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Sir Alex Ferguson guards against Man Utd complacency

By Alistair MagowanBBC Sport at Old Trafford

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments266

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson said his side will not suffer from complacency despite opening up a 15-point gap over Manchester City after his side beat Reading 1-0.

After City lost to Everton earlier on Saturday, Wayne Rooney's goal was enough to win in a laboured display.

United need 13 points to win the Premier League with nine games left.

"You don't get points or medals for being complacent and we won't be," Ferguson said.

"Most of the time we have been playing well this season, but the 15 points we are ahead isn't a reflection of the performance today, it's from the previous six months really."

City won the league on the last day of last season after United let slip an eight-point lead.

But Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic said they would not make the same mistakes this season.

"If you look at the 15-point lead, you have to say that it is a big gap and we shouldn't let anything change. We have the title in our hands but we have games still to play and some especially tough away games that are traditionally hard for us. Nothing is finished yet, but we're in a good position.

"Sometimes you can feel the fans in the stands getting nervous because they think about last season. I don't think we should allow that to happen again. We are in a good position now. We should relax and enjoy playing football. It is a good time for us."

Ferguson made eight changes to his side after the FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea last Sunday in order to keep his team fresh and said he was concerned about his players returning from international duty unscathed.

Following the break, United will travel to Sunderland for a Premier League lunchtime game on Saturday, 30 March, followed by an FA Cup replay against Chelsea two days later.

And Ferguson revealed in his programme notes that the club would be chartering private jets for Mexico striker Javier Hernandez and Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa in order to get them back refreshed for a crucial period over Easter.

"Private planes are going to cost the club an awful lot of money," the Scot said in the club programme, "but it is something we feel we have to do."

The United boss added after the game: "The problem we have is a lot of the players are away on international duty and will play two games.

"Then they come back and have a lunchtime game against Sunderland and then a Monday lunchtime game against Chelsea, so why have we got a squad if we don't use it?"

Ferguson also confirmed after the game that Rio Ferdinand would join the England squad and said Ashley Young should also be fit despite coming off after a crunching challenge from Reading's Garath McCleary.

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266 comments

  • Comment posted by User0647418102, at 09:37 17 Mar 2013

    It's a shame people feel the need to belittle the league or the achievement because we are so far ahead. We have been excellent this year and are on course for a record points tally. Don't forget we are 22 points ahead of the European champions who beat us to a marquee signing in Hazard and to suggest that a referee decision in October could accound for 22 points is rediculous.

  • Comment posted by User0336836403, at 08:34 17 Mar 2013

    De Gea has not conceded a goal in 532 minues in PL...take that haters

  • Comment posted by redshirt7, at 09:23 17 Mar 2013

    29.WURZIL ....LOL Must have been a great party last night eh? Still drunk?..Champions earn so much more than Runners Up, get seeded, and of course, get to laugh at the fans of rivals that finished below them, just like City did to us last year..Now the question is: Do YOU get it?

    26.BlueIsTheColour ..and how many teams would your club be sharing it with?

  • Comment posted by User0601359613, at 15:43 17 Mar 2013

    sir Alex knows how to bring the success for his side!

  • Comment posted by ukmadhouse, at 12:02 17 Mar 2013

    Why are so many so obsessed with who sponsors who and who owns what? Its not unknown for a club to have an owner who made some of their money from porn. So what. Football is a business, and businesses aim to make money. Lots of companies borrow against their assets. So what if Utd have a paint company as a sponsor, at least the trophy room should be nicely decorated.

  • Comment posted by Involver3, at 08:47 17 Mar 2013

    @twitwithnoname

    Get a grip u bitter, what about Moancini throwing the toys out yesterday and refusing to speak? United number 20!!

  • Comment posted by User0052855281, at 11:12 17 Mar 2013

    man city have signed a new deal with oxo cube .

    its called laughing stock.. -)

  • Comment posted by Siggy1969, at 11:51 17 Mar 2013

    JP - You are a hammer, but with a broken handle.
    Maksi - You are a screwdriver, but it's all twisted and out of shape.
    Wurzil - You are a chisel, but with a blunt tip
    Nutgone - You are a drill, but with all the bits missing.

    In other words, collectively you are a bunch of worthless tools!!!

    Cry, cry, whinge, cry, yes but, no but.....pathetic!!!

