Fergie clearly doesn't like Radiohead, because if he did, he'd know to leave the karma police to their own devices. Instead, he criticised Alan Wiley's fitness, provoking the inevitable retaliation. "This is what you get when you mess with us" indeed.

Were I to believe in karma, this would be in some way placating, but I don't, so it isn't. That leaves me with coincidence and luck, not enough to fully explain why in games against Liverpool and Chelsea, United have been on the wrong end of almost every decision remotely givable against them. That isn't to say I'm suggesting any kind of collusion - Martin Atkinson is no Edmond Dantes – but neither is it controversial to state that if you continually aggravate people, they will become subconsciously prejudiced against you. If Fergie were on trial, you'd not be finding Brian Hill, David Elleray and Phil Dowd in the jury.

The probable goal and definite penalty Sunday's linesman denied United was enough to make you wonder what the point of them is. In any case, the limitations of human vision mean that giving offside will almost always be a matter of judgment rather than of fact. This doesn't especially bother me, but on behalf of those eager to eliminate human error, you'd think that the technology exists for each player's boot to be fitted with a sensor, linked to a receiver on the touchline able to tell us definitively what it and isn't offside.

The other major point of contention was Chelsea's winner, in the course of which they received the benefit of three consecutive calls.

Perhaps it was a foul on Cole (always to be applauded) but once the resultant free kick came in, two subsequent infringements were missed. I appreciate it's crowded in there and that things happen quickly, but you'd expect at least one of the officials to notice at least one of them, and act upon it.

That said, they can't have been expected to clear the cross, which in a sense is the crucial point. Despite being the smoother, more imaginative side, United didn't play well enough to guarantee victory regardless of refereeing incompetence, and losing with that caveat was far less annoying than losing as a result of not turning up, as happened against Liverpool.

Prior to the game, the majority of the focus had been on Chelsea's purported superiority, the speculation about what would happen if United were badly beaten. That was never likely, a ropey display at Anfield evidence of nothing other than a ropey display at Anfield. The best performance I've seen so far this season, and by a long way, was United's display at Spurs, and there's been enough other examples of quality to suggest that the team's the right selection away from being extremely handy.

A fair amount of chatter surrounded its depleted back four, also misdirected. When Wes Brown is fit and paying attention, he's an exceptional defender able to cope with the very best attackers, and his performance in the second leg of the Barca semi in 2008 is easily the best individual effort from a United defender in the last few seasons.

Next to him, Jonny Evans has already done well enough times to look like he might be up to the task regularly, a proper footballer playing with the assurance of someone who knows he's good enough. Excellent but flawed last season, generally much better this, he plays with an intelligence that you'd expect from some with 4A* and 5As, and yes, despite falling standards, typing that gave me a lot of pleasure.

Playing a position that takes almost as long to master as Othello, his consistency is no small achievement. Rio Ferdinand, for example, had been identified as a talent from a very young age, but was 24 before he was anywhere near established. It's also nice to see two reserves, both United schooled, able to step in and excel. Had Ancelotti any sense, he'd have piled Drogba and Anelka on top of O'Shea and told the others to come from deep, but then had he any sense he'd also not have devised a midfield configuration that emaciates the attributes of all who play in it - irrelevant against rubbish but significant against another decent outfit.

Similarly, United's balance is also not quite right. With Giggs enduring an acrylic afternoon and the other midfielders infrequent scorers, it was hard to see where a goal would come from if Rooney didn't deal with it. Some time spent honing the system might change that, although in the long term this would be at the expense of Berbatov, injured at the weekend.

It'll never happen, but one way around it would be to retain the three-man midfield and use Rooney as its primary attacker (although this might lead to him spending most of the season suspended). The only other way of squeezing in two strikers would be to omit Carrick and go 4-2-3-1.

Otherwise, it'll be important to bring in Obertan for Valencia, who is improving, but doesn't have the variety or versatility necessary to play as one of three floating forwards. With the opposition fielding no discernable left winger, it would also have been worth being bold and include a more attacking right back, something I seem to mention almost every week.

In the news after the game was a group of attention-seeking City fans - formed following Adebayor's deserved suspension - with the aim of pointlessly haranguing the FA to punish all others who in their opinion have transgressed; a more ridiculous waste of time you could not wish to see, as Barry Davies might say. It ought to be impossible to believe that people of this ilk exist, but it isn't and they do. I'd always assumed that Del Amitri's "Angry from Manchester" was a City fan - lonely tonight, lonely tomorrow, and to whom nothing ever happens - and this proves it.

While I've been sitting writing, two more stories have broken, so a bit about those. Fergie's denigration of Alan Wiley has landed him a two game touchline ban with a further two suspended, along with a hefty fine, which seems fair enough. But it still remains unclear as to what exactly the punishment is for. If it's for making a serious accusation that turned out to be false, then ok, but if it's simply for making a serious accusation, then not ok. People are entitled to speak their mind openly, all the more so when they operate in the public arena, and if they're right, then it's the subject of the complaint who should face sanctions.

Equally troubling is what was said by the silk conducting matters: "Each member of the commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson's achievements and stature within the game. Having said that, it was made clear to Sir Alex that with such stature comes increased responsibilities".

Yes, you read that right; according to Peter Griffiths, QC, not only is there no equality before the law, but it applies most strictly to those who have achieved most. Utterly, utterly astonishing - unless, of course, there's something we don't know, and Fergie is actually Peter Parker in disguise.

Meanwhile, an altruistic quest to make the Premier League more money has just failed, a majority of clubs vetoing a plan to invite Rangers and Celtic to join. Of course the fringe benefit of ring-fencing investments by doing away with relegation was but a lucky chance. I note, though, the plan didn’t mention redistributing the increased wealth to supporters forced to hike to Scotland twice a season.

In any case, and Berwick Rangers aside, allowing teams to cross borders would set far too dangerous a precedent. From a purely competitive standpoint, the Old Firm would probably raise the standard, but so would Real Madrid and Barcelona. And bearing in mind what's happened when Rangers and Celtic have come to Manchester, having either one or other infesting England on a weekly basis doesn't sound like a very good way of increasing the peace.

Talking of the Old Firm, a new candidate emerged for this year's Barry Ferguson Lack of Self-Knowledge Award, the eponymous inaugural recipient honoured for this gem:

"People always say it's a shame someone as talented as Ryan Giggs or George Best before him never played in a World Cup or European Championship and I don't want my name to be added to that list".

Anyway, his mantlepiece now passes to Kevin Davies, following this remarkable proclamation: "Recently it's been obvious that players have been told to make a meal of any contact and get me taken out of the game."

Actually Kevin, 49 goals in 351 Premier League appearances says that a team featuring you in one of its striking positions is a veritable boon for any opposing outfit. You are truly a worthy heir.