SO FAR, so ordinary. For Manchester United, in the Champions' League, little has changed. Alex Ferguson's team is still chasing a game it barely recognises.

In pursuing a European Cup last seen at Old Trafford 28 years ago, United's ingenuity remains largely confined to the success the club has in discovering obscure airlines who can fly the team to foreign parts at reasonable prices.

On the return journey from Turin to Manchester yesterday a stewardess on the aeroplane owned by French charter company insisted on referring to her distinguished clients as "United Manchester". In view of what had happened in the Stadio Delle Alpi an hour or two earlier the slip was pure Freud, for in losing to Juventus by the flattering margin of 1-0 United at times had not known whether they were coming or going.

Such a judgment may seem hard after one game, but that is not the point. Juventus, bedding down a new team with the Italian League season less than a week "old, performed in fits and starts but still revealed shortcomings in Manchester United's make up which had been so ruthlessly exposed in Barcelona and Gothenburg two seasons earlier.

The statistics show that the teams were separated by the goal Alen Boksic scored in the 34th minute. The reality is that, having set out to contain the European Cup holders by squeezing the play into a crowded middle corridor, Ferguson's players were outmanouevred and out thought by opponents who knew too much for them.

There was nothing wrong with the theory of Ferguson's approach. Two years ago, under George Graham, Arsenal won the Cup Winners Cup with similar tactics, beating another tasty Italian side, Parma, in the final. It was not pretty to watch, as Graham was the first to admit, but no one could doubt its effectiveness.

Alan Smith held the ball up front while those behind him closed down space when possession was lost. The plan was simple and Graham's players were comfortable with it. But no scheme will work without individual inspiration and in the tournament David Seaman and Tony Adams were frequently inspired.

On Wednesday, apart from a couple of sharp saves by Peter Schmeichel, Manchester United were, to a man, uninspired. True, they improved in the second half when Cantona had more support, but all things are relative. Ferguson may be in the market for a top class central defender but he'd is in equal need of a goal scorer. Playing Canton a at centre forward is plainly not the answer.

Last season Blackburn Rovers - were derided by the critics for the naivety of their approach to the Champions League. The goal conceded by Manchester United in Turin bore comparison to Spartak Moscows winner at Ewood Park a year ago.

The Russians scored straight, from a Blackburn corner. On Wednesday Manchester United, having won their first corner of the game, stayed upfield for the long throw-in from Gary Neville which immediately followed it, and were hit on the break after Giggs had missed an interception.

Zidane's through pass found Boksic, who swept Butt aside to chip the ball past the advancing Schmeichel. Keane's pace and, tackling strength, which might have denied the Croatian his scoring chance, were badly missed at that moment.

Add the injustice of Conte's disallowed goal to the same player's early miscue and couple of wasted opportunities by Vieri, and it is clear that Manchester United could have come home as badly mauled as they were in Nou Camp last time.

Of course one defeat has not ruined Manchester United's hopes of reaching the knockout stage. They have three home games still to come and the 1-1 between Rapid Vienna and Fenerbahce was a good result for them.

But unless Ferguson's team tightens up its act Rapid and Fenerbahce, not to mention Juventus, could take points from Old Trafford.

That 40 year old unbeaten European home record will ring hollow if United are held by Rapid Vienna in a fortnight's time. Ferguson needs a minimum of four points from this match and next month's game with Fenerbahce in Istanbul to stay on course for the quarter finals.