It is a sure sign the soccer season is back when Alex Ferguson is asserting his authority over one of his precocious youngsters. In this case the boy-wonder is David Beckham who, Ferguson clearly feels, after a summertime of praise and Posh Spice of the Spice Girls has let more than Brylcreem go to his head.
Yesterday morning, rather than heading for London with the rest of Manchester United's first-team squad in preparation for tomorrow's Charity Shield with Chelsea, Beckham found himself on a bus bound for Bournemouth for a reserve-team friendly. He will join the first team for Wembley today, but a seat on the bench is as much as Beckham can expect.
"I think we're very, very fortunate," Ferguson said, "that in Scholes, Butt and Keane we've a tremendous three in there. And if we want to use Giggs on the left-hand side or farther forward to give us more penetration we can do that."
Beckham's name was absent until Ferguson added: "I can then bring in Beckham when I feel it's right, perhaps in two or three weeks' time." Beckham should not take that personally: Gary Neville will not be playing tomorrow if Gary Pallister's suspect groin proves strong enough. It is not as if Ferguson has no previous experience of handling the young, the gifted and the famous.
"I think David and Gary know my feelings," Ferguson said. "You have got to take the long-term view with young players. I thought we did the right thing with David Beckham in December when we gave him a two-week rest.
"We saw the effects (of a long season) towards the end. He was starting to plod a bit, his willingness was there but the sharpness had gone a bit. He's still a maturing player physically, he's still a frame to fill out. I think he's still got a few pounds to put on."
The old Spice Girl friend might not agree with that last statement, but football is a tough world and Manchester United a big, tough club. It is, in fact, in Gary Neville's description, "a cynical club", one that "makes you think, `how unimportant am I?"'.
Neville was referring to the players' attitude to Eric Cantona and it is apparent that the memory of Cantona's presence has been erased in the manner of a Stalinist photograph. It is only 12 weeks since Cantona captained United to their fourth title in four years but, Neville says: "Eric Cantona doesn't get a mention. Basically it's a case of `let's get on without him'. He has gone and it's not as if we're coming in every day and saying `where's Eric?'
"It makes you think what it would be like if you left yourself - nobody would give two hoots. But then this is a club that has lost a big player every season and it was the same when Bryan Robson left, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis - and now Eric. Life goes on without him."
Such defiance will be music to Ferguson's ears, especially in relation to tomorrow and Chelsea whom Ferguson believes could be a genuine force this year.
"The transformation of that club under Ruud Gullit has been quite remarkable," said Ferguson. "He has brought in a lot of foreign players, but he has worked the market well. I think Chelsea will do well this season."
Ferguson said that he, too, had watched Danny Granville, the 22year-old full-back Chelsea bought from Cambridge United and that he also likes the look of Jody Morris. They may be two fresh London faces in a sea of foreigners, but with the introduction of Gustavo Poyet and Celestine Babayaro to add to Gianfranco Zola and Frank Leboeuf, Chelsea may achieve that all-important balance that Ferguson feels is the key to any successful side.
It was, he said, the reason for buying Teddy Sheringham - "because maybe we were a bit young. It's just a balancing act really". Keeping balance for the next 45 weeks is now the test. Then there is the World Cup. And then it is next August.
