It's time for answers, Fergie

In Roeder, they have a manager bold and bright enough to match Joe Cole and Michael Carrick in the middle of a 4-4-2 formation for the first time. In Thomas Repka they had a defender hard enough to catch bullets in his teeth, in David James a goalkeeper at the height of his form and in Jermain Defoe a young striker who will play for England one day.

For all that the contribution made by Ferguson towards his own downfall was immense.

Last Wednesday, he took the bravest decision of his season in leaving Beckham out - and it worked. On Saturday, he gambled again and the outcome was catastrophic enough to all but end his team's participation in the title race.

Ferguson did not just tinker with his team, he pulled it apart. Why? Only he knows. But with Veron and Van Nistelrooy not even on the bench, Ferguson effectively sent his side out limping on one leg. Predictably in these troubled times, United were dreadful.

In fact, they were worse than that. West Ham goalkeeper James played well, but he didn't play that well. He didn't have to.

United created five decent chances all afternoon, two of those from set-pieces. They did not take any and did not deserve to.

Amid the horrible, disjointed mess stood Roy Keane. The United captain must have run 10 miles on Saturday. His performance could not have contributed more to his team and in return he got nothing. His bewilderment was clear, his anger rarely suppressed.

In truth he should have been sent off. Booked for abusing referee Paul Durkin, he subsequently clattered Defoe with abandon, elbowed Cole and swung at Repka's head. His team-mates should be grateful for Durkin's leniency. Without him this United team would disintegrate.

Roeder, though, was ever tactful.

He said: 'I'm not going to stand here and criticise Sir Alex Ferguson. He's the godfather of management. We all aspire to be him and 99.9per cent of us know we never will be.

'United are in a cycle right now. It is a bad one but they'll get out of it. They may have to make sure they don't lose again between now and the end of the season. But who says they can't do that?

'I did look at the teamsheet three times to make sure I wasn't missing names. I must admit I thought Veron or Beckham would play on the right. I was surprised. But United have many wonderful players.'

West Ham have good players of their own, of course, and it will be a tribute to Roeder's ability and his board's patience if he can guide the club to respectability during his first season in charge. Having lost 5-0 and 7-1 on consecutive trips to Everton and Blackburn early in the season, Roeder could have been sacked. He wasn't and Saturday showed why.

Roeder's predecessor Harry Redknapp was fond of telling people Cole could not play in a two-man central midfield. With the right discipline he can, and his burst of pace proved the catalyst for the goal.

His pass to Sebastien Schemmel saw the ball crossed low to Paolo Di Canio and when the Italian chipped to the far post, Defoe rose to head past Fabien Barthez.

With 26 minutes remaining, Old Trafford awaited an onslaught and it never really came. United's football was all rather desperate.

The final minute saw goalkeeper Barthez playing on the right wing. A comical sight, it is hard to imagine that Ferguson found it funny.

Another word sums it up better. Embarrassing.