  • Comment posted by redshirt7, at 09:13 17 Mar 2013

    22.Maksi ..Is that just United or all the Premier league teams that failed?

    21.JP ...Teams rarely pay in full for a player..They will have paid the basic fee, Wenger did insist on that, and then there'll be addons......and savings? United published their half year accounts, as required, and posted in excess of £50 Mill available for transfers. Its all the Glazers left them!!!!

  • Comment posted by Nigel, at 09:22 17 Mar 2013

    Mark, I'd forgotten about the George Weah cousin story. Unbelievable Jeff! I'd be prepared to give Kagawa more time but I certainly wouldn't be averse to Felliani as a signing. Think he's ready for a move too.

    Couple of additions in the summer and it'll be United's title to lose next season. I just wonder what Eden Hazard must be thinking about his decision to go to Chelsea now.

  • Comment posted by User0637993907, at 09:42 17 Mar 2013

    @47 wow you've got a strange opinion there. I don't recall an instance ever of SAF resting players in the knockout stages of the CL to keep them fresh for a league game. Do you?

    The PL is our bread and better. Since the inception of the CL we have won it twice in two decades. You could say that's not a good record but I can think of 6 or 7 clubs that expect better and they can't all win it.

  • Comment posted by redshirt7, at 09:46 17 Mar 2013

    43.JP ...and the shareholders do this out of the goodness of their hearts? Or do they get something back for it? Its business..You borrow, you py back with interest. Did you borrow to buy your house/car ?

    47.WURZIL ...OK Fergie aims for 4th instead...How does that help him win the CL?

    Truth is, There is 1 champion and 19 losers...Runner up is 1st loser, like we were last season!

  • Comment posted by U14821909, at 12:18 17 Mar 2013

    Where is Patrick Viera now?

    I am guessing he is out somewhere spending some of his massive earnings whilst you sit here, on this chat forum.

    Ya gotta laugh.

    Incase you haven't noticed, and with regards to silly comments, Patrick Viera is in very good company, starting with you LMAO

  • Comment posted by ant, at 09:10 17 Mar 2013

    JP The only way to answer to critters like yourself is by doing the business, And this is what we are doing. And will continue to do. MUFC

  • Comment posted by User0405202129, at 12:48 17 Mar 2013

    Not one person can have a go at UTD for their spending, because they earned every single penny by being the best team consistently for over 2 decades. People can talk about debt all they like but UTD are not in financial trouble AT ALL, they can pay their players and buy new ones without some arab having to hand over blank checks.. reality check when FFP hits bye bye city hello Npower Champ'

  • Comment posted by User0349897869, at 09:31 17 Mar 2013

    34. twitwithnoname

    Given your last post, I must compliment you on your imaginative choice of name.

    A winner doesn't like losing by definition. As such, why hide it? To do so would surely be hypocritical.

    SAF is a motivator - people want to do well for his teams.

    End of.

  • Comment posted by Shaun, at 09:33 17 Mar 2013

    @34 you obviously have no clue about football. Fergie is the most respected manager in the land if not Europe. He is the first to phone other managers when they lose their jobs, He does more in the background than you will ever know which is why he is respected so much, he doesn't go seeking fame for the good things he does. bad loser? Makes the team win rather settle for 4th like the rest.

  • Comment posted by ukmadhouse, at 12:29 17 Mar 2013

    Its terrible this new fangled way of spending lots of money on a player to "buy" trophies. It wouldn't have happened years ago. In 1977 no club would have broken the British transfer record to keep winning trophies. Hang on a minute, perhaps I am wrong and someone did. I seem to remember it being 440,000 that someone spent. Not much by todays standards I admit, but a fortune then.

  • Comment posted by SportsFan, at 13:09 17 Mar 2013

    United deserve to be on course to win the premier league title this season. They have been excellent and consistent all season even when not at their best.

  • Comment posted by User0881508223, at 16:46 17 Mar 2013

    214 "Second rate spanish team' who are the champions of LaLiga, containing 5 players from the Fifa WTofY (Marcelo and Casillas injured for the match) & Ozil, Benzema, Di Maria, Higuain, Modric etc. Be interested to see what exactly constitutes a first-rate team in your opinion?I didn't agree with the Nani decision but i can see why it was given,you can forgive SAF for feeling slightly hard-done-by

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