Sir Alex Ferguson railed against a penalty that was obvious to all but the biased or deliberately myopic, while Rio Ferdinand went to kick a wall and somehow missed. As Wayne Rooney sat sullenly wondering how much injury would hamper the final crucial weeks of the season, Patrice Evra was charging at a groundsman. Back in the tunnel Owen Hargreaves stomped around furiously, claiming that Manchester United had been cheated.

There cannot have been this much disarray among United’s first-team squad since the infamous Christmas party. And at least that night they had the excuse of drink.

Favourites to overcome Barcelona a week ago and expected to hold off Chelsea’s domestic challenge with a bit to spare, United have given hope to both rivals. Ferguson has often talked about his club “making life difficult for ourselves”, but he has done more than his bit to complicate matters with misguided team selections at the Nou Camp and Stamford Bridge.

As a consequence, they could sell tickets for today’s media conference, where the United manager will be asked how his centre half could accidentally strike a female steward, whether the swagger can be turned back on for the visit of Barcelona tomorrow and if he fears United’s season is imploding. Predicted answers: “mind your own business”, “we’ll be all right, don’t you worry” and “we’ve got some right f***ing eejits in here”.

His team have it within themselves to turn things around. Only a fool would say otherwise and they remain firm favourites for the Barclays Premier League title. But it is not just the results but the tone of the past two performances – make that three or four, if we include stutters against Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers in April – that have been so troubling.

The various penalty incidents on Saturday may have been infuriating and whatever was said to Evra was highly provocative, but what is eating away at United is that they have lost their zip, their fluency, just when it is most needed. The team Ferguson selected in Catalonia was not intended to sit back like a punchbag. They were meant to counter-attack, but they could not find the rhythm, hindered by the hip injury to Rooney. Ferguson’s tinkering has compounded the problem and, for the remaining three or four games, he has little choice other than to field his strongest team.

We would have expected such angst from Barcelona or Chelsea. Barcelona’s up-tempo display against United came as a surprise even to themselves after all the infighting which has dogged their season. A summer clear-out is expected involving Frank Rijkaard, the manager, and Ronaldinho, their most celebrated player.

Chelsea face similar upheaval even after Avram Grant’s greatest win as first-team coach. His future cannot be known until the final kick of the season while, among the players, Didier Drogba has one foot out of the door.

Skittish at Liverpool four days earlier, he was superb against United yet still managed to infuriate with his histrionics as he argued with Michael Ballack over a free kick and then celebrated the German’s winning penalty by shoving his teammate in the back.

At the final whistle, Grant looked to the heavens, pumping his fists into the air as if he was reenacting the final scenes of a Rocky movie. He was embraced by fans near the dugout, yet you still would not rule out highly vocal dissent this week if Liverpool gallop into a two-goal lead.

Led resolutely as ever by Ferguson, United have been the more robust team this season, the one who have marched with a purposeful stride, the side you would least expect to wobble. Never mind handling “squeaky bum time”, Ferguson invented the phrase as if to say: “I can handle it.”

As they enter a compelling few weeks, you would still put your money on United claiming the domestic crown. But the sound coming out of Old Trafford ahead of Barcelona's visit sounds very much like a squeak.