Sir Alex plays down chances of signing a defender

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes the memory of losing last year's Champions League final will act as a bigger motivation for his players than winning the trophy in 2008.

United are aiming to become only the seventh team to reach three European Cup finals on the trot, a feat last achieved by Juventus in the mid-1990s.

AC Milan, who knocked Ferguson's side out of the Champions League in the 2005 last-16 and 2007 semi-finals, stand in United's way - with David Beckham set to make an emotional return to the lcub he left for Real Madrid in 2003.

Defeat to Barcelona in the 2009 final in Rome is still fresh in Ferguson's mind and he insists the bitter memories of that loss will act as perfect motivation for his squad to succeed this year.

"Winning was great in Moscow but somehow losing in Rome was even better for us,'' the United boss said. "You realise what a big occasion it is because you are not part of the celebrations.

"When you are actually involved it tends to go over your head because it happens so quickly and everyone is in such a joyous mood. But when you lose the impact is far greater. It was a let-down for everyone.''

That was the experience Ferguson and his players went through on an otherwise perfect night at the Stadio Olimpico.

It is one he would he would prefer not to repeat at Real Madrid's magnificent Bernabeu Stadium on May 22, although he will be straining every sinew to try to play a part.

"The hurt doesn't last long. These guys are professional players and they get on with their lives,'' said Ferguson. "But the one thing that does resonate strongly is the occasion.

"Rome was a fantastic occasion. It was a beautiful night, the stadium had been revamped and the colour inside it was fantastic. It was a great venue for a final. Madrid is similar because that is a great venue too. Hopefully we will be there.''

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Sir Alex Ferguson insists he is not looking for defensive recruits in January, despite Manchester United's 3-0 hammering at Fulham on Saturday.

The result leaves them four points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea and Ferguson is acutely aware that unless United's form improves quickly, they can forget about a record fourth consecutive title.

With seven senior defenders - Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Jonny Evans, John O'Shea, Gary Neville and Rafael Da Silva - out of action, plus keeper Edwin van der Sar, it was felt Ferguson may make an emergency signing, even though he had already ruled out the possibility of out-of-contract Sol Campbell joining the Old Trafford outfit on a short-term basis.

However, with the majority of his players due back at some point in January, Ferguson will not be making any additions.

"That has not come onto the agenda," he told Key 103.

"We hope that Wes Brown will be back in a week or 10 days' time, Rio Ferdinand is improving, Gary Neville is getting there and Rafael Da Silva has now started training.

"We are not so bad and we are not looking at signing players."

Under the circumstances, Ferguson is probably relieved that United's Festive programme has been pushed back from the planned timescale.

What would have been a Boxing Day trip to Hull will now take place on December 27, with the home encounter against Wigan now not being played until December 30.

The Red Devils should be confident of getting maximum points from those two games, even with a weakened line-up, after which they are not in league action again until January 9, when they face in-form Birmingham at St Andrews.

Despite the denial, Ferguson continues to be linked with new faces.

Fiorentina 'keeper Sebastien Frey is believed to be being monitored by United, who have still not been informed by Van der Sar whether he is going to extend his career by another season.

Frey does have a £17million release clause in his contract. However, as he has already featured in this season's Champions League for Fiorentina, who have booked themselves a last-16 meeting with Bayern Munich, it seems unlikely the 29-year-old will move at this stage.

Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa is also said to be on Ferguson's radar and is available following a bust-up with coach Didier Deschamps.

Signing Ben Arfa would represent a gamble given his unhappy disciplinary record, which includes having to be pulled away from Djibril Cisse during a training ground fracas just a fortnight after his summer arrival at Marseille.

However, having enjoyed so much success with Eric Cantona, who hardly represented a meek presence in the face of authority, that reputation alone is unlikely to deter Ferguson if he decides to pursue the 21-year-old.

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Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Manchester United's five Premier League defeats will not prove terminal to their hopes of retaining their title.

After a decent start to life without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Red Devils have suddenly hit major trouble.

With up to eight senior defenders missing at times since mid-November, United have lost twice in three games, against Aston Villa and Fulham, and deserved nothing more on each occasion.

They have been hefty blows to take, particularly at a time when United tend to start hitting top gear.

The only saving grace is that no-one else is doing any better.

Liverpool already seem to be out of contention, Arsenal are finding it difficult to string a sequence of results together away from the Emirates Stadium while favourites Chelsea, while establishing a four-point cushion at the top, needed a late Frank Lampard penalty to secure a home win against Portsmouth and another just to eke out a draw against West Ham last Sunday.

It is Villa and Tottenham who are capturing most attention, yet both have already dropped enough points to suggest they would struggle to maintain a level of form that would get them into contention to challenge for number one spot.

