Sir Alex Ferguson's exit kicks off new reality for Manchester United players As the eye fixed itself on the final 90 minutes of the Ferguson era questions flooded the mind. The first is how the training ground and dressing room will feel without the force of his character. In his later years there was seldom a need to reinforce rule No 1 of his regime. The standard expected of each United player was so ingrained that Ferguson hardly ever needed to spell it out, except to Wayne Rooney, who missed this game to be with his wife, Coleen, who was expecting their second child. There is a smoothness about the United operation that Moyes will do well to maintain in his first campaign. As the club glided towards their 20th English championship this year there was nothing to challenge, nothing to moan about, nothing to doubt. Ferguson's authority was absolute. The board were still releasing funds to strengthen the squad (Robin van Persie, Shinji Kagawa). With stability from top to bottom United transcended the normal laws of football, which say that any manager is only five bad results from a crisis. The more senior United players, especially, knew every nuance of Ferguson's nature. They liked and trusted his coaches (as far as such a perfect state is possible). Messages are flooding down from above that all this will go on undisturbed. But only an automaton could have left West Brom's ground not wondering who Moyes will bring in, how the team will change, and whether the incredible aura of Ferguson's sides will dim just a bit while the new manager establishes his own grip on power. For 26½ years United have blown the bugle of attacking play. Moyes will watch the replay of this 5-5 draw knowing he must be true to that tradition. He will not want the five goals at the wrong end but nor did Ferguson. His stand-in left-back, Alex Buttner, had a shocking game, despite his goal. Moyes is on his own now. Despite all the talk of traditions and support systems only he can decide who he wants to pick and how he intends to play. Speculation about United's future complexion had been on hold for the farewell parade. Moyes takes over officially on July 1 but his in-tray is already teetering. First: what to do about United's distinguished backroom staff, whose jobs Ferguson has guarded so zealously. Rene Meulensteen, the first-team coach, Mick Phelan - an old ally - and Eric Steele, the goalkeeping coach who learned Spanish to help him communicate with David De Gea, are foremost among those no club would want to lose. At the Everton end perhaps half a dozen more coaches await their fate. Resolutions are expected in all cases "soon," according to United. Item two for Moyes is whether to accept the evidence that points to a decline in Rooney's game and whether to sell him this summer or try to revive him with the promise of a fresh start. Ferguson's message to Rooney was consistent: status and reputation would be no guarantee of a starting place if he lacked sufficient conditioning to flash around the pitch as well as the team demands. Rooney's status is unknown, Paul Scholes has retired, like his master, and only Ryan Giggs survives from the class of '92. Ferdinand is staying for another year and De Gea is starting to settle in England's penalty area pinball machine. And Moyes has Van Persie: a magnificent athlete whose leadership qualities ought to shine even more next term. Ferguson has bequeathed to Moyes a group of young players he believes will prosper in the red jersey for a decade: Rafael, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans among them. Yet there is no disguising the shock when you extract a manager with 39 years experience and a platinum CV and replace him with one who displays all the right attributes but is an unknown quantity at the level United operate at. Specifically, we cannot see the thoughts of the players or know whether the intensity of their desire to fight off Man City and Chelsea next year will be as high without the great dictator. But mark this down as day one of the new reality: the Govan-er has gone.