Beckham risks misconduct charge

Ferguson's season goes from bad to worse as his stand-in captain courts FA action after elbowing incident

The rumour came down the line at half-time that the Manchester United team coach had been vandalised. Not true, said a spokesman for Leeds United later. The United coach is fine. But the United manager might be fraying at the edges after a 1-0 defeat at Elland Road confirmed the club's worst start to a Premiership campaign. "We just need a little bit of luck," moaned Sir Alex Ferguson.

When he views the video, he might just feel his side did have a stroke of good fortune, for the moment at least, benefiting from a lenient piece of refereeing by Jeff Winter, who adjudged an elbow by David Beckham, stand-in captain for Roy Keane, in the face of Lee Bowyer worthy only of a foul. Bowyer collapsed in a heap; Beckham was not even booked. The Irishman, convalescing from a hip operation, must have smiled quietly to himself. Laws for rich and richer.

Beckham might find himself on a misconduct charge if the video panel of the Football Association are called in to rule on the incident, which, predictably, went unseen by both managers. "I would be very surprised if David would do something like that," said Ferguson, who will be more concerned about leaders Arsenal's six-point advantage. Terry Venables was equally keen to play down the clash between two of football's more combustible characters. "Coaches always say they haven't seen the incident, so why should I be any different? I couldn't make a decision and I'm not protecting my side."

By the end of a scrappy match, dominated by Manchester United in the first half, by Leeds in the second and decided by Harry Kewell's header in the 66th minute, the main thundering beat to a routinely combative encounter was reduced to a tinkling sideshow. Rio Ferdinand, the subject of ritual cries of "Judas" at his old home, was not even the best England centre-half on view. That accolade went to Jonathan Woodgate, who marked a dominant performance by clearing a header by Ryan Giggs acrobatically off the line in the first half when the visitors threatened to put the match beyond reach. "You're just a stand-in for Woody," sang the Leeds fans. Ruud van Nistelrooy, twice denied at close range by Paul Robinson, was substituted midway through the second half, an unusual sight which merely confirmed Woodgate's overall command.

"Outstanding," said Venables, the Leeds manager. "Woodgate was excellent at Newcastle in midweek. We found out that he'd not given a foul away the whole game and he was great again today. We were battered in the first half, but I thought we deserved to win in the end."

Victory, Leeds' second of the week, put them to the top of the table temporarily. United, defeated 1-0 by Bolton on Wednesday, and with Nicky Butt limping off to add to an injury list which already includes Keane, Paul Scholes and Juan Veron, will need to regroup swiftly for their opening fixture against Maccabi Haifa in Group F of the Champions' League at Old Trafford on Wednesday. "We played some fantastic football for 45 minutes," said Ferguson. "But Butt going off was a big blow because we were left a bit lightweight in midfield." And on the bench where Danny Pugh and Lee Roche, two members of the reserve squad with one full start between them, betrayed the inexplicable lack of depth in the squad of the richest club in the land.

Ferdinand, the latest to journey the forbidden road across the Pennines, must have expected worse from a fanbase not noted for their tolerance. There was one essential problem. Rio, not long before a hero in the colours of Leeds and England, is a difficult character to villify. "There's only one greedy bastard," was one of the politer chants hurled his way, but, as the pressure on the Leeds goal intensified towards the close of a patchy first half, the home crowd were far too intent on their side's survival to waste breath on an old boy.

The United players protected their £29m refugee from his fate as best they could, coming out in formation for the warm-up to share the abuse. Ferdinand's first touch was a full-blooded clearance under pressure from Kewell and, later in the game, Alan Smith gave his former captain precious little quarter. One tussle down by the corner flag threatened to explode, but otherwise Ferdinand was content to mind his own business, not dwelling too long on the ball – it was not that sort of game anyway – and comfortably winning his personal duel with Mark Viduka. But this was still a game Ferdinand, like Sol Campbell on his return in Arsenal colours at White Hart Lane last season, will be happy to have survived. Campbell went from strength to strength after coming through a much tougher baptism and Ferdinand can only do the same.

"I thought the supporters were terrific," said Venables. "They gave a bit of stick to Rio, but it wasn't too bad. But they maintained their support and the team responded. That was very pleasing."

Duped by Winter's whistle into believing the match was over, Ferdinand went to shake Smith by the hand only to realise he was premature. Clearly, he could not wait to move on. A handshake with Kewell and a hug for his World Cup colleague, Danny Mills, were the sum of his public farewells and then he was off down the tunnel.

The concern for United is that Leeds, one of the realistic challengers for the title, have slipped into a four-point lead after six games. Ferdinand might just have chosen the wrong time to jump ship.

In truth, both sides lacked a cutting edge. Leeds, by all accounts outplayed by Newcastle at St James' Park and tottering again for the first half yesterday, have yet to master the tactical shifts demanded by Venables. Viduka, Venables admitted, looked jaded and Smith, for all his vibrancy, cannot be expected to shoulder the front-running duties alone.

Ferguson is struggling to put out an effective first team just as the European matches which will define the club's finances come thick and fast. Ferdinand will be relieved that his ordeal is over; Manchester United's might just be beginning.