Alex Ferguson blamed his own wholesale changes to his team for their failure to set a club record six Champions League wins in a row after being held to a 1-1 draw by Basel at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Despite Roy Keane and Juan Sebastian Veron missing the game through injury, Ferguson demoted David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Ruud van Nistelrooy to the bench in a competition where United had already won through to the last eight.
The tactic failed as Christian Gimenez scored a 14th minute opener in a first-half dominated by Basel.
It was only after the introduction of Giggs at the interval -- for youngster Kieran Richardson -- that Gary Neville scored his first European goal to level the Group D tie.
"I'm pleased we improved in the second-half. The first-half was difficult for changing the team around so much," Ferguson told reporters.
"We were losing 1-0 and I brought Giggs on at halftime to change the way the game was going and he did that for me. He gave them some problems they didn't have in first half. Kieran Richardson is a youth team player and he found it difficult."
Goalscorer Neville told ITV: "Even though we're through already and we're top of the group we still wanted to make sure we didn't lose tonight.
"Overall, we can take a lot of positives out of the evening ... and we've done justice to Deportivo and Juventus in making sure that Basel don't win."
As for his strike, Neville said: "It's been a long time coming -- I've had enough chances over the last few years but it's nice to get a goal at Old Trafford."
CORRECT TACTICS
Basel coach Christian Gross felt his tactics were correct and the Swiss side were only restricted from pushing for a winning goal by a lack of energy.
"The first half we played almost perfectly," he told reporters. "As the game went on Manchester United put on the pressure and we were slightly unlucky with the goal we conceded.
"Towards the end we didn't have the surety of the first half due to tiredness," added the former Tottenham Hotspur manager.
Basel now need to beat Juventus by 4-0 or five clear goals in their final group game to win a place in the knockout stages and rely on United losing to Deportivo, also on Tuesday.
But Gross is refusing to concede his side are out of the competition. "The problem is the result of Turin that went against us," he added.
"Chances are somewhat limited but football is always a game that can produce surprises. We will do our utmost and an early goal could set up a chance."
Gross did concede Basel are more likely to enjoy success in the Swiss league this season.
"We will try to take the same concentrated approach to other games. We haven't played in Europe for 20 years and it was great to have this shop window," he said.
"We now have to concentrate 110 per cent on the domestic league and cup. The players have grown immensely from their experience in Europe."
United fell behind in a poor first half where their only shot on target was a long-range Diego Forlan free-kick.
The Swiss side took control and went in front in the 14th minute when Sebastian Barberis's cross from the right was allowed to reach Gimenez who scored from the heart of the area.
It was his fifth goal against British clubs in Europe this season having struck two against both United and Celtic and one goal against Liverpool.
Giggs was introduced at halftime with David Beckham and Paul Scholes following later. Between the substitutions, United levelled with full-back Neville beating keeper Pascal Zuberbuhler with the help of a deflection.
