- guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 November 2001 00.54 GMT
Sir Alex Ferguson is going back on to the training pitch alongside his under-performing Manchester United stars in an effort to halt the champions' dramatic slump.
Alarmed at his team's loss of form and frustrated with key players, Ferguson will try to shake United out of their worst start to a season in years by taking personal charge of training - starting tomorrow.
Observer Sport understands that the United boss's exasperation with his squad extends to far more than just Paul Scholes, who refused to play at Arsenal in the Worthington Cup last Monday after being dropped for the shattering 3-1 defeat at Liverpool last Sunday. The manager also believes that David Beckham - his captain for the day at Anfield - Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole and several defenders have performed patchily too.
Ferguson was so annoyed that Beckham did not carry out specific instructions regarding his role during the Liverpool match that he took him off after 76 minutes. Although the England captain immediately put an icepack on his left knee, he had not been injured.
The manager's decision to resume the hands-on, tracksuited role he has not performed regularly for years highlights the damaging effects of one of United's biggest problems - the failure to adequately replace assistant manager Steve McClaren, now the Middlesbrough boss, who is sorely missed, especially in defence.
Ferguson will now step in to fill that void. He promised to take over McClaren's duties on the training pitch himself at the start of the season, but long-serving coach and ex-player Jim Ryan has done the lion's share. Ferguson's decision to spend whatever time is necessary working directly with the first team at the club's Carrington training HQ reflects his annoyance that the players have not responded well to Ryan's tutelage. He feels his own presence will help galvanise the squad's 'hunger' and 'desire' - which he questioned last Sunday. 'We seem to be taking success for granted and I'm not having that. Maybe some players have been at this club too long,' said Ferguson.
United's boss believes too many first-teamers have been playing in a comfort zone, especially in domestic games. He believes the highly-lucrative, long-term new contracts the club have recently handed to Giggs, Scholes, Cole and Gary Neville - who got a six-year, £32,000-a-week contract worth some £11m - may have diminished their hunger.
From now on, Ferguson and his assistant Ryan will together seek to revive the team's flagging pursuit of a fourth consecutive Premiership title and the European Champions League. Despite his already heavy workload, the manager has ruled out bringing in a new coach.
Ferguson will also hold a 'clear the air' team meeting tomorrow that could decide whether his last season in charge ends in glory or ignominy. Having castigated his side's lack of commitment last weekend, the United boss will ask searching questions about their desire to win even more honours.
He will challenge them to reassert their usual strengths by returning to winning ways against Leicester City at home on Saturday and, crucially, against Bayern Munich in Germany in their first Champions League second round game on Tuesday week.
Beckham last week admitted: 'We know we are not playing as well as we can. Our hunger gets questioned at the start of every season after we've won something. It's up to us to prove wrong all the people who are doing that.'
A United source said: 'He will want them to just get focussed and deal with the doubting Thomases. The players are aware of the situation.'
United are sixth in the Premiership with 18 points after 11 games which already includes defeats at Anfield and Newcastle and a 2-1 home defeat by Bolton.
