If Fergie loses out, he won’t do a Pep

Posted Sunday, April 29, 2012 by The Sun

If Fergie loses out, he won’t do a Pep
SALUTES YOU, SIR ... Alex Ferguson

IF Manchester United don’t win the league this season, their players will regret it for the rest of their lives.

And much, much more than City’s lads will if they finish as runners-up.

But don’t expect Alex Ferguson to be following Pep Guardiola out the managerial exit door if things don’t go his way at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow night.

That’s not his style. He doesn’t allow himself to be affected by one result or missing out on one trophy because he always has his eye on the bigger picture.

Look at how he reacted to losing last year’s Champions League final. He didn’t become despondent but he realised he needed to make changes to his squad and did that last summer.

I fully expect United to get the result they need tomorrow night but win, lose or draw that game — and in effect the league — Ferguson will still be manager at Old Trafford next season.

Of course it would be a blow to be beaten by City but these are the sort of challenges you expect to face at big clubs.

And Ferguson has been around long enough to know how to deal with, and rise to them.

For the players, though, losing a league title that was in their grasp is something they wouldn’t forget. Those things stay with you.

It’s different for City. If they miss out, they can claim that they have still made progress by finishing second, how they’re improving all the time and so on.

United don’t have that luxury. As a club, they’ve been there and done that and if they don’t end up as champions they’ll think they have thrown it away by losing to Wigan and drawing with Everton.

But bear in mind they can get two results tomorrow night — a win or a draw — both of which should see them over the finishing line. City need the three points to have any chance.

Let’s not forget that City had blown a five-point lead themselves but now they’re back in with a shout after three wins on the trot.

Still, United shouldn’t have any fear going to City’s place. They won there on their last visit and they should be looking to go there, flex their muscles and say ‘We are United, we don’t play for draws, we’re going there to win’.

What I have liked this week is Ferguson’s reaction to the situation they find themselves in.

He hasn’t tried to duck away from the pressure, he has embraced it by saying it’s the biggest derby since he came to Old Trafford in 1986.

He’s right not to be low-key about it and to point out how massive it is because this is what United are used to, City aren’t.

Roberto Mancini’s side have done well in recent weeks but they’ve beaten West Brom, Norwich and Wolves. With all due respect, they’re not United.

City’s forward players are on fire with Carlos Tevez’s return making a big difference and United will need to be a lot better defensively than they were against Everton.

They were 4-2 up and you’re thinking grand, you’ve entertained the fans, you’ve scored four goals, conceded a couple of sloppy ones, now shut up shop.

Instead, you see the right-back Rafael popping up crossing to the left-back Patrice Evra to try to score a fifth. If he does, great, but he doesn’t and that’s been a failing of United’s this season — seeing out games.

I remember after that 6-1 defeat at home to City in October Ferguson complaining afterwards that his players had kept attacking when the game was lost.

As a result, they conceded another two goals. Sometimes you’ve got to have a bit more common sense.

For that reason, I can see either Phil Jones or Chris Smalling coming in on the right side of defence.

There’s also a choice to be made in midifeld. Paul Scholes has done well but this will be a big test and will the manager opt to go with three in the middle as he has done in the past or go for it with a 4-4-2.