Ferguson points to lack of composure

Alex Ferguson admitted a lack of composure in front of goal proved costly last night as Manchester United lost to AC Milan at Old Trafford.

Roy Carroll's 78th-minute blunder at Old Trafford has put United on the brink of yet another early Champions League exit, as he spilled Clarence Seedorf's 20-yard shot at the feet of Hernan Crespo - who pounced on the rebound with glee.

"We had some good chances - but we lacked that composure needed to finish it off," said Ferguson afterwards. "In the second half I thought we got hemmed in around their box - Milan started making some mistakes and giving the ball away for the first time in the game. At that point we were ready to make a substitution - bringing Louis Saha and Mikael Silvestre on - then they scored."

The Scot chose not to start Ruud van Nistelrooy after three months out with an Achilles injury. But he brought the Dutch striker on in the second half and said: "The more football Ruud gets before the second leg will be a big benefit to us. The match was a marvellous quality - every player on the pitch had to produce a performance of a very high standard."

As for the second leg Ferguson added: "We always attack, no matter which game we play. But we have got to make sure we don't make mistakes - and if we score the game changes."

It was almost an insult to a match of such technical excellence that it should have been settled by so clumsy a goalkeeping error, but Roy Carroll will now take his own place in Manchester United's private hall of Champions League infamy.

This was not a howler of the proportions of the one he got away with against Tottenham, but, nonetheless, Carroll should have done a whole lot better when he allowed Seedorf's straightforward shot to bounce off his chest straight to Crespo.

AC Milan probably deserved the victory, but the curse of a blundering goalkeeper once again looks to have cost United dear in Europe. Many hold Tim Howard responsible for United's exit against Porto last season and the American lost his place to Carroll after he gifted Lyon earlier in this competition.

"We have seen nothing to frighten us," declared Ferguson of the many trips United staff made to watch Milan in all of their games since the draw before Christmas. A couple of visits to United's own goalkeeper training sessions might have given him cause for concern however.

It will be a bold man who backs United to overturn this result at the San Siro for Milan showed everything that is great about Italian football, and managed to subvert most things that are negative about Serie A.

Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti - the manager of Juventus when United triumphed 3-2 in Turin en route to winning the tournament itself in 1999 - had spoken before the match of his determination for Milan to impose their style of play on United and generally they succeeded, but without ever stifling the home side's notorious threat on the break.