Sir Alex Ferguson always knew the year after selling the world’s best player would be a tricky one.

But in previous campaigns the difference would have been Cristiano Ronaldo would have been replaced by a marquee signing.

Ronaldo could score 40 goals in a season, went for £80million and yet was replaced by a player from Wigan.

As well as Antonio Valencia has done this season, he is not Ronaldo. He is not a direct player who runs at defences and can single-handedly destroy teams in the way Ronaldo did.Manchester United won the Premier League title last season because they were unstoppable against teams from the lower half of the table. Ronaldo was key to bullying them into submission.

This season, United have lacked that same cut and thrust. Valencia has done well but is not the same. Ryan Giggs often comes on but doesn’t run at teams like he used to.

Dimitar Berbatov is very patchy and inconsistent. If you tie Wayne Rooney up in knots then United are not nearly as effective.

They have lost that spark, that magic, that extra ten per cent which would really see off opponents every other week.

But what really worries me is the fact that in every other season United have always made a star signing. Whether that’s Rio Ferdinand, Berbatov, Rooney, whoever.

Who did they buy this year? Valencia from Wigan for £15million. Sorry, but it’s not the same and yet we keep on being told that the debt and the Glazers paying money back in loans is not an issue.

And I know Alex Ferguson insisted again yesterday that he had money to spend. Really? Why no superstar signings then?

Furthermore, if you sell a player for £80million then you have to accept that you are partly responsible for forcing up market values. You are inevitably going to have to pay more.

However, you get round that by going to Bayern Munich before you sell Ronaldo and say: how much for Franck Ribery? Why was that not done? Is there a reason for fans to be concerned about what’s going on at Old Trafford?

Certainly there has been on the pitch this season. Of course losing Ferdinand and Vidic from the centre of your defence will hurt any team and destabilise it.

There have been plenty of other defensive injuries besides. It’s been patched up and United have hobbled through.

But it has given opposing teams a real chance of causing upsets, just as Leeds did last Sunday in the FA Cup.

Fergie has given the young and fringe players a chance and they have not come up to scratch. You can bet that’s hurt him the most. Some of them did not look hungry enough.

Ferguson, however, is a proud man. There can be no question of him retiring at the end of the season. He will have to be carried out of Old Trafford in a box. He loves the club too much.

Fergie also knows that underneath there is a group of emerging players. The Brazilian full backs, Rafael and Fabio, Rooney has his best years in front of him. Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson are going to be good players.

But at this level, the missing ten per cent from the team being weakened by Ronaldo’s sale makes all of the difference.

It’s the same at Chelsea in the title race. In fact, the top two are making so many mistakes that, at times, it looks like Arsenal are the only ones who want to win it.

Chelsea look vulnerable in defence. For me, John Terry’s form is a real issue. For a defender so imperious in previous years, Terry has not been at his brilliant best. In World Cup year, that’s a real worry.

Ricardo Carvalho is not as young or as good this season and Alex is yet to convince. That is all putting a strain on Petr Cech and makes Chelsea look vulnerable.

Do Arsenal have the squad to take advantage? Simple answer: no. The squad looks a bit thin and when they have to go away from home later this season to smaller clubs they may struggle to break them down.

I went for Chelsea to win the title at the start. And nothing has changed. Apart from something very unfamiliar - an inconsistent Manchester United.

Five losses before Christmas? That is unthinkable for Manchester United and either they find some form or consistency now or the fans will really start to ask even more questions about the club on and off the pitch.

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Saturday's papers

By Dan Silver in Football Spy

Published 09:21 09/01/10

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From today's Daily Mirror:
Chelsea lining up January swoop for Wolfsburg striker 

Benitez: I'm going nowhere - and already planning my summer spending spree

Benitez eyeing move for Wolves defender Stearman 

Wenger admits: I may re-sign Sol Campbell
Click here to find out more!

Redknapp: I wouldn't sell Keane for £50m 

Bruce: Jones will NOT be leaving Sunderland

Zola set for showdown talks over West Ham's future

West Ham face fight to hold on to star midfielder

Gordon Strachan raids former club Celtic for duo

Wolves tracking French midfielder

Wolves favourites to sign Villa star 

Coyle named new Bolton boss after £1million compensation fee agreed

Burnley set to offer Leeds boss Grayson lucrative pay package to replace Coyle 

Olivier Kapo ends Wigan hell with move back to France

Newcastle keeping tabs on Southampton striker

Coventry and Derby in race for former Liverpool trainee

Stoke defender set to agree Reading loan move

Man City confirm Vieira capture

Sheffield Wednesday confirm Irvine as new boss

Napoli confirm Dossena signing 

From today's other papers:
Tottenham and Lyon are battling for £7million Dinamo Zagreb defender Dejan Lovren (The Sun)

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal do not need to buy a striker as Nicklas Bendtner is set to resume full training next week. (The Independent)

Wigan and Aston Villa are weighing up moves for Sporting Gijon's Spain Under-21 left-back Roberto Canella  (The Sun)

Fulham , Birmingham and Stoke are looking at Panathinaikos winger Dimitris Salpigidis (Daily Mail)

West Ham have made a bid to loan Belarus striker Sergey Kornilenko from Zenit St Petersburg (Daily Mail)

Manchester City are keen on signing Crystal Palace's £5m-rated 19-year-old striker Victor Moses (The Independent)

Birmingham are weighing up an £11million bid for Kenwyne Jones (Daily Star)

Arsene Wenger has told Real Madrid and Barcelona that Cesc Fabregas will still be an Arsenal player next season (The Sun)

Norwich manager Paul Lambert has emerged as a leading contender to replace Owen Coyle at Burnley (Daily Mail)

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