Quick, quick, dust down those "Fergie Fury" headlines, the hard man from Govan is on the warpath again. Verbally trampling all over the latest irritant to get in his way, the cast of PSV Eindhoven, Alex Ferguson yesterday left neither the neutral nor the self-interested Dutch in doubt as to the seriousness of Manchester United's approach to tonight's Champions' League Group G tie at Old Trafford.
Simmering after the PSV president, Harry van Raay, had sarcastically called Ferguson the self-styled "King of Football" after Ferguson's unsolicited invitation to Ruud van Nistelrooy to go and train with United for a few weeks during Nistelrooy's recuperation from injury, Ferguson was further infuriated when, in the aftermath of United's 3-1 defeat in Eindhoven three weeks ago, the PSV players lined up to call United arrogant after Ferguson fielded a team without David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole. United were due at Arsenal on the Sunday after.
Throw in some perceived poor refereeing, a few home dives and a £4,000 fine for Beckham for spitting when he did eventually leave the bench in Eindhoven, and this otherwise straightforward looking match had enough ingredients for a strong rum punch. The last thing it really needed yesterday was for Ferguson to be asked if United were upset by the Dutch charge of being arrogant. But that's what he was asked - by a Dutchman.
"It's strange coming from a country like Holland," Ferguson replied, "because in terms of arrogance, to be honest with you, I don't think you're short of it yourself. I don't think it's appropriate to call another country arrogant when you don't know all the facts." Annoyed that his rotation policy was under such scrutiny, Ferguson then had a dig at the Dutch league. "Also, which is very, very relevant, your preparations were much better. You don't play in a competitive league where you play Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday. You don't understand the mechanisms of our game when you make comments like that."
Stating that United had not underestimated PSV, although he admitted that United had taken "a chance", Ferguson then said that his players were: "A little bit disappointed by some of the diving going on all over the place. I think that's what frustrated the players. That's what they were saying in the dressing-room after the game. They got frustrated and hence had a problem with the referee. The ref is there to clamp down on things like that. But he didn't. That got to the players." Finally, Ferguson said: "One thing it has done, though, is ensure the players will be up for this match. It's a massive game for us. The home games were always going to be the key issue in this group situation." Suddenly the 7 to 1 odds on the visitors did not look so generous, particularly as Cole and Beckham have reported fit, having missed the victory at Leicester City. That means United's squad is full-strength except for Jaap Stam.
When the draw for this initial stage was made 10 weeks ago, it was Stam who voiced the opinion that the balls had run favourably for the champions of England. Few disagreed. To meet a Dynamo Kiev side weakened by international departures, an always fragile Anderlecht and an apparently declining PSV, Stam's former team, offered United a fairly obvious route out.
As so often happens, then the football intervened. United may have brushed aside Anderlecht 5-1 in the opening game at Old Trafford over a month ago, but the following week they emerged from a 0-0 draw in Kiev relieved to have won a point. Still, four points from two matches was not bad. Then came Eindhoven when, despite Paul Scholes' early penalty, an unusually haphazard United were run out of the game by a speedy, direct PSV. Stam was sorely missed - by United.
So, four points from three games it is, and that lends some added weight to United's responsibilities tonight. But with Anderlecht away next Tuesday and then Kiev at home in November, United should be able to relax about qualification. Ferguson thinks two home wins will be sufficient. It is no time for the Dutch to discover their away form. If they do then there really will be "Fergie Fury" headlines tomorrow morning.
