However, some go even further, feeling that perhaps this is the beginning of the end. When you are very much used to winning, losing can be quite a shock. But are they right to be so pessimistic?

On the surface of things, the answer is surely no. Utd are 13 points clear at the top of the table as we approach mid April. They could not throw it away, even if they wanted to. A seventh championship in nine seasons - many fans from all over Britain and Ireland would love their club to be in this sort of crisis. This will be Utd's easiest championship campaign of all. So easy in fact, that they could afford to rest some key players against perhaps their biggest traditional rivals Liverpool. Yeah, they were well beaten, but the trophy will still be heading to Manchester. 

Such has been the lack of competition, one could sympathise with Sir Alex's view that this has seriously affected his side's European campaign. Defeat against Bayern Munich, whilst a surprise given it was at Old Trafford, is not really such an eyebrow raiser. After all, Bayern are one of the top sides on the continent, and at 1-0, the game is far from over. Surely, Utd are being written off way too early.

Or are they? One could take an entirely different view of The Red Devils' season to date. Domestically, although way out in front, Utd have seldom performed with a swagger. A superb performance at Christmas against West Ham showed what they are capable of. But that level of performance has been irregularly attained. 

In fairness, Utd have rarely had to scale such heights. They know how to beat the lesser lights, and do so home and away consistently. It is this ability which places them at the top. However, one wonders as to what extent they can continue lift themselves above the mediocrity. 

Perhaps Ferguson is right that his side needs to be pushed to perform at its best. If this is the case though, then Utd are in trouble. Teams cannot play well all of the time. That is indisputable. However, there are certain standards that all great sides look to maintain - professionalism, concentration, commitment will always be be at the maximum. This is what made Utd great. Regardless of who they were up against, they were always up for it. Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Mark Hughes, Steve Bruce, and Peter Scmeichel all epitomised this attitude. Keane's performaces in green against Cyprus and Andorra recently were an object lesson. 

However, displays by a number of Utd players since Christmas have placed a serious question mark over whether they have the hunger to work and compete at Keane's level. The naming of the team sheet before the Liverpool game on Saturday hinted at weakness and indecision. 

With the Bayern game on Tuesday and the league in the bag, why did Ferguson still see fit to name three of perhaps his most influential players - Keane, Beckham, and Giggs? Surely, if the game was not that important, the likes of Chadwick and Fortune would have played.

Even hinting at the fact the Tuesday's game was the bigger, certainly seemed to suggest to Beckham and Giggs that they had a day off. Rarely have Liverpool overrun Man Utd in recent seasons. Even with players rested, Utd succeeded only in producing a carbon copy performance against the German giants. 

That two of their main rivals could so easily contain the threat posed by Utd rightly has fans worried. If the season has been such a breeze, why were they so easily beaten in Anderlecht? How come Liverpool have done the double with some comfort? Why, with a full compliment of players did Utd tumble out of the FA Cup? How could Bayern leave Old Trafford rueing the fact that they did not win by three? Why has the likes of Dwight Yorke been allowed to pile on the pounds and seemingly lose interest? 

To my mind, equally big question marks lie over the positions of Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. Both have had decent seasons, but of late, with Giggs injured, Beckham has had to carry much of the creative load. He has shown signs of wilting. The quality of Utd's wide players has been central to Utd's tactical successes over the whole period of their dominance. When Utd set up on the field, the opposition is immediately stretched. Giggs and Beckham have profited immensely from how Sir Alex tries to play. 

However, Utd have become overly reliant on this tactic. This fact was painfully brought to the fore in the last two games. Both players have been deliberately and easily directed up blind alleys by determined opponents. How many times have either player been able to get in behind the opposition. What is even more worrying for Utd fans is that where plan A has failed, there has been no plan B. 

While it is almost crazy to criticise a manager with the success of Ferguson, one must wonder why he has not bought in players of sufficient quality to put pressure on his wide men and to give him an alternative to them. Without this, he is overly reliant on their own hunger to win. 

However, it is difficult for them to continually rally when they have been devoid of competition for so long. You can only derive so much satisfaction from pulling the legs off spiders before the play becomes as tiresome as the toil. This applies to the squad as a whole. It is possible that Utd, rather than falling apart, are merely going stale.

They will still win the Premiership this year and will still be the side to beat next year, and indeed the European Cup is not beyond them yet, but an injection of new blood is needed soon to reinvigorate the squad and to ensure their continued success when Sir Alex hands over the reins to his successor.

What do you reckon? Mail Paul at littleatlarge@dangerhere.com 
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