United battle to regain winning form

London: Sir Alex Ferguson says it will be different this time, not the tame surrender of Anfield, where Manchester United's ambition lay dormant beneath a conservative blanket.

Not losing rather than winning appeared the principal driver. Fernando Torres made nonsense of that policy.

Ferguson does not need Deco to tell him that Didier Drogba, in the form of his life, awaits today, a bull in blue ready to run Torres-like through the red ranks.

"The big difference between us and United is in attack. Drogba is enjoying a spectacular moment in his career and is superior to the front-line of United. For me, Didi will be the key — the star of the match, for sure."

In Deco's world United are already cooked. His view finds sympathy at large. How could it not? The goals have been flying in left right and centre with Drogba at the heart of the flow.

A contrasting picture unfolds at Old Trafford with United unable to find lasting rhythm. On occasion, particularly when circumstances force an instinctive response, United's DNA has kicked in and they have torn at the opponent's goal..

Concern today focuses on the state of a defence without Rio Ferdinand. That is not the worry it might have been during his peak years as observers of United and England will know. In any case, those sifting for weaknesses in the back-four are looking in the wrong direction.

Ferguson's problems this season stem from the midfield. That is the area he must get right today if United are to contest the match on equal terms.

In this part of the recycling process following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferguson has invested heavily in the talent of Valencia down the right.

Weakened

While Valencia has performed well and is improving by the week, the formation has weakened United's midfield because Ferguson has sought to balance Valencia's selection with Nani or Ryan Giggs down the left. The answer is to pack the central area to counter Chelsea's core strength.

Again this does not represent new thinking for Ferguson. Against a Chelsea team that lined up at Old Trafford with nine of today's likely starters last January, Ferguson did exactly that.

The result, 3-0, did for Felipe Scolari. A month later he was gone. Ferguson was without Ferdinand that day, too, and partnered Jonny Evans with Nemanja Vidic, as he will today.

When the team sheets were handed down there were not many in the media chambers that saw the result coming.

It is as well that Ferguson has the Anfield experience as a reference. And better still that he can call on Fletcher.

The memory of the former and the commitment of the latter could make the difference for United, who meet Chelsea at full tilt and buoyed by the suspension of the transfer ban that hung over their heads.

Almagams

In most fantasy amalgams Fletcher would not get in the Chelsea team. Perhaps none bar Wayne Rooney and Giggs would.

Terry would not give way for Vidic, nor Ashley Cole for Patrice Evra, the candidates that might give Carlo Ancelotti pause were they his to choose.

Yet Ferguson has steered his younger, evolving unit to within two points of Chelsea with 11 games gone.

Chelsea cannot get any better. United are nowhere near what they might become. In recent matches Gabriel Obertan has sprung those coltish legs.

The Da Silva twins await their chance. Anderson is training on. Even Dimitar Berbatov is showing signs of life.

Ferguson is quietly playing a blinder reshaping his team in the post-Ronaldo era. It might be that Chelsea and the reconstituted Arsenal have the edge in the short term.

But United will not go away whatever the outcome at Stamford Bridge. And the title is not won in November.