Phelan: United cup exit unacceptable

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The winds of change invariably whisper through Old Trafford during pre-season, but few summers have known as much upheaval as in 1989...

The Background: Michael Knighton was presented to the press as the club’s new owner and chairman the day before the Reds welcomed champions Arsenal to M16. Old Trafford buzzed with expectation before kick-off, and the clamour grew when Knighton took to the field - in full United strip and tracksuit top - and began ball juggling. By the end of his cameo, the property magnate had won the crowd, as well as his battle with an imaginary goalkeeper, as he hoofed the ball into the Stretford End goal.

The Occasion: The unlikely sideshow galvanized both support and players for the main event, and Steve Bruce headed the opener after just two minutes. David Rocastle levelled, but United were rampant. The Sundays Times’ Brian Glanville mused: “Such was the effect of his performance, Knighton may have thought perhaps he should come on to the field again at half-time.” Even without further capering, United retook the lead when Mark Hughes tore past David O’Leary and thundered in a low shot. When Webb lashed home from distance and McClair added a magnificent late fourth via the crossbar, some 47,000 faces beamed as brightly as the August sun.

The Aftermath: The afternoon promised much, but Arsenal’s drubbing proved the zenith of a league season in which United finished 13th. A successful FA Cup campaign hinted at the silver-lined future in store, but Knighton would play little part. His bid for ownership was shelved, and he settled for a place on the board and permanent residence in Old Trafford folklore for his showmanship. “I don't regret it, not one bit,' he said in 2008. “It made everybody happy - for 64 hours or so I was a hero.”

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Sir Alex Ferguson praised an excellent team performance after a second 5-0 win over Wigan Athletic this season.

It is hard not to acknowledge the individual contributions of stand-out performers Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Rafael, but the Reds boss was keen to point out that the victory was created by the collective.

“It was an excellent performance, I'm very pleased,” he told MUTV. “On Sunday and again tonight, Wayne was absolutely fantastic. The energy he shows, and his desire to win, is marvellous. I was pleased to see Valencia get another goal for us, that is really key. And he’ll get more goals for us. It was also brilliant seeing Rafael celebrate his goal by running over to his brother. They love playing football and it’s terrific to see that enthusiasm. It’s an underestimated quality at times. But those two boys are a pair of aces.

“But on this particular night the whole team played well. I don’t really want to pick individuals out at this important part of the season because every man has to play his part, and they all did tonight.”

United were 3-0 up at half time and realistically had the game tied up with a blistering first-half display. But Sir Alex was pleased that his men didn’t let the tempo drop. “I think the first half performance in particular was one of the best of the season,” added the boss. “There was fluid movement, a good tempo and we created a lot of chances.

"But I thought we kept the momentum going for the whole night, and we recognised that it was an opportunity to get goals. Goal difference, you never know, could be important come the end of the season. We’re now two points behind Chelsea and our goal difference (27) is up there with Chelsea’s (29) and Arsenal’s (30). We’re in with a great chance.”

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Assistant manager Mike Phelan has branded Manchester United's FA Cup exit and performance in the third-round defeat to Leeds as "unacceptable".

The Red Devils bowed out of English football's most prestigious knockout competition on Sunday after suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to the League One leaders.

Sir Alex Ferguson fielded an experienced side against the Whites, but a solitary strike from Jermaine Beckford handed the visitors a memorable victory at Old Trafford.

United, who have taken the trophy on 11 previous occasions, had been looking to taste FA Cup glory for the first time since 2004.

However, those dreams have been dashed for another year and assistant manager Phelan has expressed his disappointment at the lacklustre manner in which the club came unstuck at the weekend.

"We had players out there who play for Manchester United and they did not perform as expected of them," he said.

"I don't think we did ourselves justice against Leeds in certain departments of the field.

"This is a major blow. We need to be in finals of cup competitions like this. To go out at this stage is unacceptable."

He added: "Normally, we either go experienced, or we go youth. This time we picked a bit of a mixture and it didn't work for us."

Phelan may not be around to help United in their quest to make amends in 2010/11, with the highly-regarded coach having emerged as a leading candidate to take charge at Burnley should Owen Coyle vacate the Turf Moor post.

Coyle is expected to leave the Clarets for Premier League rivals Bolton, with the Trotters having already held talks with the Scot as they look to find a replacement for the ousted Gary Megson.