Champions' League: Fergie refuses to fall for the decline theory

Questions about judgement, queries about Queiroz ? the problems are piling up for United

These days, Sir Alex Ferguson tends to restrict his public exhibitions of pleasure to the racecourse winners' enclosure. Perhaps because seven successive Group One wins by Rock of Gibraltar – now worth, coincidentally, around £30m, the same as Rio Ferdinand – compares favourably with his team's unexceptional Premiership and European season so far. But the manager was in untypically buoyant spirits on Friday at Man-chester United's Carrington training ground.

It certainly amused him to discover that we assembled commentators knew rather less than he did about Maccabi Haifa, his team's opening opponents in the first Champions' League group stage.

"People will say, 'Well, Maccabi Haifa, that's an easy win for United'," Ferguson admitted. "Then you look at their record. They hold the record in European football for the number of games without defeat – until last season, when Milan beat them. You didn't know that, did you?" He looked at the disbelieving faces. "No, it's not a wind-up," he added. "It's true. I've been informed reliably by a good source. A Maccabi director."

He laughed to himself, which he probably wouldn't had he realised that he was referring to the wrong team. That was actually Hapoel Tel Aviv, who defeated Chelsea in the second round of the Uefa Cup last season before reaching the quarter-finals, where Milan eliminated them.

No matter. The point was that this was not the demeanour of a man about whom the critics are circling like Indians round a wagon train, brandishing accusations that he is overseeing the decline of one of the world's greatest clubs. The perception in some quarters is that his judgement in everything, from the appointment of a coach from Mozambique, Carlos Queiroz, to the distraction of his interest in horseracing, and to his inability to refresh his squad, has been responsible for Manchester United's uninspiring start.

Whether it was an instinctive response to those who are glorying in schadenfreude at his and his team's discomfort – three games lost, two drawn already in the Premiership and Europe – there was no disguising a rare joviality when one might have anticipated irascibility. There was even a little gentle chiding of megabucks Madrid, last year's winners.

"I don't know how they do it," he reflected, shaking his head at Real's continued ability to lavish cash. "It's the city council [who bankroll them]. Have you ever seen their training ground? It's the size of The Cliff [United's former training ground, considerably smaller than Carrington]. Was it £210m [the council bought the ground for]? Must have been a lot of red wine drunk that night... And then they build a new one for them, free of charge. And six times the size." He added, as though his own club were paupers: "And they cannot get the players sold, you know, because of their salaries."

If United are to reach this year's final, as emotion if not reason suggests they must, given that it will be at Old Trafford, Real will almost certainly be one of the obstacles to their progress. Ferguson was asked whether the Spanish leviathan possessed the strongest squad he had ever seen. "Yes, in terms of names," he agreed. "But they're not unbeatable. If teams without the nerve walk out at the Bernabeu it could unsettle them to find they're all lined up there against you – Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo and Raul." He chuckled. "Tell you one thing, you need to defend well against them. But I think you will score against them, too. I don't think it [a large, expensive squad] necessarily makes them stronger. It just gives them more options."

Yet, for all his phlegmatic manner, you suspect it is hiding a troubled mind. Has he done the right thing in appointing Queiroz, whose methods, according to some, have not found unanimous favour with the players? Should he have invested further in the transfer market during the summer? And in the short term, why are his strikers not scoring?

He regards that question rather dismissively. "I think we're playing quite well, I really do. We're defending real well and there's a good team spirit about the players. But I do think we're lacking the killer touch. We've got players who've been recognised goalscorers over many seasons, and we're just not killing off teams. Given our goalscoring record over the last five or six years it's ironic.

Of particular concern is Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has scored once in the Premiership, from a penalty. European games, where some of the defending should provide greater freedom, may galvanise him. "He's strong and determined," Ferguson said of his Dutch forward. "Europe's maybe the best thing for him. There's always a good atmosphere in our European games; we've had some good performances in the last two years in Europe."

Ferguson's problem is that he lacks resources to reshape his forward line. (How often have we said that in recent years?) Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is arguably a superior asset as a substitute. Diego Forlan, for all his potential, is simply unable to find the net. Paul Scholes, when he returns from knee surgery, may still need convincing that he can perform as a second striker, rather than an attacking midfielder.

Ferguson, however, maintains it is his ideal role. "Scholes offers a great option for us. He's a clever little lad. Carlos [Queiroz] did very well in the summer and played him as a striker in all the training matches. What he was doing was getting out of his mind that he is just a midfield player. If you remember, Paul came into the team as a striker. It's getting that back in him."

The manager added: "Last season was not his best. I think he read the papers too much, about us playing with one striker. That was silly, because most years we played with one striker, just differently. Cantona dropped in, so did Yorke, Sheringham and McClair. That's what we are asking Paul to do.

"And no doubt about it, he can do that. He's got two feet, good in the air for his height, he's quick off his mark, can finish and see a pass. Christ, he's got everything. His best position's there, I think. I think he realises that now."

Scholes is scheduled to return within the month. By then Ferguson must hope that his team have made a competent start in a Champions' League group that contains Bayer Leverkusen, Olymp-iakos and Wednesday's opponents, Maccabi. "It's not a match we're going to trifle with," he insisted. "That's the name of the game nowadays. If you win your home matches and one away from home that's a minimum 10 points."

United should qualify, along with Bayer Leverkusen, comfortably. But these are uneasy times at Old Trafford, and nothing short of a comprehensive victory against the Israeli champions will suffice.