SAF: Adebayor craved United move
-
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed Manchester City as a major threat to Red Devils' Premier League title.
Ferguson has watched agog like the rest of a startled football world this summer as City have splashed out millions in the pursuit of glory.
Emmanuel Adebayor is the latest £25million addition to a cast list that also includes Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz and former United favourite Carlos Tevez, with the prospect of more to come.
As someone who has become accustomed to City's famous inconsistencies during his 23 years at the Old Trafford helm, it must feel strange to know a challenge to United's dominance may come from much nearer home than usual this term.
Yet, relaxed and healthy at the start of another punishing season, Ferguson let his thoughts wander from United's current base in Kuala Lumpur to the city they share with a team now in a very big hurry.
"Given all that has happened in the transfer market this summer, it is a different type of challenge we are facing," he reflected.
"We are being challenged for the back pages.
"Manchester City are getting all the back page stories and they will hold that position for the rest of the season because there is a lot of interest in what they have done and a lot of speculation about whether it is going to work.
"But I cannot look at Manchester City as our main competitors. Liverpool and Chelsea are our main competitors. There is no doubt about that."
And that means no third championship-winning campaign for Carlos Tevez, who has irritated Ferguson with the way he has reacted to his own departure from Old Trafford, bringing the obvious assumption that he really was not worth the hassle of the extra £25million it would have cost to make his "lease" period permanent.
"It won't be easy for them to win anything, even with all the players they have bought," said Ferguson, moving onto the whole City project.
"They have bought a lot of high profile players but they have 10 strikers. That is a hell of a lot.
"I have not spoken to all the managers but the one or two I have are saying "Who are they going to leave out?"
"How do you tell players they are not even going to be travelling to London? How does he pick a team? We are all interested."
It was bad enough for Ferguson to inform senior stars like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo they would not be going to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final with Everton.
At least he could offer the Champions League as an alternative. Hughes can't, which just makes handling the expanding collection of talent gathered at Eastlands all the more problematic.
Problematic for United too as, together with Real Madrid, City have managed to bloat the transfer market to such an extent £50million price-tags are being placed on players who have no background.
No wonder he has withdrawn from action.
"Real Madrid are different to Manchester City," said Ferguson.
"They have an unusual culture of not really bothering about money because they can use their name to write off debt. No Spanish bank will ever close them down.
"Manchester City's culture is about cash. It is about having money and using it."
United have benefited of course. But Ferguson has opted to use only a fraction of the incredible £80million pot Madrid presented him with for Cristiano Ronaldo, bringing in Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia and Gabriel Obertan to a squad expected to challenge for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title; challenging with, he thinks, Chelsea, Liverpool and, maybe, Arsenal.
"I see Chelsea and Liverpool as the main threats because they have the experience and they are consistent," he said.
"They are hard to beat. That won't change. But I can't make up my mind about who is the better team. There is not much between them.
"Arsenal have the biggest job to do because they have sold Adebayor and don't seem to have the money the rest have got.
"How Arsene develops his team will be his biggest test.
"The one thing we know about Arsenal is that they will play some of the best football you will see and they will create chances. They could easily re-establish themselves and challenge for the league again."
And with that, Ferguson is done, ready to embark on another rollercoaster year, knowing one more title will bring immortality for a team aiming to achieve something not done in the previous 130 years.
"We have won the title for the last three years and in the history of the English game no-one has ever won four," he said. "That tells you what a competitive league it is.
"Lyon won their league seven times in a row. Dynamo Kiev won nine, as have Celtic and Rangers. Dinamo Berlin 11 in the old East Germany. You will never get that in the English game.
"I am in charge of a football club that has the right philosophy. I have had fantastic moments here. I have 76,000 watching my team in every home game. I shouldn't really concern myself about another team in the same city, no matter what they do."
-
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed local rivals Manchester City as a major threat to Manchester United's Premier League title this season.
City manager Mark Hughes has this summer spent millions on building a squad to break into the top four.
But United boss Ferguson said: "It won't be easy for them to win anything, even with the players they have bought.
"I can't look at them as our main competitors. Liverpool and Chelsea are our main competitors."
Emmanuel Adebayor is City's latest addition to a squad which that includes Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz and former United favourite Carlos Tevez.
Striker Adebayor signed from Arsenal for about £25m, midfielder Barry was bought from Aston Villa for £12m and City paid Blackburn about £18m for Paraguay international Santa Cruz.
Hughes is keen to bring in Chelsea captain John Terry, while an approach for Joleon Lescott has already been rejected.
But Ferguson believes the only place their rivals can challenge his side is in the battle for headlines.
Speaking from his side's tour in Malaysia, he added: "We are being challenged for the back pages.
"Manchester City are getting all the back page stories and they will hold that position for the rest of the season because there is a lot of interest in what they have done and a lot of speculation about whether it is going to work.
"They have bought a lot of high profile players but they have 10 strikers."That is a hell of a lot. I have not spoken to all the managers but the one or two I have are saying 'Who are they going to leave out?'"
"How does he (Hughes) pick a team? We are all interested."
City's spending has been second only to Real Madrid this summer - following the high-profile signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka.
But Ferguson sees definite differences between the way the money is used at both clubs.
"Real Madrid are different to Manchester City," he said.
"They have an unusual culture of not really bothering about money because they can use their name to write off debt. No Spanish bank will ever close them down.
"Manchester City's culture is about cash. It is about having money and using it."
