I say this because their 3 - 0 loss to Newcastle at St James' Park (the Sports Direct Arena) was United's second consecutive defeat in the League. 6 goals have been conceded in those two games, and only 2 scored. The team has been poor in most areas of the field, and even with the injuries throughout the squad have enough quality to defeat the likes of relegation battlers Blackburn at Old Trafford and even high flying Newcastle. On the day, they just haven't been good enough, and now they sit 3 points behind the leaders with an incredibly inferior goal difference and some difficult fixtures approaching.
Goals from Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and a Phil Jones own goal rounded off a terrible night in Newcastle for United who offered very little compared to the hunger, pace and desire of their opposition. A good early spell for United meant nothing when Ba volleyed in for his 15th goal in his last 15 league appearances. Then when Cabaye's sublime free-kick was hit perfectly into the top corner just after half time, another United spell of dominance came to nothing. Much of it was down to how good Newcastle played in front of their home crowd, and how poorly United looked as a result.
Newcastle have purchased a central midfield which most clubs in the league, including Manchester United, would dream of having. Yohan Cabaye and Chieke Tiote were cheap, (£4.8m and £3.5m respectively) dispelling Ferguson's notion that there is no value in the market, and have that all important chemistry and quality which allows them to quietly get on with the job of controlling the play and restricting the space of the opposition.
Up against an aging/ancient United central midfield including 38 year-old Ryan Giggs and 30 year-old Park Ji Sung, Newcastle's central pairing were hardly challenged at all. However well Giggs has been in his long United career, he doesn't have the ability to dominate another midfield in the defensive or attacking side of things that that position requires. Tom Cleverley is to return from injury soon, and hopes are unfairly pinned on him as Ferguson continues to avoid the burning issue by steering clear of any transfer activity on account of the lack of value.
The Magpies defence was also rock solid. United, as expected of the Champions, were able to penetrate the back line on a few occasions - the crucial word there being "few" - but simply did not have the firepower to get the ball into the net. It was the togetherness of this humbly assembled Newcastle side, which enabled them to get the better of a United side on a poor run of form and without a number of players with injury. Perhaps if United had a player with the ability to cut open a defence, he would have made a difference and a 3 - 0 loss wouldn't have occurred. On another day, things may have been different, but United's performance deserved a loss, and they well and truly got one.
Wednesday showed the stark contrast between a side with a stable midfield partnership and one which doesn't actually consist of 2 central midfielders. Giggs and Park partnered each-other at the start, then Rooney and Giggs, and then Carrick, Giggs and Anderson. There is no one partnership that everyone at United knows will deliver the goods, especially in the big games. There is a lack of consistency in the performances in that area the underwhelming results in the past two games highlight this.
Of course other areas of the field can be blamed, with the attack not finishing chances (even though few clear cut ones were created). Berbatov, Rooney, Welbeck and Chicharito couldn't manage a single goal. All of United's fit attackers failed to add any penetration - a problem which has troubled the side in a number of games this season.
On Sunday, Manchester United travel across the city to the Etihad Stadium to face their local rivals, Manchester City - the side that humiliated United 1 - 6 at Old Trafford earlier in the season, and who come of the back of a 3 - 0 win against Liverpool. The omens are hardly encouraging for Sir Alex Ferguson, who remains defiant that his squad is good enough to compete for the rest of the season. The worst of it may even be yet to come.
Surely Sir Alex Ferguson can see the benefit in bringing in one or two players to rejuvinate the squad during this transfer window.
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