Football: The cracks in United's front

The Red rush to the title slows down to a crawl as their rivals start to see through Ferguson's fallible boys

WHEN they had Eric Cantona, he was la difference. Now there is another difference and it is that Manchester United do not look the convincing, intimidating machine that has won the Premiership for four of its five years of existence. More importantly, the opposition are beginning to believe as much.

The erosion of United's aura of invincibility, which appeared established by their 5-3 FA Cup win against Chelsea, has been going on for a while now, in fact since they lost to Southampton and Leicester City in January. It happened again at Blackburn on Monday, even allowing for a second-half performance which saw them nearer full power to come from behind and win 3-1.

And on Friday, with a display of spirit they must wish they could tap more often, 10-man Liverpool threw another spanner in the machine's works with the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford when victory for United would have struck a serious blow to Arsenal, who would have been left overnight to contemplate a daunting nine-point deficit.

At Ewood Park, Alex Ferguson expressed the hope that Blackburn would play as well against Arsenal in a week's time. It was a speech that carried echoes of two seasons ago when the United manager had been surprised by Leeds's commitment at Old Trafford in a 1-0 defeat by his team. Would Leeds, he asked, show the same verve in their next match against Newcastle? The comment successfully wound up Kevin Keegan, who after his side's own 1-0 win at Elland Road, retorted angrily on television that he would "luv it" if his team beat United to the title. They didn't.

This time Ferguson's little gee-up to Blackburn amused Arsenal rather than riled them. At training the next day the Arsenal players were joking that they would be practising their Keegan impressions ready for the TV interviews this weekend. Theirs is a relaxed camp not only because they are already in the FA Cup final but also because they sense the pressure is on United rather than themselves. The common perception is that United know all about title challenges, but in the Arsenal camp they point out that United are used to coming from behind and not being in pole position.

They have a point. It was at Easter in 1993 that Steve Bruce's added- time brace of goals overtook Sheffield Wednesday and, for the first time, Aston Villa at the top of the table. Last year United reeled in Liverpool, the year before, Newcastle. Only the outstanding Double side of 1994 led for as much of the season as the present crop, who have found the experience neither familiar nor enjoyable in the last three months, despite high points such as a league win at Chelsea.

"I think this puts Arsenal firmly in the driving seat now," Ferguson said after the Liverpool draw on Friday night. "The balance of power is very much in their hands. They can only throw it away. Now Arsenal are in such a commanding position, they will feel the pressure of it all. So far they haven't been under such pressure."

Arsenal - particularly Arsene Wenger, who makes great efforts to appear unruffled in front of his players but whose body language at pitch-side suggests an awareness of the intensity of it all - believe they can see through any Ferguson psychology. And other teams' knowledge of it now is another reason why United are less fearsome.

Ferguson knows the game and his team inside out. It is probably why at Blackburn he made such play of berating a linesman for failing to spot Jason Wilcox's arm in David Beckham's face. "There's nothing wrong with losing your temper if it's for a purpose," Ferguson once said.

And he had a purpose. Indeed, the incident was probably the best thing that could have happened to United, as Ferguson probably sensed. All of a sudden, the home crowd was incensed by Ferguson's intervention and the atmosphere was heightened. United were subsequently inspired to approach the high-tempo, high-adrenalin form of the autumn, particularly the inflamed Beckham.

Adversity, not comfort at the top of the table, is the lifeblood of this team and Ferguson is aware of it. "They need an edge to the game," he said after the 1-0 defeat in Turin by Juventus last December when United were already through to the quarter- finals of the European Cup.

The situation was also comfortable thereafter in Monaco, which is why the goalless draw United secured was an under-achievement. Had they imagined they were a goal down, they would surely have performed better, as they did in the second leg when they were behind early on. Then, it was more a case of being unable to finish the job because of missing tools.

On Friday evening, the adversity was Liverpool's after Michael Owen's headstrong dismissal. That and the absence once more of the sharp instrument called Ryan Giggs, whose first-half exit with another tweak of his hamstring was costly to United's flow.

When the England squad assembled in February for the match against Chile, the Arsenal contingent also noticed how weary the United clan looked. None more so than Teddy Sheringham, who has never before had to go through such a relentless series of games. Tottenham, after all, are usually playing out the season by this time of year, this one being a relegation-threatened exception.

Whereas back in October and November he was looking the ideal replacement for Cantona, Sheringham has become peripheral lately. They need a return of his quality and quickly. United, indeed, are missing a talisman. Beckham does not look quite ready, Giggs is not fully fit, Roy Keane absent until next season. It is Cantona's air of haughty superiority - and of course his talent and goals - that United are missing.

It is not to say that they do not still possess sufficient strength to retain their title. One can, after all, see them winning all of their last four matches - Newcastle and Leeds at home, Crystal Palace and Barnsley away - to finish on 79 points, a total which has usually been enough to win the Championship in a 38-game season. Last year, they did it with 75.

We will know more after tomorrow's Blackburn v Arsenal game but whatever the result, Ferguson the master motivator has work to do to discover ways of cranking up the red machine and its intimidating image. Expect an adrenalin charge.