Fergie: This is special

Alex Ferguson will send Manchester United into battle on Monday knowing he is attempting to condemn Manchester City fans to the worst day of their lives.

Ferguson has opted to take United out of Manchester for the build-up, instead heading to South Wales at a bolt hole near Cardiff to escape the attention.

He knows how many cameras are going to be lurking, trying to get a thought or a prediction about what he has already stated will be the biggest Manchester derby ever.

“It means everything to a supporter. It is everything,” said Ferguson.

“For both sets of supporters, going to work on Tuesday will be the most important day of their lives.

“People have been brought up to be what they are through their fathers and their grandfathers and grandmothers.

“You can’t change a family’s traits.

“I saw a banner at Ibrox recently that said ’supporting Rangers for 139 years’. That sums it up.

“It is in the blood of the supporters and I know a lot of our supporters who would give everything to win this game on Monday.

“You can’t get away from it. It is our fans’ most bitter rivals.

“For me it is just another league game. For the supporters it is special.”

Over the past three seasons, since Sheikh Mansour’s mega millions started to have an effect, Michael Owen has scored his injury-time winner, Wayne Rooney scored in stoppage-time to seal a Carling Cup semi-final, City gained revenge in the FA Cup, Rooney scored his magnificent overhead kick, United have won the Community Shield from being two goals down and Roberto Mancini’s men won 6-1 at Old Trafford.

And, no matter what the outcome at Etihad Stadium, there will be another “biggest derby ever” coming shortly.

“I can believe what has happened,” said Ferguson.

“I made up my mind when the money came into the club that City were going to buy the best and the most experienced players. That is what they have got.

“We have to get used to this because we are going to be playing them in a lot of big games.”

Despite the rivalry, there also appears to be a genuine respect between the two managers.

Ferguson might have labelled Mancini’s decision to recall Carlos Tevez “desperate” but that was after he had praised the Italian for how he handled the situation previously.

And he is refusing to judge the Italian on the outcome of his next game, insisting the Blues are still advancing.

“Roberto Mancini is second top of the league at the moment with the league decider on Monday,” said Ferguson.

“That is great progress. It is a step forward for them. That is the only way you can measure it, really, isn’t it?”

Alex Ferguson has overseen many great attacking partnerships during his time at the helm at Old Trafford but he believes Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney last week offered the first glimpses of an attacking partnership that could be compared to some of the best the club have ever had.

There has even been comparisons to the Dwight York/Andy Cole partnership.

“Last week we saw something really special,” said Ferguson.

“I know there was a lot of reference to the Yorke and Cole thing. There were similarities to that.

“Danny’s movement was fantastic. Now he is fit again and playing consistently, he has developed better.

“Wayne is 26 now. Danny is 21.

“For the next few years they can only get better. We certainly hope so.”

Welbeck’s emergence is yet another example of United investing in youth, either their own or, as with David de Gea and Phil Jones last summer, through the transfer market.

Ferguson tends to be ridiculed for his repeated assertion there is no value in the transfer market, with many believing it is merely a front for a lack of funds being made available by the Glazer family.

It is an allegation Ferguson and chief executive David Gill both deny.

And, with Manchester City spending big, along with both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent times, the policy is set to continue.

“It is hard to change our way of doing things,” said Ferguson.

“After the spell of domination, when we won the Treble and following that, we had big point margins, there was a transitional period.

“We tried to rebuild a team with young players, like Rooney and (Cristiano) Ronaldo and one or two of our own young players were starting to come through.

“I think we will probably stick to what we are doing.”