletcher have been tried, tested and found wanting.

This forced Fergie to do two things that may have also now backfired. First, push Cleverley too hard on recovery. The dynamic midfielder only managed 15 minutes before limping off again, now out until Christmas.

The second, to drop Wayne Rooney deeper. It meant the already ‘running all over the pitch’ Rooney now had to bear the brunt of moving the ball up.

Rooney now is also injured.

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are the two bright lights in this scenario. An own goal against Benfica blighted one of them. And when it mattered Fergie’s new goal keeper David DeGea also defaulted.

Now qualifying for the next round of the Champions League is tough.

Fergie sacrificed two points at Liverpool in the hope of beating City at Old Trafford.
It backfired badly.

What else is going to backfire now?