Fergie eyes Euro glory after title win
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Manchester United's coach Alex Ferguson reacts after its English Premier League match in Blackburn. Nigel Roddis / Reuters |
Sir Alex Ferguson has set his sights on securing the Champions League trophy following Manchester United's record-breaking 19th English title success.
United won this season's Premier League after Saturday's 1-1 draw away to Blackburn Rovers gave it the point it needed to take sole possession of a record it previously shared with arch-rival Liverpool.
A division of the spoils at Ewood Park left United an unbeatable seven points ahead of second-placed Chelsea, last season's champion, who can only win a maximum of six points from its two remaining league matches.
However it was not long before the insatiable Ferguson, winning the 36th trophy of his 25-year Old Trafford reign, was contemplating a Champions League final against Spanish giants Barcelona at Wembley on May 28.
United has been crowned champion of Europe three times, the last in 2008, whereas Liverpool has won the competition on five occasions although both clubs lag well behind Real Madrid's record nine continental titles.
"The European Cup is an area in which we should have done better," Ferguson said. "We should have won more, I think.
"That will be our focus now," the 69-year-old Scot added. "Of course we will enjoy this - even though it was agony at times. But this is a great achievement and we hope to be celebrating again."
Ferguson has created several successful United sides since arriving from Aberdeen in 1986 but some pundits have questioned whether the current team is one of his best, given it has won just five away league games this term.
"It's not fair to say it's a bad Man United team or a bad league, it's a tighter league, a harder league to win," Ferguson insisted.
"Any campaign has got blips for anyone. Every team is going to have them. But our home form has won us the league.
"Normally our away form is much, much better but we are protected by the home form. Now look forward to another massive game that lies ahead of us."
United veteran Ryan Giggs, who like Ferguson won his 12th English title on Saturday, was delighted his side had finally surpassed Liverpool's record.
"Twenty years ago we were nowhere near Liverpool," the Welsh midfielder said. "It's a great credit to the club, the manager and the players and it's a good feeling to be ahead of our greatest rivals."
It was Wayne Rooney's penalty 17 minutes from time, after Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson brought down striker Javier Hernandez, that enabled United to cancel out Australia midfielder Brett Emerton's well-taken opener.
The draw saw United wrap up the title with a game to spare and while Ferguson is likely to rest some of his stars for next weekend's final day clash at home to relegation-threatened Blackpool, he insisted United would field a competitive team.
"We have a responsibility to make sure we are fair to all clubs in the country who are struggling against relegation," he said. "Manchester United will try to win next Sunday, there's no doubt about that."
For Rovers, this result left it a point above the relegation zone and still not safe from the drop ahead of its last-day encounter away to fellow struggler Wolves.
"Coming into the game, against a strong Manchester United side going for the title, if we were given a point we would have been happy with that," said Blackburn boss Steve Kean.
"We can't control what happens at other grounds but I'm confident. We have to continue playing as we are and hopefully it will be enough for us."
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