As Soccer America's Paul Kennedy reports, rather than gloat after a big win over nemesis Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson preferred to direct his attention towards a lack of urgency.
Ferguson's single-mindedness has always been a strength for the Man Utd manager, and has proven to be a beacon for the club's success during his time at the helm. After winning the English Premier League for the first time in 1992/93, Ferguson charged into the locker room holding an envelope that he charged had inside it the names of the 'big time Charlies' in their locker room that he would get rid of the following season if they did not repeat as Champions - which they did...and the envelope was never opened...no one every questions Ferguson's foresight and ability to prepare for the next challenge ahead.
In regards to United's 2-0 victory yesterday, Ferguson compared watching on after they scored their first goal as 'watching a game of suicide'.
"It was one of those long European nights where you don't know if you're watching a game of football or watching a game of suicide," he said. "After scoring the first goal, I thought we would go on and kill them. But after going ahead we started trying to put icing on the cake and we were lucky to be in front at halftime."
Neil Custis of the Sun reported that Jose Mourinho felt that United has all of those same intense and focused qualities of their manager, which should be the deciding factor in having European success.
Mourinho said: “United are in the perfect condition. They are at the top of their careers. The team has reached its maximum level in terms of experience and quality.
“They are intense in their game and the Champions League is about all these qualities. I think they could win all their cups this season. They deserved to win. We played against a team that showed why they are European champions.”
“They are intense in their game and the Champions League is about all these qualities. I think they could win all their cups this season. They deserved to win. We played against a team that showed why they are European champions.”
Despite Ferguson's pessimism, he was also able to appreciate the accomplishment of defeating a side of Inter's caliber and advancing into the final 8 in Europe.
“It was practice football and allowed Inter to get a grip on the game," said Ferguson. "From the middle of the first half to the end of it they were the better team and should have been level.”
Yet Ferguson was still delighted to get through.
He added: “We played a team at their maximum in terms of potential and experience and to get through that is a big plus for us. I think we’ll be better in the next round.”
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