MANCHESTER, United Kingdom - Sir Alex Ferguson hinted he may need to rein in Manchester United's rampaging attacking play after watching his side scramble a 3-3 draw with FC Basel at Old Trafford.

United has produced some scintillating soccer in the Premier League this season, plundering a whopping 22 goals in six matches, an average of more than three a game.

And after 17 minutes of Tuesday's Group C encounter it looked as if United was set for another scoring binge, with Danny Welbeck helping himself to a well-taken brace to put United 2-0 ahead.

But United, missing the absent Wayne Rooney, was rocked by a second-half fight from its Swiss opponent, which repeatedly breached a back four of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones and Fabio Da Silva.

Fabian Frei capitalized on sloppy marking to pull the first goal back for the visitor before Alex Frei equalized two minutes later after a swift counter-attack.

More sloppy play from United - Jones ill-advisedly trying to pass his way out of trouble - led to the penalty from which Alex Frei put Basel ahead midway through the second half.

Although United was eventually rescued by a 90th-minute Ashley Young equalizer, Ferguson admitted he was concerned by the lax play which had allowed Basel back into the match.

"I think we're playing with a bit of abandon at the moment. And certainly we have to think about that," Ferguson said.

"We have to have a bit more concentration on that part. I think that we played too many players forward on the pitch tonight. Far too many.

"I thought there was a carelessness about us throughout the game. The attacking part was very good, particularly in the first half.

"But there was a carelessness on our part and they really could have scored three goals in the first half.

"I suppose in many ways it's a welcome to European football for them. Because they were very lax tonight for most parts of the game."

Ferguson also suggested his team had been guilty of under-estimating the threat posed by the Swiss champion.

"I think that's the possibility of playing a team like Basel. To the players' minds, although they prepared for the game properly, they felt that they could go forward.

"But as it proved, by doing that there were so many gaps in midfield to the back four. And really if we'd concentrated on the defensive part I don't think we would have had so many problems."

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 09/29/2011 page24)