If you're wrong, you're wrong. Sir Alex and Roy Carroll must take prime blame for their defeat against AC Milan. Look at Man Utd manager. For the first time this season, he had all 4 strikers at his disposal. Most importantly, top scorer Ruud Van Nistelrooy, with 36 goals in 37 Champions League outings, was fit again after 3 mths on the sidelines. So too, were Saha and Smith. What better occasion to unleash Van Nistelrooy against the Italian Serie A leaders.
With home ground advantage, Fergie threw caution to the wind by fielding Rooney as the lone striker up front, leaving $38 million worth of striking talent on the bench. And of course this decision as we all know, backfired big time.
Carroll may be the chief culprit but Fergie must shoulder some blame for paying too much respect to the Rossoneri. Perhaps Fergie is getting old and is afraid of taking risks. So he opt for a 5 man midfield with Giggs supporting Rooney. The 19 yr old boy wonder may be enjoying a rich vein of form in the Premiership. But he hardly has a sniff at goal against AC Milan.
Perhaps it is the curse of the keeper. It was almost an insult to a match of such technical excellence that it should have been settled by so clumsy a goalkeeping error. But ROy Carroll will now take his own place in Man Utd's private hall of Champions League infamy. Or maybe there was no team spirit.
Whatever it is, Man Utd is doom and if Fergie is hopping for a repeat of the match against Juventus in Turin in 1999, which they won 3-2 after being 2-0 down, en route to winning the Champions league. Fergie is day dreaming. This time, there wouldn't be any more miracles.