Fergie fuming as United crash out

---

MANCHESTER, Sept 27 (AFP): Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he was 'flabbergasted' after two goals from Maltese striker Michael Mifsud sealed a stunning 2-0 League Cup victory for Championship outfit Coventry at Old Trafford.
Ferguson, who made eleven changes from the team which defeated Chelsea in the Premiership, called on his youngsters for the third round tie against Iain Dowie's outfit Wednesday. But it was a gamble that backfired spectacularly for Ferguson as Coventry became the first lower league club to win at Old Trafford since York City in 1995. And Ferguson admitted the 2006 winners could have no excuses for the shock result.
"I'm flabbergasted by our performance. It is a big shock for us all. These are young players that we have shown great hope for and trumpeted them in a loud way," he said.
"You hope that the young players will look at it and want to improve themselves. Their temperament, against a team who were ready for a cup tie, was certainly an issue in the first- half, so maybe they are not used to that kind of cup-tie football.''
"One great save by their keeper led to a goal at the other end that won them the game, but that's not the way we should look at it because the other 89 minutes were disappointing.''
"But we will keep giving youngsters their chances. We have been doing it for years now and these players have to have to have games.''
"We have been unable to give them games recently because they have had to stay around the first-team squad due to injuries."
Coventry, hammered 4-1 by Ipswich in the Championship last Saturday, were always the most impressive team against a United side without a host of star names.
Unheralded players such as Gerard Pique, Lee Martin, Danny Simpson and Chinese forward Dong Fangzhuo all failed to produce the goods, and Coventry boss Dowie admitted that Ferguson's team selection helped his players.