Manchester United 2 West Brom 2: Full time report
Sir Alex Ferguson dumped Wayne Rooney to the bench, then saw his side throw away another two-goal lead against West Brom as Manchester United's season lurches from one crisis to another.
The Red Devils' title challenge is in danger of disintegrating before the onset of winter after a calamitous mistake from Edwin van der Sar allowed Soren Tchoyi to complete a staggering comeback.
Javier Hernandez and Nani appeared to have put the hosts on the road to victory with their first-half strikes, only for Patrice Evra's bizarre own goal to provide West Brom with their window of opportunity.
Yet the biggest story was perhaps that Rooney sat through all the drama on the bench, the cover of injury he himself had removed no longer available to explain an absence that was the culmination of an awful six months.
Even when he came on with 19 minutes left, it was not as a central striker, although he did have United's best chance of a winner, which was turned away by James Morrison.
If Rooney really was challenging Ferguson's authority with his midweek revelation that he has not been suffering from an ankle injury, there are a long list of players who could be used as proof of who wins such battles at Manchester United.
David Beckham, Roy Keane, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy have all been bundled out of the club after Ferguson deemed there was no point having them around and there is no reason to presume Rooney would be any different if the manager felt he no longer had use for him.
Today there was no obvious fitness reason for Rooney's exclusion given he completed the full 90 minutes for England. This time, the only conclusion to draw would be poor form was the determining factor.
The long-term repercussions will be interesting to say the least.
Ferguson's decision to put Darron Gibson on as Ryan Giggs' replacement when the Welshman limped off five minutes before the break suggested there will be no easy way back for Rooney, who celebrates his 25th birthday later this month.
The United manager is far too experienced to require justification for any of his actions. He got it anyway on his side's first real attack.
