Sport - Football

We're not good enough: Ferguson

MANCHESTER, NOV. 9 . It's only early November, yet even Alex Ferguson is almost writing off Manchester United's title chances.

Sunday's 0-0 draw with Manchester City at Old Trafford left the Red Devils in seventh place and 11 points behind Chelsea, which supplanted Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

``We're not good enough to win the championship on that form,'' Ferguson said.

United has failed to score in three of its last league games. Despite a forward line including Ruud Van Nistlerooy, Wayne Rooney and Alan Smith, the club has scored only 11 goals in 12 league games — the worst scoring start for United in 30 years.

``I can't excuse anyone at the club for that (performance),'' Ferguson said. ``Nine parts of our game is good but that tenth part, the most important one, is just not there.''

Crosstown rival City didn't do much to stop United's attack. The Red Devils held possession for nearly two-thirds of the game and City finished with no shots on target.

``It's disappointing, we dominated in terms of possession,'' Ferguson said. ``But in the derby games you've got to take your chances. There's no excuse.''

Though Ferguson reserved much blame for his strikers, he also lashed out at referee Graham Poll, accusing him of failing to award United several deserved penalties.

Critical penalty call

Ferguson claimed United is being punished for a critical penalty call in its favour during the 2-0 win over Arsenal two weeks ago, when Rooney appeared to dive after a challenge from Sol Campbell in the area.

``We're getting penalised for getting a penalty against Arsenal,'' Ferguson said. ``There was no way the referee was going to give us a penalty here (Sunday). Someone would have to be hit with an ax before a penalty was given. We just have to suffer and get on.''

Still, the general mood at Old Trafford reflects a frustration more with an underachieving team than with referees. Club great George Best says 19-year-old Rooney isn't living up to his hype.

``For the sort of money he's getting,'' Best said, ``you would want him to be performing every week and he is not. It was inevitable it was going to happen. You have your bad spells and he has found out very quickly how life can be tough at the top.''

Rooney scored a hat-trick in his spectacular United debut against Fenerbahce in Champions League play in late September. Since then, however, he's only scored once. On Sunday, he came on as a substitute late in the second half.

``It doesn't seem to be gelling at the moment,'' Best said of United's team play. ``Realistically, the sides above them are playing well and it is going to be very, very difficult.''

United has won the Premier League in eight out of the last 12 years. But bookmakers now list Man U as 14-1 outsiders to win this season's title.

Another former United star, Denis Law, insists it's too early to count out the Red Devils.

``The year before last they were 12 points behind going into the beginning of the year and they went on to win it,'' he said. ``You never know what will happen. Arsenal were on a great run but they've stumbled a bit recently and you never know, that could continue.''

Law said the league championship is now less important than the Champions League title. Man U beat Sparta Prague 4-1 last week and is well placed to advance to the next stage.

``Although it's a worrying time for United fans, I can assure you it's not the end of the world,'' Law said. ``As long as they qualify for Europe, that's what matters. The league is looking a bit dodgy but the way they are going in Europe, they could do something there.''

Arsenal, meanwhile, is continuing to struggle after losing its 49-game unbeaten streak to Man U on Oct. 24.

The Gunners have won just one of their past six games. Their 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday dropped them off the top of the table for the first time since January. Chelsea moved into first place with a 1-0 win over Everton.

``When you have gone 49 games unbeaten, it's a shock for a team as you're not used to losing,'' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. ``Maybe the way it happened made it even worse and I don't feel that (the recent slump) is completely a coincidence.'' — AP

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