This should have been the season to end all seasons for Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Instead he has had the month to end all months.
In the past four weeks Ferguson has been on the receiving end of unflattering comments about his team from opposing managers such as David O'Leary and Sam Allardyce. That was bad enough, but Ferguson has also been battered by constant media criticism of his defence and Fabien Barthez's inconsistencies.
Add to that United losing at home to Bolton and Deportivo La Coruna and one finally sees why Ferguson himself was openly critical of his side's lack of determination during the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool. It is a policy he has always used as a last resort. Johnny Giles said yesterday that this was the sign that United were "officially" in crisis.
As he left Anfield on Sunday, though, Ferguson must have thought that the last person who would further inflame this already tense situation would be little, meek Paul Scholes, rather than, for example, Dwight Yorke.
But Scholes is a man on the verge of a skinhead haircut - revealed yesterday at England's training camp - and, it seems, a major career decision. On Sunday, as the United party returned from Liverpool, Scholes did indeed increase Ferguson's frustration by refusing even to board the bus to Highbury for Monday night's League cup tie with Arsenal, a game a patchwork United lost 4-0. Scholes had played only 14 minutes at Anfield. He replaced David Beckham and played in Beckham's position on the right of midfield. Though hardly a natural rebel, Scholes must have felt that this was the latest of several experimental formations in which he has been asked to fulfil an unnatural role for the sake of the team.
It would be understandable if Scholes were think his poor form and solitary goal this season is a by-product of the automatic inclusion in Ferguson's team of £46 million sterling summer purchases, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Juan Sebastien Veron.
After all, others such as Jim Ryan, Ferguson's assistant, recently said: "Paul's role has changed and it hasn't really come off for him yet."
Originally Scholes was scheduled to dovetail with Van Nistelrooy in the sort of way Peter Beardsley linked with various partners. Even against Celtic in a pre-season friendly, that looked an idea in need of patience and effort.
In the unforgiving world of Premiership and Champions League football, those are in short supply. By the time United lost 4-3 at St James' Park in early September - a match Scholes began on the bench before coming on for Andy Cole - Scholes was able to remark of his fluctuating partnership with Van Nistelrooy: "Sometimes it's not bad. Sometimes it's not good."
It was a rare comment from possibly football's quietest man. There will have been times when Ferguson was thankful for that - one of his complaints in his interview with an Italian sports magazine this week was that the boom in football's popularity has been mirrored by one in interest from television and radio, newspapers and websites.
Scholes appears infrequently in any of these as opposed to some of his colleagues, notably Beckham.
Consequently, what we know about him is limited largely to gossip from former team-mates and associates. He likes cricket and plays for a Lancashire club when he can. He is quiet even in football circles, but he likes a laugh and can hold his drink. He is very popular.
So when he does decide to speak, which is about once every three years, Scholes's words have added value. Of the positional uncertainty that has so eroded his form and led to him having his worst game for England against Greece at Old Trafford, Scholes said: "Every season so far I've scored plenty, mostly hitting double figures. That's been the norm for me. This time I have got one goal. I have to score more." He added that he was "not getting anxious" but also that "it's got to turn around soon".
"In Europe we are working out a different system of play with Ruud van Nistelrooy up front. In Athens when we beat Olympiakos it was far more fluent, but it can certainly get better. The manager wanted a different set-up for the Champions League. He felt that 4-4-2 wasn't working for us over the last couple of years. I think it will take time to adjust, but it's up to me to make it happen."
As yet, that has not been the case. Even in Roy Keane's absence Scholes has not played in his preferred position in central midfield.
However, being one of the many committed contractually to the club long after Ferguson retires, Scholes' uncharacteristic gesture should perhaps be interpreted as much as a cry for recognition of his plight as any sign of serious disillusionment with his future at United.
A local boy, Scholes is one of the golden crop nourished under Ferguson and from whom United have benefited so much. But then they have not done badly either: Scholes earns around £30,000 a week.
That should mean a reasonable selection of presents from his pals tomorrow week when he turns 27, though whether Ferguson gives him the present of playing in midfield against Leicester City the following day remains to be seen.
