ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:ALEX FERGUSON has warned Manchester City they will face "untold" ramifications if they fail to secure the English Premier League title tomorrow.
Roberto Mancini’s men know victory over Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium will claim City’s first title for 44 years unless Manchester United overturn an inferior goal difference of eight at Sunderland. Ferguson said: “City have got to win but it’s an enormous challenge for them because the disappointment of losing the game would be unbelievable. It’s untold at this moment in time what affect it could have on them.”
Ferguson hopes QPR can “do an Aberdeen”, citing his remarkable underdog accomplishment of leading the Scottish side to victory over Real Madrid in the Cup Winners’ Cup final 29 years ago. But even if City do win the title the United manager warned that his club will face up to the challenge to their supremacy, after securing 12 titles under the Scot. With Arsenal and Chelsea failing to dislodge them in recent years, he was asked if other clubs underestimate how difficult it is to knock United from the top.
“I hope so. We are certainly not going away, that’s for sure,” he said. “The important thing is to know you have a challenge and we know that we have. If we lose the league then we have to try and win it again. We have a lot of young players in the club who will benefit from this season, no matter what happens.”
Ferguson believes this is only the start for his side, who have Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, David de Gea, Jonny Evans, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, and Rafael and Fabio da Silva all now established names yet still relatively inexperienced.
“We’re not looking as though it’s an end of an era for us. In many ways it’s the start for many of the young players here. My biggest job this season has been managing the back four. Bringing the young goalkeeper [De Gea] in was a risk worth taking because of his ability, but only when Evans and (Rio) Ferdinand started playing regularly did our results become consistent.
“City aren’t going away. With the money they have to spend, they will go out and buy more players, but you can only buy so many and can only keep the balance for so long before it disrupts. We have our ideas about where we are going in the summer and I think we will be ready for the challenge next year, no matter what.”
Regarding QPR, who need a point to be sure of survival, Ferguson recalled his time as Aberdeen manager. “Do you know what I was doing 29 years ago today? I took a wee team called Aberdeen to beat Real Madrid in a European final. Eleven players, home-bred, with the oldest player 27 years old. That’s QPR’s challenge: to do an Aberdeen.”
Ferguson said it was difficult to know how City would cope. “A nervous situation could arise if, with 10 to 15 minutes to go, City aren’t winning. The crowd could get a bit uneasy, but other than that, they seem composed enough.”
Mancini believes that City deserve to win the title, as they have “played better football” than United. The manager also believes breaking United’s near monopoly of the Premier League will be good for the long-term health of the Premier League.
“The winners always deserve to win,” the Italian said. “We have played the better football, even if we don’t win. We have played for six months and played very well. The best football in the Premier League. But it’s impossible to play well every game. We had one month when we had a problem. We conceded easy goals and didn’t score. That’s normal. Maybe after Sunday we still won’t have the title but we will have played the best football.
“Sometimes if there are other teams [who win] – and not the usual ones like the last 10 years – it is good for championship.”
Mancini admitted that his squad will be nervous before tomorrow’s deciding game with QPR. “It’s been a normal week. The players are very well,” he said. “Maybe Saturday they will have pressure because they have an important game. But it doesn’t change our situation. We have to win an important game, a difficult game. It’s a big game for Manchester City because it’s the first time in a long time.”
Guardian Service
