Ruud van Nistelrooy has accepted his share of the burden for Manchester United's goalscoring malaise as he tries to rediscover the cutting edge which made him one of the sharpest strikers in the business.
The Red Devils ace has scored just four goals for the club since he returned from a three-month lay-off in February.
The Achilles problem which sidelined the Dutch hot shot appears to have prompted a slight decline in the predatory instincts which made van Nistelrooy a prolific goalscorer.
Van Nistelrooy acknowledges there has been a big drop in goals on his previous seasons at Old Trafford and accepts his share of responsibility for United's plight this term.
"Before my injury, scoring lots of goals seemed completely normal to me," said van Nistelrooy.
"But since I've come back I've realised it wasn't normal. Scoring a load of goals is okay, it is routine for some strikers.
"But scoring goals absolutely all the time, as I did last season, is something super-extreme.
"It has not been my season or United's. We just scored too few goals and, of course, I am responsible for that."
Van Nistelrooy also reserved praise for runaway champions Chelsea, who he compared favourably to United at their peak.
He added: "Chelsea were really much better than us this season.
"And they did it the way United always tried to do it. Their positional play and their work for each other was terrific."
Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to stay at Manchester United until his contract expires in the summer of 2008.
After that he will return to PSV Eindhoven, according to the Dutch striker.
I live here with a good feeling and I want to end my contract entirely. It ends in 2008, van Nistelrooy told Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld.
After that I return to PSV if they want me of course. Returning to PSV, that would be neat.
United have had a disappointing season by their standards and van Nistelrooy takes his share of the responsibility.
We did not dominate enough, found too little open spaces, did not make the game enough. I am also responsible for that. Looking back I must say I did not give enough attention to my Achilles injury, he added.
SIR Alex Ferguson has welcomed Ruud van Nistelrooy's return to goalscoring form just in time for Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal.
The Dutchman scored United's winner at Southampton to send the south coast club down but his second half strike added to his Old Trafford hit against Chelsea last midweek to register his first back-to-back goals since November.
Van Nistelrooy had missed three matches prior to the Chelsea game with a bruised foot to compound an injury-hit campaign that has seen United's top scorer in every campaign prior to this since his arrival in 2001 reduced to just 12 goals all term.
But his warm up double augurs well for the showdown in Cardiff.
"It was very important for Ruud. Anyone who knows the lads knows that's what he does best," said Fergie.
"It will do him the world of good. He got almost 90 minutes as well but got a whack from behind near the end. But he will be 100 per cent for the final."
Ferguson was unable to be quizzed on the Malcolm Glazer situation with MUTV and radio interviewers instructed not to ask him questions about the takeover by United's press office on instructions from the Old Trafford hierarchy. He conducted no newspaper interviews.
RUUD van Nistelrooy has admitted he made a big mistake by playing through the pain barrier earlier this season.
The prolific Dutchman scored only his second Premiership goal from open play on Tuesday as United slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to champions Chelsea at Old Trafford.
It was only the 15th strike of his entire campaign, a major fall in fortunes given the 110 Van Nistelrooy managed in his first three seasons at United following his £18.5million arrival from PSV Eindhoven.
Much of the blame for his relatively poor tally has been placed on a succession of injuries that has limited the 28-year-old to just 23 senior starts.
Despite having his move to United delayed by a ruptured cruciate ligament, van Nistelrooy has been a virtual ever-present since he arrived at Old Trafford.
But a groin operation ruled van Nistelrooy out of the first seven games and an ankle problem saw him miss another three prior to last night's encounter.
But it is the mid-season Achilles injury which really wrecked van Nistelrooy's season. After picking up what appeared to be a calf problem on international duty in October, the forward limped on for another six weeks before the problem became so bad he had to stop.
Eventually, an Achilles complaint was diagnosed which kept Van Nistelrooy on the sidelines for almost three months. It was another eight matches before he found the target - netting a double in the FA Cup semi-final win over Newcastle - and the player now recognises it was an error to try and ignore the initial injury.
"I played with the Achilles injury for too long," he admitted. "For six weeks maybe, I carried on, until in the end I couldn't carry on anymore. I think that cost me three months.
"It was really unfortunate because I had recovered well from the groin injury and just contributed to what has easily been my most frustrating season since joining United.
"I didn't have many injuries during my first three seasons, but then last summer I only had a short break, then the groin injury came, then the Achilles injury and there wasn't really any consistency there.
"That makes it difficult to come back from injury and get yourself back into good form."
Manchester United hope to have Ruud van Nistelrooy available for their Premier League clash with champions Chelsea at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Alex Ferguson's men managed just one goal from 27 shots in Saturday's draw with relegation threatened West Brom and are now six points behind Arsenal in the race for second place and automatic entry into next season's Champions League proper.
Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy is fit again after an ankle injury while defender Gary Neville is available following a three-match suspension.
With two games - including Tuesday's - of the season remaining, only a victory will keep United's fast fading hopes of snatching the runners-up spot alive and even then these will be extinguished if Arsenal manage a draw or better at home to Everton on Wednesday.
Meanwhile Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho, with the title already secured, is set to rest several first-team players although England midfelder Frank Lampard may want to extend his unbroken run of 144 successive Premiership appearances.
Chelsea remain without Scott Parke and Paulo Ferreira (both broken foot) and England fullback Wayne Bridge (broken ankle).
Ruud: It's my fault
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