Manchester United vs. Blackburn: 5 Things We Learned About United's Title Hopes

The opportunity to end 2011 on top of the Premier League table, with a home game against the league's bottom side, on manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday, was just far too much of an easy script to go according to plan—and so it proved as Blackburn Rovers beat Manchester United 3-2 at Old Trafford.

What did the game teach us about United's title hopes? Here are five things to look at and consider.

In the game itself, United dominated possession but with little end product as Nani in particular was often too wasteful, while a re-shuffled and awkward looking midfield had no creativity or fluidity about it.

Yakubu's early penalty and second-half solo goal was cancelled out by a Dimitar Berbatov brace, before Grant Hanley headed a late winner for the away team.

Alex Ferguson Needs to Decide on a Number 1 Goalkeeper, and Stick with Them

Alex Ferguson has rotated his goalkeepers this season of late, with Anders Lindegaard keeping goal for 5-0 wins over Wigan and Fulham, before David de Gea came back in for the home fixture against Blackburn Rovers.

After a shaky start to his United career de Gea seemed to grow in stature between September and November, but against Rovers his old faults came right back out.

With little to do for most of the game de Gea needed to keep his concentration and take the high balls when they came—but he did neither, softly going to ground too often dealing with corners, which led to the winning goal.

Being taken out of the team is never great for a player's confidence and perhaps more so with goalkeepers than other positions.

Ferguson needs to pick one of his two stoppers and stick with them if he intends to mount a serious title bid based on a strong and reliable defensive record.

Same Old Story in Midfield, More Creativity Required for Manchester United

For the home match against Blackburn Rovers, Manchester United were missing plenty of players through injury.

The team selection in itself was relatively straight-forward as Alex Ferguson picked pretty much all his available senior staff—but the positions they were asked to play in were perhaps more perplexing.

Winger Antonio Valencia started at right-back, the normal position of Rafael da Silva who played central midfield, while the defensive duo of Phil Jones and Michael Carrick are more normally, this season, seen in the centre of midfield than defence.

In hindsight perhaps Ferguson would agree he should have shuffled those players?

Leaving Evra in the centre of defence would not have been any worse than playing Michael Carrick there, which would have left Carrick free to play the creative role in midfield, which United desperately lacked, for all their possession.

Rafael would comfortably have taken on the left-back role.

With Tom Cleverley out, Ryan Giggs missing and no real replacement for Paul Scholes' retirement, United look shorn of ideas, especially with Wayne Rooney out too.

Patrice Evra Is Finished as a Top Player: Ferguson Will Build Again Without Him

On many more than one occasion this season, Patrice Evra has been the weak spot in Manchester United's defence.

Against Blackburn he was dreadful in possession and did not cover in defence, preferring to remain ahead of the ball in hope of springing a quick counter-attack.

In the final third he was better and more aggressive, but Alex Ferguson demands both from his full-backs.

The writing is on the wall for Evra if he continues down this line of playing—United will cut him loose and build again with Fabio taking his place, or another left-back.

Dimitar Berbatov Hitting the Goal Trail Is a Huge Boost for Manchester United

After scoring twice against Blackburn Rovers and three times against Wigan Athletic, Dimitar Berbatov now has six Premier League goals from just three starts.

Overlooked for much of the first half of the season, Berbatov has made his way back into the team and has certainly taken his chances at the back end of 2011.

Whether he continues to be in the first eleven once others are back fit remains to be seen, but every championship-challenging team needs players to come in and be capable of scoring goals—and in Berbatov, it seems United have still got that.

Bouncing Back: The Stuff Champions Are Made of

Fresh from watching his side dismantled 3-1 at Anfield by Liverpool, Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew was a keen spectator at Old Trafford in the win for Blackburn over Manchester United, and would surely have seen enough to fill several note books on how he can stop United in the next round of Premier League matches when the two sides meet.

The problem is, Rovers beat United—and they don't often lose twice in a row.

The hallmark of champions, the pundits are fond of saying, is that they can always bounce back and win their next game.

Manchester United 2, Blackburn Rovers 3.

Not a result anybody was really expecting, given that a single point would have sent United back to the top of the table.

Watch out, Newcastle.