Ferguson's Gamble Fails As Chelsea Take Title Race to the Wire

The man with the microphone and the Chelsea blazer clearly liked the look of Sir Alex Ferguson's experimental side. "We are going to need a lot of noise today," he told the fans before kick-off . . . and then his voice went up a few decibels. "Because we are going to win and we are going to push Man United all the way."

He sounded a little like Alan Partridge staring into his shaving mirror and telling himself that, grrr, he was a tiger. But who could blame him for getting all giddy when the news had just come through that Sir Alex Ferguson had made half a dozen changes from their Champions League semi-final in Barcelona, and that Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were among the more notable absentees? There cannot have been a Chelsea supporter inside the ground who did not feel a sudden surge of optimism when the teams were announced - or, indeed, a single man, woman or child in the away end who did not take a sharp intake of breath.

Ferguson, of course, tends to get these things right more often than not. But when we saw a team incorporating Mikael Silvestre and Darren Fletcher for a match Ferguson had described as "unquestionably the biggest of the season" it was tempting to wonder whether the United manager was guilty of being too clever for his own good.

In mitigation, Fletcher was arguably United's best player, particularly in the opening 45 minutes when just about everyone else in red struggled to find any kind of rhythm or cohesion. Silvestre, meanwhile, was as robust and resilient as anyone else in the United defence. Yet whichever way you look at it, this was a remarkable gamble on Ferguson's part and when you take into account the injuries that were picked up along the way it was horrible afternoon for the league leaders.

Ferguson's intention was to make sure United were in the best position possible going into the second leg against Barcelona on Tuesday. Yet Nemanja Vidic, Wayne Rooney and Anderson were all enforced substitutions due to injury. Rooney's injured hip was so sore, indeed, that he waved the other players away as they ran over to celebrate his equalizer.

Chelsea's willingness to prolong the argument is hugely admirable and there could be no disputing that they were the better side by some distance. They could be forgiven if they perceived Ferguson's selection as bordering on an insult and, if so, they set about showing why this was no time for gambling right from the off. United may have disputed Michael Ballack's late penalty, but no one would disagree that his winner was deserved.

The damage for United, of course, is not irretrievable and Ferguson will be at pains to emphasize to his players that they are still the favorites to win the league. Two wins against West Ham and Wigan Athletic will guarantee it and the champions should, in theory, achieve that comfortably. If United were to lose their nerve now, it would go against everything that we have seen from this side over the last eight months.

One of the more revealing moments of this match came in the 74th minute when play was stopped for an injury and Didier Drogba started wagging his finger in Ballack's face. Ballack ignored him with a look bordering on contempt, so Drogba switched his attention to the assistant manager Steve Clarke, yelling in his face and gesticulating furiously. All the while, Avram Grant sat there a few feet away, saying nothing.

It is difficult to imagine a United player showing such a lack of comradeship at such a critical moment or, indeed, Ferguson allowing it to happen. But this is the same Drogba who sat behind the dugout listening to his iPod while Chelsea were drawing with Wigan 12 days ago. A small thing, perhaps, but also a significant one in terms of the way each team is managed.