Sir Alex Ferguson: Every Game Is A Cup Final Now For Manchester United

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says every game until the end of the season will be a cup final for his side.

The Red Devils are into a crucial period of the season as they chase the second treble of Ferguson’s career following the historic 1999 season.

United will face Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final second-leg tomorrow night guarding a 1-0 lead.

Ferguson says no-one at Old Trafford is getting carried away but does admit his team are in good shape as long as they stay injury free and keep up their momentum.

“It’s a completely different set of circumstances from back in 1999,” he said.

“We didn’t have any injuries then. We have coped fantastically well.

“I don’t know how we’ve done it, with all the players out injured we’ve had, particularly in defensive positions.”

“Momentum is the key,” he added. “I think when you get that momentum you become difficult to knock off your stride.

“Hopefully it drives our players on that they have that momentum at the moment, at an important time of the year, with every game a cup final now for us.

“Every game is important. The players are thriving on that. Even with making all the changes at the weekend (against Fulham).

“Sometimes you can be hesitant about doing that, but having the momentum means that whoever comes in has been carrying on the fight.”

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Ferguson: Champions League starts here

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the real business of winning the Champions League begins with Manchester United’s trip to Marseille.

English Premier League leaders United visit the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie against the Ligue 1 champions.

With the group stages safely negotiated and the elimination rounds now beginning, Ferguson is conscious that every match from this point onwards is vital if United are to capture their fourth European crown.

“We’re in the part of the competition that really means something now,” Ferguson said.

“Away goals come into it for the first time because in the group stage you have six games to qualify and we’ve always maintained that if you get the 10 points you’re safe.”

“So the real competition really does start tomorrow I feel.”

Ferguson sees much to admire in his team’s French opponents – a side who happen to share United’s lengthy list of injuries to key players.

“I think they’re a very powerful team – they’re very athletic and have strong defenders. They, like us have had a few injuries recently. (Mathieu) Valbuena had an injury but he’s back training now and he could be involved tomorrow,” he said.

United are without defender and captain Rio Ferdinand, and midfielders Anderson, Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia to name just a few.

Marseille are likely to be missing key midfielder Valbuena, with first-choice striker Andre-Pierre Gignac also sidelined.

Ferguson, no stranger to coping with injuries, attributes the large number of absentees to the demands placed upon players’ bodies at a busy stage of the campaign.

“At this time of the season everybody gets them. You’re working through a really difficult month in December in terms of number of games. And then through January we’ve had a few games in that month too,” he said.

“It’s just the strain of it all – it catches up with some players and we don’t play friendly games of course – they’re all difficult games we have.”

Wed 23 February, 2011