"It is an unusual league," said Ferguson.

"Arsene Wenger said you could lose seven games and win the title this season. That is the way it is going.

"Someone also pointed out the recognised top four have lost 41 points this season. No-one would have bet on that.

"And there are more banana skins on the way I am sure.

"We just have to try and make sure we are not one of them."

It is not easy though given the injury list Ferguson has had to cope with.

So desperate is their plight at present that he was even wistfully wondering whether Bill Foulkes, a legendary member of the 1968 European Cup-winning side and a Munich air crash survivor, might be worth calling up for Sunday's trip to Hull.

Under the circumstances, the Scot is probably extremely thankful United's Festive programme has been altered, meaning that instead of being in action on Boxing Day and then again on December 28, his own team's games will take place on the 27th and the 30th, when Wigan go to Old Trafford.

By then he hopes to have Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown available after calf and hamstring problems, respectively.

United's medical staff are working feverishly to get one of them on the pitch at the KC Stadium, while teenage Brazilian brothers Rafael and Fabio Da Silva are being pushed ahead of schedule to make the trip across the M62.

"Hull will be encouraged by the fact we have these defenders injured," said Ferguson.

"They will certainly have a go at us."

After watching his team disintegrate at Craven Cottage - a defeat the chaos at Manchester City has helped deflect attention away from - Ferguson is reluctant to place his trust in Michael Carrick and Ritchie De Laet at the heart of his defence.

The United chief is not being particularly critical of either man's performance at Fulham, where they were joined in a back three by Darren Fletcher.

He just feels the attempts to patch up an area of the field vital for positive results were bound to show extreme weaknesses at some point.

"You can get away with playing midfielders in central defence once or twice but it proved difficult last Saturday," he said.

"We were doing okay until we lost the goal but we looked fragile from there on."

Ferguson defended his tactics, claiming once United reverted to a more conventional four-man backline, there were even more "holes" for Fulham to pour through.

In fact, he feels it was the Villa loss that was more damaging and, with Jonny Evans' calf problem leaving him third in the queue for potential comebacks ahead of an FA Cup tie with Leeds on January 3, he can only hope no further damage is inflicted over the coming days.

"It was a killer result for us because winning your home games can stabilise things," said Ferguson.

"It is unusual for us to lose two games in December. It has not happened many times here.

"What we have to do is get these two games out of the way because I am hopeful that by the time we play Leeds we should have three centre-backs fit.

"That would make a heck of a difference. Then we can kick on and get back to our normal selves."

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Sir Alex Ferguson feels the Reds' victory at Hull represents a big step forward.

Goals from Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov, either side of an Andy Dawson own goal, secured a much-needed three points for United and cut Chelsea's lead at the Barclays Premier League summit to just two points. The boss was delighted with the Reds' battling win at the KC Stadium and highlighted the return of Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic as another big plus point to the day.

"Today is a step forward for us," Sir Alex told MUTV. "We've got the win which is very important as we're entering a crucial stage, and we've got two of our centre-backs back which will make a big difference to us. And they were absolutely magnificent.

"We have to give credit to Hull because they got really stuck into us and put tackles in everywhere. They gave a lot of fouls away which that had an affect on our momentum, but you know that games like this away from home will be tough."

It was an eventful afternoon for Wayne Rooney who was involved in all four goals. Having put the Reds in front on the stroke of half-time, it was his poor back pass which led to Hull's equaliser from the penalty spot. Rooney was to have the last word, however, as he created both United's second and third goals.

"He was a threat all day," declared Sir Alex. "He's a natural winner and his desire is inborn. Yes, he made a mistake, but aside from that one bad moment, he was exceptionally good. He would have been more sick than anyone by his mistake, but he's rectified it in a nice way."

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Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Manchester United have the right blend to retain their Premier League crown - providing they can stay clear of injuries.

After watching his horse What A Friend land the prestigious Lexus Chase at Leopardstown on Tuesday, Ferguson now has his sights on a win over Wigan to complete a welcome post-Christmas double.

Victory over the Latics, who they have beaten on all 10 previous meetings, would allow United to move within two points of leaders Chelsea for the start of 2010, a situation Ferguson would have gladly accepted in the depth of his side's recent injury crisis.

Now he can only hope for a clean bill of health as the season enters a phase which could prove decisive in the battle to finish top.

"Getting all our players back is key for us," said Ferguson. "Hopefully the new year brings back these players because our squad has got the right mix.

"There is plenty of youth and experience so if we get that consistency of selection to help us go on the kind of run we are used to, we will certainly have a big chance."

The return of skipper Gary Neville after three weeks out with a groin strain will allow Ferguson to name an experienced defence after Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown came through Sunday's win at Hull unscathed.

