Had Ronaldo stayed, that may have been it. In the midst of the bitter, and faintly embarrassing, war of words between Ferguson and Rafa Benitez, the Scot admitted he did not feel his side needed a huge amount of strengthening this summer.

Ronaldo’s departure, confirmed in a terse statement on United’s website today, has changed all that. Suddenly the flaws are obvious.

Valencia solves the most apparent, the need for another wide man, the Portuguese’s nominal position. But Ronaldo, obviously, was so much more. Not only was he goals and assists, and free kicks and penalties, he was target man and No 10. More importantly, he was a mask for all of United’s ills.

Ferguson would probably admit that his side, however feted until that 2-0 humiliation at the hands of Barcelona in Rome, was far from perfect. The central midfield, certainly, is weaker than either Chelsea’s or Liverpool’s, thanks to the uncertainty over whether Owen Hargreaves will ever play again.

The article offers up a few names, but who would you sign in the Manchester United manager's situation? Personally I would sign some respected players on a free, like Michael Owen, and bank the rest .