“ONE Peter Ridsdale!” sang the Manchester United fans. “Face like a donkey!” replied the Leeds support as Ruud van Nistelrooy chased a ball. There was cross-Pennine rivalry at Old Trafford yesterday but for once it seemed more vaudeville than visceral — less War of the Roses, in character, than flower show. In these muted surroundings, not with a bang but a whimper, the title was all but surrendered to Arsenal.

Comebacks can never be entirely ruled out with Manchester United, but as well as the seven-point gap between the reigning champions and their Highbury challengers, there appears increasingly to be a gulf in resolve. United overhauled Arsenal when facing a six-point deficit last year, but then they were gathering momentum as Arsenal were losing nerve. Now, the situation is reversed.

United’s uncertainties have coincided with the loss of Rio Ferdinand. Just four games ago, when he began his drugs ban, his club led Arsenal by a point. “The defensive part worries me a little bit because we are short on numbers,” said Sir Alex Ferguson on Friday, and that was before he watched Mikael Silvestre limp off after 24 minutes here with twisted ankle and knee. To compound matters, Gary Neville was booked again, accru ing enough disciplinary points to ensure he will miss a further game on top of the three he was already banned for, starting from Saturday.

Once again, cracks at the back undid United, who have conceded 11 goals in their last five games. Given the lead by Paul Scholes in the 64th minute they held firm for all of 180 seconds. “That’s not good enough,” as Ferguson said. From out on the left, Didier Domi shaped a cross into the six-yard box where Alan Smith, more alert than the static Wes Brown and John O’Shea, got up to bury a header.

“It’s a big mountain to climb now, as big as we have ever had to climb, but it’s achievable,” Ferguson said. “It’s amazing what this team can do when they get into their stride. We just need to get into our stride.”

Easier said than done. A further worry for Ferguson was how unable he was to alter a performance he described variously, but accurately, as “disappointing”, “off-colour” and “not sharp and bright”.

This was despite playing two trump cards when he introduced both Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the second half. Solskjaer made his first appearance since sustaining a knee injury in August, but his impact, for once, was minimal. Keane had a little more influence but ended up seeing his criticisms of certain colleagues’ mental approach vindicated.

United were not helped, however, by their manager’s team selection. As well as leaving Keane on the bench, Ferguson elected to play Kleberson behind Van Nistelrooy, so Scholes was shunted out of position on to the right flank. Not until the insipid Kleberson was removed did Scholes come into the centre and, with that, the game. He scored, throwing the Leeds defence by shaping to shoot but instead finding Gary Neville, whose low cross was spilled by 18-year-old Scott Carson, who made an otherwise creditable full debut in goal. Scholes pounced as the ball ran free and knocked it home.

“The most pleasing thing was we went a goal down here but didn’t cave in,” said Leeds manager Eddie Gray. “Coming on the back of beating Wolves, hopefully that will give the boys the belief that I’ve got — we can get out of trouble.” However, Wolves’ victory over Fulham still ensured the point gained was not enough to prevent Leeds sliding back to the foot of the table this morning.

Smith was redoubtable and Gray’s defenders were inspirational, but United’s poor finishing made an equal contribution to the result. The first page of their catalogue of missed chances featured Silvestre shooting against Carson’s legs in the seventh minute and ended with Van Nistelrooy ballooning a volley from five yards out after Keane had nodded on Nicky Butt’s cross. Van Nistelrooy also missed with two headers just before half-time and Scholes, apart from his goal, was profligate. The heat on Arsenal? Ferguson should worry about how his own team is responding under pressure right now.

Substitutes: Manchester United: Silvestre (Brown 24min), Kleberson (Keane 58min), P Neville (Solskjaer 71min)

Leeds United: Milner (Sakho 73min)

Booked: McPhail 13, G Neville 68, Pennant 90

Referee: M Halsey

Attendance: 67,744

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