Fergie focused on getting title back
With the waves of the Indian Ocean crashing within earshot and the sun blazing out of a blue sky seldom seen in this soggy Irish summer — even though it is winter in Durban — it seemed a world away from the travails of an arduous Premier League campaign.
Yet the manner of last year’s crushing disappointment; two Manchester City goals in injury-time, the last of which came after the final whistle had gone on United’s season, has meant what lies ahead has never been far from Ferguson’s mind. So it was that, ahead of the first of six pre-season matches, against South African outfit AmaZulu, Ferguson laid bare his vision for the next 10 months.
“After the disappointment of last year, we want to recover the title,” he said.
“We have to recover, as we’ve done many times.
That’s our target this year. Priority number one is to win the title back.”
The quest is a tough one, with City once again preparing to spend big, possibly on Arsenal’s Robin van Persie, with whom Ferguson has also been linked.
United’s manager is not one to shirk a challenge though, as he has proved often before.
“When Arsenal won the title from us in 1998, we won the Treble the next year,” he reminded journalists.
“Then Chelsea came along and got off to a flyer in the league for the first two years, so we changed our pre-season a little to make sure we got off to quick starts. Recovery is so important and the same applies this season.”
Ferguson has confirmed skipper Nemanja Vidic and fellow defender Chris Smalling will be fit for the new season. Vidic has been missing since rupturing cruciate ligaments in December, while Smalling required a groin operation that ruled him out of contention for Euro 2012. However, Jonny Evans is unlikely to face Everton at Goodison Park on August 20 after a summer ankle operation.
“Jonny has had an operation,” said Ferguson. “I am not sure he will start the season but he won’t be far away.
“Chris Smalling has done a bit of training. I expect him to start the season. Vidic will start the season, I am sure of that. He is still at the level of doing good amounts of training but not in the competitive sense that the others have done so it was pointless bringing him out here. He is better being back at Carrington, with all the facilities and the physios to get him to the next level. By the time we get back, we hope he is at the competitive element of his comeback.”
l Reports last night claimed Brazilian club Sao Paulo have rejected United’s €38m (£30m) bid for their 19-year-old Lucas Moura. The attacking midfielder is entitled to a 20% cut of the transfer fee and this is a major stumbling block in the deal
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