Alex Ferguson's initial allegations of a rigged draw for the Champions League quarter-finals have become far easier to interpret.

He was not so much lambasting the administrators as raging against the heavens. The Manchester United manager must have known that the meeting with Real Madrid might well tip his team towards a second season of inconsequentiality.

United take a 3-1 deficit into the return leg of the quarter-final. The defeat in the Bernabeu on Tuesday was chilling enough for Ferguson, but Vicente del Bosque's team can leave opponents shivering for months in the aftermath. Everything that brought United reassurance during the revival of their challenge for the Premiership is being re-examined.

Since accepting at last that the veteran Laurent Blanc had to be sidelined, Ferguson has seen his back four establish the best defensive record in the Premiership. At the Bernabeu, however, Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown were often disoriented and Fabien Barthez had a humbling night.

The mercurial passing and movement of Real also meant they danced around the supposed obstacles in midfield. Nicky Butt was one of many left in their wake, but it must give Ferguson pause to see his captain marginalised. The relief over Roy Keane's recovery from a serious hip operation has given way to different concerns. The Irishman now has to be more judicious in his exertions. A Roy Keane who exercises restraint, however, is virtually a different human being from the fanatic who, often gloriously and sometimes deplorably, had utter contempt for moderation. He could not engage fully with Real.

David Beckham appeared to be suffering a delayed reaction to England's manic win over Turkey. It was no surprise to learn that he has tight hamstrings and is a doubt for Saturday's match with Newcastle United. United wait to find out whether he can take part in training today or tomorrow.

He appeared to be conforming to a plan by taking an advanced position that pinned down Roberto Carlos, Real's adventurous left-back, but it then became difficult to assist Gary Neville on the United right. The full-back and Paul Scholes are both suspended for the return match with Real.

There is much for Ferguson to review, but it would only be playing into Real's hands if he were foolish enough immediately to tear down the line-up he has built. Although United's chances are slim, an opening goal would put the European Cup holders under all sorts of pressure.

Ruud van Nistelrooy is capable of finding the net, as he did at the Bernabeu. The loss of Scholes, though, will be a grave affliction unless Juan Sebastian Veron is not only recovered from a broken toe but also at his most expressive. The Argentinian is the main symbol of Ferguson's wish to increase the sophistication of the squad that won the European Cup in 1999. That project has not worked fully.

It was chastening to look at the line-ups who turned out for Real and United in the 2000 Champions League quarter-final. Although Real won then, they went on to upgrade their first team, with, for example, Steve McManaman, Savio and Fernando Morientes giving way to Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo. Of the current United side only Van Nistelrooy constitutes an unarguable improvement on his predecessors.

Ferguson has simply been unable to buy one of the few members of the elite. About half the best footballers in the world are, by contrast, on Real's books. Even if United had met the £45.6 million price for Zidane, he might have been as uneasy in the Premiership as the £28.1 million Veron. Both men joined their current clubs in 2001 and Zidane arrived in Madrid with the sneers of his previous employers Juventus still making headlines. They believed he had been a marginal contributor whose best efforts were seen for France.

However, Zidane again proved himself one of the greatest figures in the history of football. Those visionary flicks and caresses of the ball were combined with reliability. Despite attempting the most difficult, defence-splitting tricks, he completed almost 90 per cent of the passes he attempted.

United have no counterpart. The other six clubs in the quarter-finals might have fared as badly or worse in Madrid, but that will not console Ferguson. He went to Spain talking of the desire to touch the standards Real have set over their history. The manager came home with confirmation of how very hard it will be to do so.