Ferguson hails Man Utd soccer squad
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
MANCHESTER, Nov 12 (AFP): Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed the current Manchester United squad as the strongest he has had in over two decades in charge of the Premier League champions.
The first week of the Scot's 22nd year at the helm ended as so many of them have done before -- a convincing 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers lifting his team back into first place in the Premiership.
Two first half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured that United did not miss Wayne Rooney as he started a four week lay-off with an ankle injury.
The convincing manner of United's victory underlined the strength of the squad Ferguson is assembling and the veteran manager's belief that more trophies are destined for Old Trafford.
"I believe this is the strongest squad I have ever had," said Ferguson. "So much so that I think I would be pushed to name my best overall team.
"This is a good young team coming together. They show great courage in their play and want to play right.”
A 4-0 midweek European win over Dynamo Kiev, followed by the Blackburn success, was the perfect way for United to respond following the disappointment of allowing Arsenal a late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Significantly, that Arsenal draw is now the only time in the last nine Premiership games that United have not collected all three points.
Ronaldo's growing confidence in front of goal was underlined when he headed in a Ryan Giggs corner and then, barely a minute later, fastened on to a Carlos Tevez pass to double United's lead. Blackburn were reduced to ten men when David Dunn was sent off early in the second half.
The victory also must have given Ferguson some degree of pleasure at the end of a week in which he has seen Hughes's name mentioned increasingly as his potential successor.
Ferguson handed a rare start to Louis Saha and confirmed that the injury-prone Frenchman is likely to continue in the centre forward role while Rooney is out.
Hughes was left disappointed by his team switching off defensively twice in two minutes during the first half and also by a second half dismissal for Dunn whose two yellow cards reduced Rovers to ten men and ensured they had no realistic chance of forcing a draw.
"We lost David to a challenge which was mis-timed but which wasn't a poor challenge, wasn't a violent challenge," said Hughes.
"We showed glimpses in the first half but we had it taken away from us in the second."
The first week of the Scot's 22nd year at the helm ended as so many of them have done before -- a convincing 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers lifting his team back into first place in the Premiership.
Two first half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo ensured that United did not miss Wayne Rooney as he started a four week lay-off with an ankle injury.
The convincing manner of United's victory underlined the strength of the squad Ferguson is assembling and the veteran manager's belief that more trophies are destined for Old Trafford.
"I believe this is the strongest squad I have ever had," said Ferguson. "So much so that I think I would be pushed to name my best overall team.
"This is a good young team coming together. They show great courage in their play and want to play right.”
A 4-0 midweek European win over Dynamo Kiev, followed by the Blackburn success, was the perfect way for United to respond following the disappointment of allowing Arsenal a late equaliser at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
Significantly, that Arsenal draw is now the only time in the last nine Premiership games that United have not collected all three points.
Ronaldo's growing confidence in front of goal was underlined when he headed in a Ryan Giggs corner and then, barely a minute later, fastened on to a Carlos Tevez pass to double United's lead. Blackburn were reduced to ten men when David Dunn was sent off early in the second half.
The victory also must have given Ferguson some degree of pleasure at the end of a week in which he has seen Hughes's name mentioned increasingly as his potential successor.
Ferguson handed a rare start to Louis Saha and confirmed that the injury-prone Frenchman is likely to continue in the centre forward role while Rooney is out.
Hughes was left disappointed by his team switching off defensively twice in two minutes during the first half and also by a second half dismissal for Dunn whose two yellow cards reduced Rovers to ten men and ensured they had no realistic chance of forcing a draw.
"We lost David to a challenge which was mis-timed but which wasn't a poor challenge, wasn't a violent challenge," said Hughes.
"We showed glimpses in the first half but we had it taken away from us in the second."