Sir Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United’s exhilarating current form can carry them all the way to Champions League glory next May.
The Scot, who will celebrate 20 years in charge at Old Trafford next week, has made no secret of his frustration that he has only once, on a memorable night in Barcelona seven years ago, managed to get his hands on European football’s biggest prize.
But the vitality displayed by his reshaped squad so far this season has convinced him that this could be their season.
”I do feel we should have done it at least twice before,” Ferguson admitted as he prepared for Wednesday night’s group F meeting with FC Copenhagen.
”We have an opportunity with a new team that is full of promise and I think we could do it.
”It is open, there are maybe half a dozen teams that could win it. Bayern Munich have started very well, the form of Lyon has been fantastic and of course you can’t dismiss Barcelona. And I think the four English teams have a chance.
”We have made a good start. What we need to do that is maintain that and show consistency. That’s what good teams do and we will know more about that as the season progresses. But the encouraging thing for me is that the squad as a whole has done well.”
Recent seasons have seen United’s depth of squad tested by injuries and key players losing form at crucial times.
But such is the competition for places at the moment that Ferguson sounded slightly relieved that injury worries had forced him to leave Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Louis Saha at home, making it easier for him to guarantee the likes of Wes Brown, John O’Shea, Darren Fletcher and Gabriel Heinze starting places.
Copenhagen’s coach Stale Solbakken lent Ferguson’s optimism some additional credibility when he described United as the best attacking side in Europe on current form.
But the Norwegian still insisted that his players were capable of pulling off an upset in front of what he promised would be the noisiest crowd in Scandinavian football history.
The Danish champions were left floundering by the tempo of United’s passing in a 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford two weeks ago, and Solbakken recognises that his side’s opponents now have even greater momentum on their side.
”United were very good when we played them at Old Trafford and they have been even better again in the games against Liverpool and Bolton, so we know we are really in for a very tough contest,” Solbakken said.
”But my team is mentally in great shape. Once again we are in the middle of a run of three games in eight days and that should be forbidden for a squad of our size.
”But I don’t think there will be any trouble on Wednesday because this is maybe the greatest game in FC Copenhagen’s history. Manchester United have such a great reputation in Scandinavia.
”Every player will have strength tomorrow [Wednesday] and it will be much closer than it was at Old Trafford. We played well there but we were up against maybe the best offensive team in Europe at the moment.
”It will be much tighter. We hope we can have at least one point and we will certainly go for all three.”
A shock win for the Danes would keep their hopes of making the knockout phase alive and Solbakken is hopeful that Benfica will do his side a favour by beating Celtic in Lisbon.
A point would almost certainly be enough for United to guarantee their passage to the knockout stage at the earliest opportunity. — AFP
