Losing Queiroz will hurt more than Ronaldo After the magnificence of Moscow, this summer has so far

been one to forget for Sir Alex Ferguson. The Cristiano Ronaldo saga goes on and on and it now seems certain that Ferguson will lose the most essential cog in his Manchester United machine. The catalyst for much of Uniteds recent success, Carlos Queiroz looks set to be the summers first and costliest departure from Old Trafford. Despite rebuffing Benficas advances earlier this year, Quieroz is set to replace the recently departed Luiz Felipe Scolari as manager of the Portuguese national team. For Ferguson the move will come as a devastating setback to his plans for defending Uniteds European and domestic silverware. Formerly persona non grata among the United support, largely due to accusations of negative tactics and his perceived role in Roy Keanes acrimonious exit, Queirozs reputation has rebounded as United wrestled domestic dominance back from Chelsea and finally added a third European Cup to the Old Trafford trophy cabinet. Queirozs expertise on the training ground, specifically his emphasis on the defensive strategies required to succeed in Europe, bore remarkable results when United strung together five clean sheets on their way to the Champions League final. The cavalier tactics that saw talented United teams come up short against cannier continental opposition have been discarded in favor of a more measured, possessionbased approach. There were rebellious chants of Attack, Attack, Attack in the systems early days but there can be few who would complain now. In fact, many fans have grown fond of the mild-mannered Portuguese. When Ferguson stopped giving interviews to the BBC, Queiroz became the teams spokesman in postmatch interviews. While always sticking to the party line, he did manage to come across as, shall we say, a wee bit calmer than his boss. It is this quiet authority that, when juxtaposed with Fergusons bluster, has had such a powerful effect on Uniteds foreign recruits. Queiroz became a father figure to the Portuguese-speaking contingent at Old Trafford and was instrumental in the capture of Nani from his former club Sporting Lisbon and Anderson from Porto. While he wasnt present for the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, having been tempted to Real Madrid for what turned out to be a solitary fruitless campaign, Queirozs connections with Sporting were key to Ronaldos 12 million move to Manchester. On his return to United, he established a highly influential relationship with his young compatriot, one that became closer when Ronaldos father died, and proved invaluable in the aftermath of the 2006 World Cup and Ronaldos role in Wayne Rooneys red card against Portugal in the quarter-final.

Ferguson sent Queiroz to counsel Ronaldo and he is widely credited with persuading the winger to stay at Old Trafford. Now with his right-hand man about to leave, Ferguson may have lost his best weapon in the fight to keep Ronaldo from Real Madrids clutches for a second time. Ramon Calderon certainly hasnt given up hope of landing Ronaldo. The Real Madrid Presidents latest assertion that United should be proud to let their prized asset join the Spanish champions seems little more than mid-summer posturing, but there is no doubt that a world-record transfer fee is there for the taking should Ferguson waver in his commitment to retain the PFA Player of the Year. His reluctance to budge is surprising when you consider the speed with which he dispatched other stars that publicly displayed their disquiet. The likes of Paul Ince, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane were all swiftly dispensed with when Ferguson felt that the United ethos was being put at risk. Fergusons temper has mellowed over the years and so it seems has his staunch dedication to a doctrine of no one player being bigger than the club. There is a swagger to Ronaldos play but there is also a touch of arrogance; a selfishness by which United must live or die. As great as he undoubtedly is, Ronaldos goodwill among the Old Trafford faithful is wearing thin. Few fans are ready to accept a player whose heart is elsewhere, no matter how well he performs. It might be a stretch for many to believe, but there is even the possibility that United have the potential to be a better team without Ronaldo. His supporting cast has, at times, been outshined by the sheer quantity of his goals, but they are more pivotal to Uniteds continued success. The key to their back-to-back Premier League titles has been the stifling presence of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, whose partnership led United to the Premier Leagues best defensive record last year. In contrast, the number of goals scored dropped over the last two seasons by three goals from 83 in 2006/2007 to 80 in the most recent campaign with Cristiano Ronaldo simply accounting for a larger share of the diminished total. Add into the mix quality players like Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves as well as the rapidly improving Anderson and Nani; Fergusons long-term vision would remain intact with or without Ronaldo. Whats more, the biggest beneficiary could be Uniteds other leading light, Wayne Rooney. As Ronaldos star has risen, so Rooney has adjusted to playing second fiddle, often sacrificing his natural ability to play on the outside of a front three. Remember that stunning debut against Fenerbahce? Four years on, Rooneys passing has improved and his selflessness is admirable, but he has subdued the creative instincts

within him and has lost some of the precocious brilliance that marked him out as the most exciting young English player since Paul Gascoigne. Ronaldos exit would provide Rooney with the opportunity to flourish once more in the role he relishes most playing in the hole alongside an out-and-out center forward. The funds from a Ronaldo transfer could provide Rooney with the perfect foil, perhaps in the shape of Ajaxs Klass Jan Huntelaar. If Ronaldo does make the move to Madrid you can bet that Ferguson will abandon his plans of making only one signing this summer. The search will begin; it probably has already, for the Uniteds next superstar; the next to wear the iconic No.7 jersey. And Ferguson will regret, with all his heart, that Queiroz will not be there to help find him.