That solidity should allow United's forward line to flourish, with Wayne Rooney in particular hitting threatening form with his 14th goal of the season at the KC Stadium.

And the impact of Dimitar Berbatov could be equally significant.

Berbatov is yet to win over a section of the United support since his club record £30.75million arrival from Tottenham 18 months ago.

But his efficiency is starting to pay dividends and, having eased him through a knee injury which Ferguson is now confident will not require an operation, the Bulgarian will be a key figure in the challenges which lie ahead.

"Dimitar has had a bit of a knee niggle but it is a lot better now," said Ferguson.

"We have been treating him quite carefully because we know that we need him in the important second part of the season.

"He came through a full game against Hull and felt fine. He doesn't need an operation and hopefully that is it gone now."

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Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out the possibility of making major additions to his Manchester United squad during the January transfer window.

At the depth of his defensive injury crisis, it seemed inevitable Ferguson would bring in new faces.

Sol Campbell was among those being mentioned, only for Ferguson to instantly reject the theory that he might be interested in a 36-year-old who played in just one League Two game since leaving Portsmouth at the end of last season.

Although United still have injury problems, Nemanja Vidic and Wes Brown turned out at Hull last weekend and were fit enough to face Wigan at Old Trafford last night as the Red Devils recorded only their second clean sheet in six games during a five-goal romp.

With Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand also nearing recovery, Ferguson sees no need to spend any more of the £80million he received from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.

"Inevitably, people look to this month's transfer window as a solution to our injury worries but it is not the answer," Ferguson told United Review.

"If someone could give me the name of a really good centre-half who would accept a three-month contract then I would jump at the chance. But where do you find a player like that?

"A decent player would be looking for a three-year contract and I don't need that kind of addition.

"It is difficult enough leaving good players out of the team without adding another to the mix, so I won't be looking for a senior player to ease our defensive crisis.

"Hopefully the worst is over anyway and we can get some stability at the back. Once we do that I am sure we will make up the ground we have lost."

With Gary Neville making the bench last night and pencilled in for an outing in Sunday's mouthwatering FA Cup tie with Leeds at Old Trafford, Ferguson has already got more strength at his disposal.

He expects Evans to be available "within 10 days", with Ferdinand not too far behind after United's medical staff finally got to the bottom of a back complaint that has plagued the 30-year-old for 18 months.

"The main thing for Rio is there is no recurrence of the back problem," said Ferguson.

"That is what we have been waiting for.

"We wanted him to come through the test of running and turning. He is doing his programme in the gymnasium, which is good and at the moment it is looking very healthy."

The one piece of bad news in Ferguson's post-Wigan medical bulletin concerned John O'Shea.

When he limped out of the Republic of Ireland's agonising World Cup exit in France last month, Ferguson felt O'Shea had suffered nothing more than a dead leg.

But complications soon became evident. Ferguson now regards United's utility man as a long-term absentee, with a period of two months being mentioned before the Waterford-born star is ready to return.

"There is no sign of recovery at all for John," said Ferguson.

"It is his first injury at the club and he is a big loss because he is such a versatile player.

"We just want to get him back but it could be a couple of months yet."

As he celebrated his 68th birthday, Ferguson was able to put talk of another league title on the backburner.

United are not in action again in the Premier League until they travel to in-form Birmingham on January 9.

But when they resume battle with chief rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, the Old Trafford godfather knows that his side's current position, just two points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti's men, provides the ideal springboard for a concerted challenge.

"We would have liked to be better but given all the injuries, this is where we hoped to be," said Ferguson.

"You have to respect the fact Chelsea have also won games but the second half of the season does not hold any fears for us.

"We have got the squad and with defenders coming back, it gives us the confidence we can handle everything over the next few months."

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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted it is highly unlikely he will move into the transfer market to plug defensive gaps this January.

Sir Alex Ferguson: No reinforcements planned

The Red Devils have suffered severely with injuries this season, and at one stage had only Patrice Evra fit as a recognised, experienced defender.

Sir Alex revealed this week that John O'Shea faces another two months on the sidelines, but both Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand are nearing a return after Rafael, Wes Brown and Nemanja Vidic all made comebacks recently.

"Inevitably, people look to this month's transfer window as a solution to our injury worries but it is not the answer," Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News. "If someone could give me the name of a really good centre-half who would accept a three-month contract then I would jump at the chance. But where do you find a player like that?

"A decent player would be looking for a three-year contract and I don't need that kind of addition.

"It is difficult enough leaving good players out of the team without adding another to the mix, so I won't be looking for a senior player to ease our defensive crisis.

"Hopefully the worst is over anyway and we can get some stability at the back. Once we do that I am sure we will make up the ground we have lost."

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Well, he can always loan players. Say, Matthew Upson/Ryan Shawcross or smth.