Football

Manchester United's decision to sell both David Beckham and Juan Sebastian Veron this summer has left the club facing a creativity gap on the field and a credibility gap off it.

With Veron expected to finalise the terms of his 15-million-pound (24million dollars) move to Chelsea on Thursday, both the judgement of United manager Alex Ferguson and the motives of the club's directors have come under intense scrutiny.

The two deals will swell the coffers of England's richest club by up to 40 million pounds over the next few seasons.

But money in the bank will be little consolation to United fans concerned about the weakening of a squad that, as last season's Champions League quarter-final showed, was already struggling to keep up with Beckham's new employers, Real Madrid.

When the England captain was allowed to leave in June, the reaction from United fans was muted largely because most were confident that Ronaldinho would be arriving to replace him.

But after weeks of tortuous negotiations, that deal fell apart and the Brazilian playmaker ended up moving to Barcelona.

In his place, United have signed another member of Brazil's 2002 World Cup winning team, Kleberson, as well as bringing in Eric Djemba-Djemba from Nantes for 3.5 million pounds and David Bellion from Sunderland.

None of them have yet done anything to suggest they can make up for the loss of the two players recognised as United's best passers of the ball.

Both Kleberson and Cameroon international Djemba-Djemba have made their names as defensive midfielders, while Bellion is more of a traditional winger.

"It's always difficult letting good

players go but we are very, very well off in the midfield and the overall package made it too interesting for us not to take it," Ferguson said as he defended the sale of Veron.

"He was on a massive salary and it's worth a lot of money to us. We had a collection of central midfield players who made my life difficult enough as it is so when an offer came in for Seba we decided to take it."

Ferguson could offset fans' frustrations by using Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a cutting edge in midfield after the Norwegian inter-

"I believe the loss of David and Juan Sebastian is a bit too much for them too handle," Wilkins said.

"They're big players they have lost but I'm sure Alex has something up his sleeve before the season starts."

Tommy Docherty, one of Ferguson's predecessors as manager, accused the United board of treating the club like "a giant fruit machine".

"They just pull the lever if they want some more money."

While Chelsea, bankrolled by Russian billionaire Roman

national impressed in that position last season.

"Ole is one of the most knowledgeable players in the squad now, he's a real student of the game and an excellent pro," said Ferguson.

"I started to play him wide on the left, thinking that would be his natural position and allow him to cut in on his right foot. But when he played on the right he was magnificent for us."

The United boss also insisted that his priority was to reinforce the defence - where he is expected to sign Tunisian fullback Hatem Trabelsi from Ajax and has been linked with a move for Barcelona's Carlos Puyol - as well as another striker.

But former United midfielder Ray Wilkins warned that United would struggle to fill the gap left by Beckham and Veron.

Abramovich, have dominated the transfer market with a 60-million-pound (94 million dollars) outlay, Ferguson can at least take comfort in the knowledge that title rivals Arsenal have hardly troubled their bank manager.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who has recruited goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, and two untested teenage defenders, Philippe Senderos and Gael Clichy, has his hands tied by the club's need for cash to fund a new stadium.

But he is far from impressed by Chelsea's spending spree.

"When you have money you can buy, it is as simple as that, but it looks to me that it won't be the end," Wenger said.

"Chelsea must buy a new team coach as well, then, to get everybody on."