Manchester United’s reluctance to enter into the market for the world’s biggest stars could be compared to a new in-mate’s apprehension of entering the shower rooms of an American jail.

Ferguson’s insistence on not letting his yearly holiday in France be interrupted, gave the impression of a man calmly waiting for a storm to pass. Keen not to get drawn into a confrontation, and certain not to be exploited by the false economy created by the nouveau rich of East Manchester and West London.

The hurricane currently attacking World football with more force than any other though, goes by the name of Real Madrid. Spurred on by the dominance of Barcelona, and desperate to recapture the glories of years gone by, they have steadily fitted three years of transfer activity into three weeks.

Meanwhile in Manchester, after losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlo Tevez, United have made the controversial yet low-key signings of Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen. For the bean counters, a player for player comparison shows up a severe drop in quality. In reality, shirt sales are in far bigger danger than performance on the pitch.

Marquee signings have never been Manchester United’s forte. Beckham and Ronaldo are two of the only true world stars they have ever had. The first was a Manchester United Academy product and the other a £12 million teenager.

Neither was acquired with the status they now have.

The one occasion Manchester United have dipped their toe into Europe’s world star market, the water was cold enough to make you think it might never happen again. Seba Veron, though not the abject failure he is remembered as, never truly lived up to that £30 million price tag.

Shirt sales have never influenced Manchester United’s transfer policy. Market forces, this season at least, are trying to be kept out of the equation. Players are signed on the basis of quality, value for money, the ease of settling into the north of England, and investment potential.

Antonio Valencia, having already acclimatized to life in the Manchester area while playing for Greater Manchester’s Wigan Athletic, has shown the same potential as a low cost big club signing as he has done for Ecuador’s national team.

Chester born Michael Owen is virtually a local. His never diminishing strike rate and Ballon D’or winning credentials leave his injury-prone history the only debatable issue. Alex Ferguson though has never been afraid of a gamble.

Having signed Eric Cantona despite his bit part-status at Leeds, Teddy Sheringham, Henrik Larsson, and Laurent Blanc despite their age, and even a schizophrenic 37 year-old Andy Goram, Ferguson has proven more than once that he is not averse to playing the wildcard.

It’s this varied recruitment policy that has allowed Manchester United to maintain their vice-like grip on English football for the last 18 years.

The links may at times look tenuous, but the Matt Busby way runs through the club as it always has. Scholes, Giggs, Neville, Brown, O’Shea, Fletcher, Welbeck, Evans among others academy products ensure that to this day it still has some part to play.

Big money British signings like Rooney, Ferdinand, and Carrick come with an almost certain success rate on and off the pitch, while frugal foreign buys like Anderson, Nani, Evra, and Vidic can either develop into financial and football assets, or Djemba Djemba style mistakes.

This season is no different. A failure to compete with Real Madrid’s galacticos policy shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody who doesn’t have gills or live in a glass bowl. They will more than likely start the season without squandering the whole £80 million recouped from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The departure of two World class players can never do anything for the short term stability of a team, but the maintenance of a well trodden route to success has always kept continuity at the club. Alex Ferguson has seen it all before and so have Manchester United.

Only a fool would bet against either of them.

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