United beat Foxes - but can't hide faults

As such, strikers Elber and Santa Cruz - Bayern's likely pairing for the tie of the week - will already have the scent of goals in their nostrils.

After Saturday's game, Bassett launched a rather passionate defence of his opposite number, a man he rightly values as a friend.

Ferguson and his team, declared the Leicester manager, are as capable of succeeding on any front as they ever have been. The evidence for the previous 90 minutes had, however, been to the contrary.

As was to be expected, United monopolised possession and they struck the woodwork twice, Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy the players to miss out. But there were glimpses, in between long, unbroken spells of United probing, of the defensive fallibility that continues to plague the champions.

Ferguson may have railed against his detractors in his programme notes but the jury that matters - the United support - cannot ignore what continues to stand before their eyes.

Fabien Barthez passed the ball to the hapless Akinbiyi in the second minute, only to see it come straight back, while Benjamin was left unattended to miscontrol six yards out moments later. With the score at 0-0, Akinbiyi climbed between Laurent Blanc and Gary Neville to head Andy Impey's cross wide while the striker failed again in the 22nd minute in the run-up to Muzzy Izzet's squandered penalty.

Each time, Leicester proved unequal to the task but, more significantly, each time the opportunities arose on the back of defending that must turn Ferguson's blood cold. Afterwards, Neville stopped short of outright criticism but acknowledged: 'In terms of getting back on track, time will tell.

'We just have to go there (to Bayern) and do well. Confidence is never a problem here. Sometimes, you have to go and prove to people that you are still worthy champions.

'We can't afford to lose many more games, we know that. We just have to make sure that we are still in a position to challenge later on in the season.'

United took the lead through Van Nistelrooy, the Dutchman heading a sublime David Beckham cross past Ian Walker, and secured victory in the second half when Dwight Yorke glanced his first Premiership goal of the season.

Barthez's antics that preceded his penalty save from Izzet should have earned him a booking.

Referee Andy D'Urso deserves credit f or awardi ng the penalty for Blanc's shove on Benjamin but was found wanting when the French goal-keeper's gamesmanship threatened to cross the line into the environs of cheating.

It was hard not to feel sympathy for the Leicester player and for Bassett.

His team are already vastly improved on the one he inherited but - hamstrung by his club's financial strait-jacket - he remains hostage to centre forwards that continue to fail him.

Leicester have scored just once in four games under their new manager. United, of course, will not entertain talk of a crisis, and they are right not to. The problems that bother them are relative only to the great glories they pursue in Ferguon's last season.

They may not even be difficulties that prevent them from retaining the Premiership title. But if they remain unsolved, they will prevent them triumphing in Europe.

Improvement must come quickly.