Rio Ferdinand
has warned Manchester
United's rivals he will not be satisfied even if the
club wins a second Premier League-Champions League double in four
years.
Although all United's players were saying the right things after
the 2-0 win over Schalke at the Veltins-Arena, few expect the
second leg at Old Trafford to be anything other than a
formality.
A place in the final at Wembley against either Real Madrid or
Barcelona awaits on 28 May, before which United expect to have
secured a record 19th league championship.
For Ferdinand personally, it would be his fifth title since he
arrived at Old Trafford in 2002, but the defender insists his
hunger for more remains as strong as ever.
"If I finish in two years' time with what I have now, I wouldn't
be satisfied. No chance. I would be having nightmares," he said.
"There is so much to be won. If we didn't win the league this year
I would be devastated. I want to win the league this year, next
year and every year I am playing. This is our fourth Champions
League semi-final in five years. And we have only won it once.
There is a lot of disappointment in those four years."
Ferdinand said United's end to the season shows up those who had
written them off earlier in the campaign.
"It was wishful thinking on a lot of people's behalf. People
want us to lose because we have won the league three out of the
last four years and they probably want to see a little bit of
variation.
"But they can have those opinions and keep talking like that. We
just try to win games. If we win games and end up winning titles we
won't be thinking about what people have said about us.
"What sets us apart from other teams is that the hunger never
dies. It stems from the manager and filters down through the squad.
We have players in this squad who want to win things.
"There are still players in this squad who have not won the
league. There are others who have won it a few times who want more.
That is the basis on which we do our work every single day."
Ferdinand said United's performance against Schalke proved how
good they have become.
"There are not many teams in the world that could have dealt
with us in the first half. We had people going long, we had people
going short and dictating the play. We were snappy in the tackle
and picking up second balls.
"If you are playing like that you are going to be a handful for
anyone. We took the game by the scruff of the neck from minute one
and the only sense of frustration was at half-time, when we still
had not scored. In the end, we got there but it wasn't down to
whether they froze. Our attacking play would have opened up anyone
in the world."