VIDIC FOCUSED ON KEEPING TORRES QUIET
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Less than an hour after the final whistle blew at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome on Wednesday, Nemanja Vidic told reporters the return leg, to be played at Old Trafford on Tuesday 15 March, was the furthest thing from his mind.
Instead, the Serbian insisted United’s weekend visit to Wigan Athletic was already dominating his thoughts.
“I don't want to think about Marseille right now,” he said. “We have other important games to play first and the next is Wigan. We have to take three points and I believe we can.”
Indeed, the Reds play four times – and face Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal – before Marseille come to Old Trafford for the second leg, so you can understand Vidic’s reluctance to look too far ahead.
But the defender did concede positive results from those fixtures would put United in the right frame of mind to ensure qualification to the Champions League quarter-finals.
“We have a few away games to come now,” he said. “That is what we have to focus on now. We are just taking it game by game.
“If we play well in the next three games and pick up points then we will go into the next game against Marseille with confidence.
“I can’t say we are happy with a draw [from the first leg]. We always want to win. But there were some positives to take from the game: we did well in terms of defending and we kept the ball well at certain moments.
"Now we start the build-up to the next game.”
That test, a league fixture against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium, takes place on Saturday 26 March (15:00 GMT) and, according to Vida's team-mate Nani, could play a key role in determining the outcome of this season's Premier League title.
"We have some massive games coming up and the next few weeks are going to be very important for us," the winger said.
"We’re focused on winning every game because we know the results in the next few matches could prove decisive."
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Nemanja Vidic insists facing Fernando Torres at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night will hold no fears for him.
The Manchester United skipper is enjoying arguably his best season since arriving at Old Trafford five years ago.
At Wigan on Saturday, Vidic was his usual obdurate self, combining with veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to keep the Latics at bay during their enterprising opening.
However, after guiding United to a 4-0 win that put them four points ahead of nearest title challengers Arsenal, Vidic knows his next test is arguably his hardest.
Torres may be yet to score for Chelsea since his record £50million move from Liverpool but the Spain star has terrorised Vidic often enough for the Serbian to be very wary about their next meeting.
Yet, the theory that Vidic is actually traumatised by his meetings with Torres is simply not true.
"Sometimes you read people saying that certain players have a hard job to play against someone else," said Vidic.
"Obviously, this is the opinion some people have (about him and Torres) because they always mention it.
"I don't have a problem with that. I can only change it on the pitch, not by saying what I think in the media. It actually just makes me more focused to do my job."
There is another common theory that has attached itself to this week's clash, namely that Chelsea, who have now slipped 15 points adrift of United, will be out of the running if they fail to win.
John Terry said as much last week and Vidic is hardly going to disagree.
"They are so many points behind, it would be very difficult for them to come back," he said.
"But anything can happen. If you look at the league and how many points we have lost and the games Chelsea lost in a row, you never know."
Even though Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out, in Vidic and Chris Smalling, United have a central defensive pairing at the top of their game.
Smalling is benefiting from the gentle cajoling he receives from his vastly experienced team-mate, who tends to be on hand when mistakes have been made.
Such performances as yesterday's have raised the possibility that the PFA may opt to elect a non-superstar as their player of the year given the most obvious choices, aside from Arsenal duo Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, have lacked the consistency Vidic has shown all campaign.
"It is not for me to decide whether I have ever played better," he added.
"I just try to limit my mistakes.
"As long as I am thinking like that I will keep myself on a good level.
"In all honesty, I am never happy with my game. I want to improve all the time."
Vidic's defensive capabilities laid the platform for a 13th successive United win over Wigan.
Javier Hernandez opened the scoring with a neat finish to Nani's near-post cross but it was not until the second-half that the visitors' cut loose.
Hernandez bagged his 13th goal of the season when he raced onto Wayne Rooney's through-ball and beat Ali Al Habsi with the minimum of fuss.
Rooney added a tap-in before Fabio rounded off the scoring with his first United goal.
It leaves Ferguson with a major selection headache if Rooney does manage to avoid sanctions for catching James McCarthy in the face with his elbow.
Although the England star is now on seven goals for the season, between them, Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov, who started yesterday's game on the bench, have 33.
Not that Hernandez is going to be banging on Sir Alex Ferguson's door demanding to start.
"I am enjoying myself here," he said. "I am working a lot and feel I am really improving.
"The manager makes the decisions he has to make and I am ready if he needs me.
"Whether it is for one minute or 90, I just want to do my best."