Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson Returns Fire on Manchester City and Says He Has Plenty of Ammunition
Sir Alex Ferguson has issued a withering attack on rivals City, describing their decision to recall Carlos Tévez as “desperate” and warning he has “plenty of ammunition” if City want to engage in title-race mind games.
“Do I need to answer that?” Ferguson said. “No. I don’t need to answer that.
“I don’t know where it is coming from to be honest with you. You never know whose decision that is. I’m really not exactly in full knowledge about what happens at City.”
While Ferguson was keen to question the merits of Tévez’s return at City in comparison to Scholes’s comeback, Vieira’s insistence that United were now struggling to keep their rising stars was flatly rejected by the Scot.
“The point he makes about Ravel Morrison and losing our young players – we wanted to sell Ravel Morrison, let’s be clear about that, for obvious reasons. But we want Paul Pogba to stay because we think he is going to be a fantastic Manchester United player and hopefully that’s the case.
“It is getting more positive and hopefully something will happen soon.”
Ferguson has confirmed that Pogba is set to be involved against Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday evening but, by that stage, United might have lost top spot to City, who need a point at Stoke on Saturday night to reclaim pole position.
The two clubs appear destined to contest a winner-takes-all clash at the Etihad on April 30 and Ferguson admits United are determined to see off their neighbours.
He said: “I think their home record suggests they are going to win their home games mainly, but they may make a mistake somewhere along the line.
“It would be nice [if that happened on April 30]. It’s not easy to win all your home games, as you know, in this league.
“I think we said early season that the borders have been changed a bit. If you look at our main competitors, they have always been Liverpool and now it’s City.
“So either way, if it was Liverpool or City, you would desperately want to beat them at whatever it is – at tiddlywinks or ludo, anything. And this is the same case. It’s more important because it is one of your rivals — city rivals, you know?
“But we’ve still got to win our games. We’ve got nine games over the next few weeks – five at home and four away – and that’s the challenge. It’s ‘win the game you’re going to play in that particular moment and move on’.”
