FA PREMIER LEAGUE:Manchester Untd 2 Blackburn 0. THE CONSENSUS from the Blackburn Rovers players was unanimous: Manchester United had been efficient, but the experience had been nothing like as chastening as the previous week against Chelsea, when they had sieved five goals and been dismantled from A to Z.

Something is not quite clicking for Alex Ferguson’s team right now. The wow factor is not there. Even when they win they leave their supporters ruminating about what is going to have to change – not major restoration work, but definitely some fine-tuning.

Until the defeat at Liverpool eight days ago, this had been United’s best start, results-wise, for a decade and, as everyone should know by now, they are usually stronger in the second half of the season anyway. Grinding out wins was a key part in winning the title last season and, if Ferguson’s men have to dig deep again, they have shown already that they can do it.

Yet the crowd is uneasy. On the plus side, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov have finally started to look like an authentic strike pairing for the first time in 14 months. Wes Brown and Jonny Evans are able deputies when replacing Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, while the return of Edwin van der Sar has soothed the defence. But still there persists the feeling that the champions have taken a collective step backwards.

They go to Chelsea this weekend with Ferguson telling his players “it is essential they now show everyone what Manchester United are about”.

In other seasons United’s supporters have taken issue with the description of Arsenal as the country’s most attractive team to watch, but who could say Ferguson’s side deserve that mantle so far this season?

“I wouldn’t say we have been stuttering but we haven’t been as fluent as we can be,” is Paul Scholes’s take. “More often than not, we’ve still been winning games but we would like to get back to the top of the league – with style. Some teams might settle for getting results but here at United we aim a little higher.”

Fingers are being pointed and it was Nani’s turn to graze in the scapegoat’s paddock on Saturday. Antonio Valencia is yet to convince, while as for Gabriel Obertan, the young Frenchman was so nervous when he replaced Nani he played as though in a straitjacket, missing the chance of the match.

The mind flashed back to how Cristiano Ronaldo illuminated Old Trafford on his debut against Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers in 2003 – a tough comparison, admittedly, but this is what any wide player at United has to endure.

Blackburn were generous opponents. Sam Allardyce was aggrieved, justifiably, that a legitimate goal by substitute Nikola Kalinic had been ruled out for offside in the first of five minutes’ stoppage time. Could Blackburn somehow have rescued a point had it been given? They will never know, but then they had shown neither the wit nor the gumption in the previous 90 minutes to expose a United side missing both their usual centrehalves.

Instead, United safely navigated their way through another middling, so-so performance with two goals that befitted a match of far greater quality. For the first, Berbatov’s flicked control, 180-degree body turn and swivelling volley will be remembered among the more exhilarating moments of his time at Old Trafford. Rooney’s was not quite so sublime but there was still something deeply impressive about the way he met Anderson’s cross and whipped a left-foot shot beyond Paul Robinson.

“We’ve played them both in a week and I’m going to throw it out there and pick Chelsea [as the more likely champions],” Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen said. “I’m sorry to say that because I’m a big fan of Manchester United but Chelsea have a lot of game-winners, players who have the ability to change games in the blink of an eye.”

The irony was Berbatov and Rooney had done just that but, otherwise, this was another performance that hovered around six out of 10.

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