Ferguson also believes Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could find this coming season a struggle, having sold their star striker to City.
He said: "Arsenal have the biggest job to do because they have sold Adebayor and don't seem to have the money the rest have got.
"How Arsene develops his team will be his biggest test.
"The one thing we know about Arsenal is that they will play some of the best football you will see and they will create chances.
"They could easily re-establish themselves and challenge for the league again."
-
Too long la bro. Summarise lol.
-
Thanks for stoking the fire Fergie ._.
-
Wow the mind games has started and yeah, its worth the read from start to finish la, don't be lazy! =D
-
he's right...
Citeh's owners seem to think that 1 goalie, 1 John Terry and 9 strikers will win them the championship
okay.. maybe 1 John Terry because he's a terrific goalie (even when he isn't actually the goalie) and 10 strikers...
-
HUGHES IN FERGIE RAP
Mark Hughes yesterday hit back at Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that Manchester City are not serious title contenders.
The Eastlands boss said: "I heard about Sir Alex's comments and I have huge respect for him, but I don't always have to agree with his comments.
"Everyone has their own opinion and that is Sir Alex's."
Speaking after City beat Kaizer Chiefs in the second match of their pre-season tour of South Africa, Hughes was also defiant over the £25.5million he paid for Carlos Tevez, which Ferguson also questioned.
"If a world-class striker becomes available, you have to buy him because there are not that many available on the market," said Hughes.
mirror
-
man city r unbalanced
just frustrate e strikers n man city have lost.
-
mind games
-
Manchester City boss Mark Hughes believes his side can pose a threat to Premier League champions Manchester United this season.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that, for all their summer spending, he could not see City being among his side's main competitors for the title.
But after watching Stephen Ireland's goal earn City a 1-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the second match of their South African tour, Hughes said: "I have huge respect for him but that does not mean I have to agree with what he says."
He added: "I don't think this is a mind game."
New signing Gareth Barry made his debut as City recovered from their weekend loss to Orlando Pirates, but strikers Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz were again left to watch from the sidelines, while Emmanuel Adebayor also looked on, as Hughes continued to exercise patience with his high-profile summer signings.
Former Aston Villa midfielder Barry feels he is fitting in well after his move from the midlands.
"I was delighted to get out," he said. "The main aim was to have the fitness for 60 minutes. I came off feeling good and I am looking forward to playing in the final.
"I have only been training for a week with City. There are new faces and the training is different, but I am getting used to it."
Barry believes there is enough quality at Eastlands for the team to break into the top four before long.
The England international said: "I have signed a five-year contract with City and I believe I will play Champions League football with them."
Ireland hit the winner on the stroke of half-time at the ABSA Stadium in Durban as the midfielder converted Shaun Wright-Phillips' low cross.
Hughes added: "We are happy to have won the game, we played in a great atmosphere.
"We needed to balance the players on the field tonight, some of the players were not at the level of fitness needed so that needed to be taken into consideration."
Tevez did not feature after aggravating an injury yesterday, but Hughes feels he could play in the final, along with the club's other new signings.
He said: "Tevez had a bruised heel and it was aggravated in yesterday's training. We are hoping it will settle and it would be great to give him the opportunity to play.
"We have a world class striker (Tevez) with us now and we are delighted. World class strikers rarely come onto the market and we are lucky to have the opportunity to get him.
"If our new players are fit, they will play. We do not want to compromise our players if they are not ready. However we would like to present them in the final."
-
Sir Alex Ferguson claims Emmanuel Adebayor sought out moves to Manchester United or Chelsea before settling on "small club" Manchester City.
The £25million Togo star linked up with City on their recent tour to South Africa after becoming the latest big name to join the Eastlands revolution.
However, there was a delay before Adebayor completed his move from Arsenal.
And, according to Ferguson, that was to allow the striker time to see if there was an alternative.
"When someone offers you that kind of money, it is a big attraction," Ferguson said.
"That is the reason they have gone there. At the last minute, from what I can gather, either Emmanuel Adebayor or his agent phoned us after they had agreed a deal with City and then did the same with Chelsea. He was desperate to get to either Chelsea or us."
Ferguson is clearly unimpressed by City, especially their high-profile poster of Carlos Tevez and the caption 'Carlos Tevez. Welcome to Manchester' emphasising the fact United is in the Salford boundary, leaving City as Manchester's true club.
"It's City isn't it?" said Ferguson.
"They are a small club with a small mentality.
"All they can talk about is Manchester United; they can't get away from it.
"They think taking Carlos Tevez away from Manchester United is a triumph. It is poor stuff."
City may have irritated Ferguson but he does not see them as a title threat just yet.
The same cannot be said of Rafael Benitez, whose Liverpool side got closest to United last term and are many people's tip to finish top this time around, providing Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres stay fit.
However, bad blood exists between the two managers. At least Ferguson knows Benitez does not care for him judging by the number of attacks that were launched in his direction last term.
Ferguson responded just once, when he felt Benitez reacted contemptuously towards old friend Sam Allardyce during a late-season victory over Blackburn.
Liverpool officials denied Benitez's arm-crossing was a signal the game was over immediately after the Reds had scored. For Ferguson, that in itself was a sign of guilt.
"There was no doubt he was doing that," said Ferguson.
"Liverpool were too quick to come out and respond that he was signalling they should take a free-kick a different way."
-
Lol... Ade come become next tevez~