Fergie feels for bosses suffering January blues

ALEX FERGUSON admits he feels for the managers who find themselves right in the spotlight after a torrid month for the men in charge.

Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane is the latest casualty after Ipswich sacked him yesterday morning. A place in the Carling Cup semi-finals appears not to have been able to save him after a woeful run of league results.

Ferguson’s own son Darren was sacked by Preston last month and on Wednesday night, four Premier League bosses found themselves under pressure, including Roy Hodgson, whose Liverpool side take on United in the FA Cup at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Aware of the sensitive nature of the situation, Ferguson has opted not to get too heavily involved, instead placing his trust in League Managers Association (LMA) chief executive Richard Bevan to continue his impressive work in defending the men at the helm. But the Scot did accept it is a difficult time for the industry he has made such a success of.

“We are in a situation where managers are getting fired or being threatened with getting fired, so there is no point in even discussing it,” he said.

“It is a very difficult industry nowadays. I feel for the managers who are under pressure and the ones who have lost their jobs.

“But the LMA are the proper people to talk about it. They are doing a fantastic job and are representing the managers absolutely brilliantly.”

Remembering one of the few ‘lowlights’ of his own career, Ferguson revealed he felt “sick” for days after suffering his first FA Cup third-round exit 12 months ago.

Through all the trials and tribulations of his 24 years at Manchester United, Ferguson had never fallen at the first hurdle in his quest to win the game’s oldest cup competition.

That statistic was wiped away by Leeds United, who belied their League One status to triumph at Old Trafford thanks to a Jermaine Beckford goal last January.

The joy was matched by Ferguson’s despair. And contrary to those who think the Scot is too pre-occupied with the Premier League and Champions League to waste much energy on a tournament he has already won on five occasions, he has no intention of suffering such agony again.

“It is the first time I had lost a third round tie since I came to the club and it didn’t sit well with me,” said Ferguson. “I did not enjoy it and was sick for a few days afterwards.

“I made a mistake picking the wrong team last year. Hopefully I don’t pick the wrong one this time.”

These words cannot be greeted with any comfort by Liverpool, whose season is spiralling downhill dramatically.

Ferguson’s personal friendship with Hodgson presumably led to his decision not to comment on the turbulence at Anfield, whose record 18 league titles looks set to be surpassed by the Red Devils at the end of the season.

Instead, the United boss is concentrating on ensuring his side prove worthy of their status as overwhelming favourites, which in turn would propel the Merseyside giants into another bout of naval gazing.

“It is a cup tie,” he said. “On this occasion, you have to forget the other side of it, the Manchester United against Liverpool side.

“There are shocks in cup ties and always have been; Hereford beating Newcastle, Yeovil Town, York City. Bournemouth beat United in 1984. It is a tournament you cannot take for granted.”

Ferguson does not intend to, which is why he will check on the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Edwin van der Sar, who has missed two games with a bout of flu, before he finalises his line-up.