Manchester United vs FC Otelul Galati preview - Ferguson: Rio can still prosper

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Rio Ferdinand still has a major role to play at Manchester United even if his days as an automatic presence on the team sheet are over.

Thirty-three on Monday, Ferdinand was unusually singled out by Ferguson for criticism in the wake of what the United manager felt was kamikaze defending against Manchester City nine days ago.

Given much-publicised injury problems that date back almost three years and the fact Ferdinand has been omitted from starting line-ups against Arsenal, Norwich and on Saturday at Everton this season, in addition to losing his place in Fabio Capello's England squad, it is understandable why so many people are writing the #29.1million star off.

It seems Ferguson is not one of them.

As with Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, Ferdinand will have to accept he will not play every game. Indeed, he only returns for the Champions League encounter with Otelul Galati because Nemanja Vidic is suspended.

However, providing Ferdinand can adapt his game to take into account the fact he can no longer rely on pace to get himself out of trouble, Ferguson feels the player, who will celebrate 10 years at United next summer, still has plenty to offer.

"Rio is almost 33 and has obviously lost the yard of pace he had five years ago," said Ferguson.

"But that doesn't mean he cannot tailor his game a different way.

"He cannot rely on his pace now. That is obvious.

"But he is still one of the best footballers in the country in terms of his use of the ball. He still has great presence. He can still tackle and can still head the ball."

Ferguson seemed happier discussing Ferdinand than his own longevity, which reaches 25 years at United this weekend.

It is a quite incredible milestone and surely one that will not be surpassed at such a high level of the game.

Otelul's Dorinel Munteanu will struggle to emulate it given the rapid turnaround in coaches at his present club.

"A good president," was Ferguson's wryly-delivered advice when asked what Munteanu required to achieve even half his level of success.

"I have not really reflected on it. All I can say is I am looking forward to the next 25 years."

Munteanu, for his part, has branded United's derby-day disaster "an accident".

Munteanu did not know whether to laugh or cry given United's tendency to bounce back from significant setbacks.

In the end, he opted for the sensible option of simply ignoring what he felt was a freak result.

"That game was an accident," he said.

"A result such as that can happen to anyone. Manchester United are still a very big team and we will have the utmost respect for them.

"A draw would be a dream. If we look at our group, the biggest rival we have is Basle because we are trying to finish third.

"We have to keep going until we play them because that is when our fate will probably be decided but you never know what might happen before that."