Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wants to get one over arch-rivals Arsenal even before the English giants meet for next month’s FA Cup final in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium.
FA Cup holders United made it through to the showpiece game with a 4-1 semifinal thrashing of Newcastle in Cardiff on Sunday. Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy ended a barren spell stretching back to November with two goals for the Red Devils.
But no sooner had the players come off the field then Ferguson was turning his attention on how to gain a fresh edge over bitter foe Arsene Wenger ahead of their meeting in the Welsh capital on May 21.
United trail the reigning champions by four points in the race for second place in the Premier League.
Runaway leaders Chelsea are 14 points in front of Ferguson’s men and even the hugely competitive Scot accepts the title has gone.
But he still believes it’s possible for United to overhaul Arsenal and gain second place, which would mean the club avoiding the hassle of Champions League preliminary games next season.
”We have six matches to complete before we get to the final,” Ferguson said.
”We want to be second in the league but we are dependent on Arsenal dropping points to do that,” he added ahead of the Gunners’ clash against Chelsea on Wednesday when United face Everton. ”But if we do win our six matches, we can still do it.”
United’s win was the ideal tonic after their shock 2-0 league defeat away to bottom-of-the-table Norwich.
”They let a lot of people down — including themselves — with a performance that was not acceptable,” Ferguson said. ”I never had any doubt they would come back. The ability in the squad is fantastic.
”But you have to work in life. No one knocks at your door and gives you money. You have to go out and earn it.”
United, a record 11-times winners of the FA Cup and Arsenal, nine-times Cup kings, are the two most successful teams in the 133-year history of the competition.
Their meeting in this season’s final will be the first time they have clashed in the tournament’s climax since Alan Sunderland’s late winner sealed Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 win at Wembley back in 1979.
This campaign the Cup represents both clubs’ only chance of silverware after their European exits and Chelsea’s victory against Champions League semifinal opponents Liverpool in the League Cup final.
But Ferguson dismissed suggestions from his assistant Carlos Queiroz, among others, that a season where the only trophy in the Old Trafford cupboard was the FA Cup would somehow be ”disappointing”.
”Winning trophies is not easy in this country. I’m not too greedy because I know how difficult it is,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ferguson revelled in Van Nistelrooy’s return to form after seeing him go without a goal in eight games since his return ahead of schedule in United’s Champions League defeat against AC Milan.
But the striker showed his instincts remained intact by capitalising on Jean-Alain Boumsong’s slip to turn in Cristiano Ronaldo’s cross before striking home his second in the 58th minute after Paul Scholes had put United 2-0 up on half-time.
Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi pulled one back to make it 3-1 before Van Nistelrooy played in Ronaldo for United’s fourth 14 minutes from time.
”It has been difficult for Ruud and maybe we made a mistake rushing him back so quickly,” Ferguson said. ”What we are hoping for now is that Ruud maintains his scoring form and starts to notch on a regular basis. When he does do that, he is unstoppable.”
For Newcastle, without a major trophy in 36 years, it was the end of a depressing week that saw them bow out of the Uefa Cup against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.
The Magpies were missing banned midfield duo Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer following the pair’s brawl with one another against Aston Villa, and were also without injured first-teamers Aaron Hughes, Jermaine Jenas and Titus Bramble.
Manager Graeme Souness was phlegmatic in defeat.
”I can’t be critical of any of my players, because they’d been bashed up physically and mentally on Thursday.”
So severe was Newcastle’s personnel crisis that French midfielder Laurent Robert, dropped against Sporting after suggesting the team have got worse over the past year, was recalled.
”I thought he was the best player for the job,” said Souness. ”He apologised to the players.”
Whether Robert remains part of his plans beyond the end of this season remains to be seen, but Souness, reported in one newspaper to have a £25-million transfer fund, certainly intends to bring players in over the summer.
”Today and Thursday exposed our squad,” he said. ”We had two 18-year-olds and a 19-year-old in the squad. We have to strengthen.
”We’re a big football club and we’re looking to try and stay in competitions and cope at this stage of the season when games are coming thick and fast.” — Sapa-AFP