O'Shea brings a ray of light for Ferguson

The talk is of strengthening the defence from outside, but young Irishman is rising to the challenge

There has always been something of the head gardener about Sir Alex Ferguson as he has attempted to blend the exotic, expensively-purchased defender with the home-grown. In the Old Trafford gardens, the effect has not always been quite right as he has planted the Glorious Dutch Stamus alongside the Garish Nevillius.

As the closing of the new transfer window approaches there is a degree of urgency about the Manchester United manager's determination to reinforce his rearguard. This weekend United are meeting with the advisors of Rennes' full-back Julien Escude, who can also also play centre-half. Nicolas Bondino, a 21-year-old from Boca Juniors, is another possible quarry, with the deadline a week away.

Yet, almost imperceptibly to all but the very watchful eye, a hardy perennial has been nurtured in United's own nursery. As the world's most expensive defender, Rio Ferdinand, sat in the stand at Stamford Bridge on Friday evening watching Chelsea and United contest a 2-2 draw, with his competitive debut for United still probably two games away, the Irishman John O'Shea, emerged from an array of the game's most illustrious names as man of the match.

Strong, yet balanced and aware, and with a desire to get forward with the ball, he handled Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, albeit on an occasion when the Dutchman's thoughts may have been some several hundred miles away in Barcelona, and Gianfranco Zola with some aplomb.

The irony is that the 21-year-old, signed from Waterford, and who during his five years at Old Trafford has been loaned out to Bournemouth and Antwerp, and made just 11 League appearances for his employers, has been raised, relatively speaking, for not much more than the price of a packet of seeds. "The future is very bright for the boy," enthused his manager. "Early on, he was a bit uneasy, but he's just a kid and he got better and better."

O'Shea, who was thankful for the presence of Laurent Blanc as a guiding influence, conceded: "It's unlucky for Rio, but I've got to take my chance." The England defender is unlikely to be ready for Tuesday night's Champions' League second leg of the qualifying tie against the Hungarian champions Zalaegerszeg, but according to Ferguson, "certainly OK for next Saturday [away to Sunderland]." Though it is inconceivable that near-£30 million worth of talent will not be pressed into service once he is fit, the availability of O'Shea is a blessing, with United continuing to offer belief to their rivals with a suspect rearguard. Neither Chelsea goal, but particularly the first in which William Gallas just made contact with his studs to an inswinging free-kick from Boudewijn Zenden to deflect the ball past Roy Carroll, did much credit to United's defending.

Chelsea failed to capitalise on their first half superiority and United were probably relieved that Hasselbaink was not at his most devastating at a time when reports circulate that the Dutchman is bound for Barcelona. When the potential sellers are Chelsea, many millions in debt, and the player concerned is unlikely to ever receive a long-service testimonial at a club, a move appears likely. "If a club like Barcelona come in you have got to think about it," Hasselbaink said.

Fortunately, for Ferguson's team, who twice negated a Chelsea lead, on the second occasion after Zenden's lethally-driven effort had left Carroll (deputising for Fabien Barthez, who is suffering from a hip injury) a helpless witness, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were in imperious form with their passing and movement.

It was the Welsh international who won the visitors a point with his 100th United goal after Beckham, contesting the battle of the blonds with Zenden and the award for the man with the most bewitching crosses, had cancelled out the Londoners' first with a sublime deceit of Celestine Babayaro and left-footed finish, aided by a deflection off Marcel Desailly.

On a night which had began with an impeccably observed silence to the memory of the two murdered schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, last seen clad in Manchester United shirts bearing the name of Beckham, it was perhaps appropriate that the man himself should decorate a game played in somewhat surreal circumstances with such a moment.

United should have been awarded a penalty and, in truth, should have proceeded to secure victory. But afterwards their manager was rather more concerned about the repercussions should his team fail to defeat their Hungarian rivals in two days' time, having lost the first leg 1-0.

"Europe is the place to be," he said. "Financially it's vital that we get there because the money at this club is carefully balanced and measured by us being in Europe. If we don't win on Tuesday it would be very serious. But losing isn't something I'm contemplating. It just won't happen."

Once through, United are in the comparative comfort zone of the two group stages. Uefa are proposing to condense that element of the competition to one stage. Ferguson, who would prefer to maintain the format as it is, accepted that there is rationale behind the change. "Players can't keep on playing top level football twice a week," said Ferguson. "I agree that perhaps we are over-egging it. I don't know what the real solution is, but 17 games [the number played by a team who reach the final] is definitely too much."

Progress for United is all the more pertinent in a season which culminates with the Champions' League final at Old Trafford. But Ferguson denied that it would inflict added pressure on his team. "Last season [when United failed to reach the final in his home city Glasgow] I realised that you could build something up, but it was a castle in the sky, really. I will just impress on the players to take it as it comes, to play to our best and just enjoy the European scene."

After two seasons in which his teams have failed to reach the European summit, and already one defeat this season, there is talk of underachievement. It infuriates the United manager. "The more success you have the bigger the expectation," he said. "But you have to work and live with that. The players have been saying that they keep reading bad things in the papers. I keep saying to them 'it's a human error to read the papers. Why do you want to read someone telling you that you're useless at your job?'."

The first week of the season, and we already have a Fergie rant. There's still plenty of fire in the Scot's belly. You sense that it will be all too evident in the coming weeks as his team attempt to match the standards he has set over 16 years.