United’s quest for Audi Cup glory begins on Wednesday
evening, but the Reds will ride into battle without club captain
Gary Neville.
The 34-year-old tweaked a groin in Seoul last week,
cutting short his involvement on the Asia tour and ruling him out
of the two-day tournament in Munich. Although he’d much rather be
in Germany lining up against the likes of Boca Juniors and either
AC Milan or Bayern Munich, Neville’s prescribed rest has at least
given him plenty of time to think.
In an exclusive interview with ManUtd.com, the club
captain talks about defeat in Rome, losing Cristiano Ronaldo and
his own ambitions for 2009/10…
What’s your take on last season? Are you disappointed by
events in Rome or proud of winning an 18th title?
I
think the best way to describe it was that it was a great season
tinged by disappointment. In 25 years when people look back on last
season it will be seen as a tremendous success. The problem at this
club is that the standards are so high that losing a European Cup
final just isn’t acceptable. We just need to put that out of our
minds now and try and move on.
How do you bounce back from losing a major European
final?
What the experience told us is that we’re good
enough to reach consecutive finals, which is something we haven’t
done in the past. In the last three years we’ve been to two finals
and reached the semi-final stage, so that’s not too bad. You can’t
win everything all the time. In Rome we came up against a very good
Barcelona team and we didn’t play as well as we know we can. That
was disappointing but we’re realistic and we know it’s not the end
of the world. Now we’re desperate to reach the final again and put
right what happened in Rome.
What would you say to those suggesting United have been
weakened by the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos
Tevez?
A short-sighted observer who perhaps hasn’t
followed United over the last 20 years will say that we won’t be
able to recover, but I’ve always found big-name departures present
an opportunity for somebody else to step up to the plate and
deliver. I think that’s what will happen this season. You might see
a slightly different style of football and you’ll definitely see
players coming to the fore.
Will Chelsea provide the biggest challenge for the league
this season?
They’ll be right up there, for sure. But
I think Liverpool and Arsenal are just as strong. Manchester City
have obviously spent a lot of money and they’ll be looking to be
competitive, as will Aston Villa. But there’s no doubt Chelsea are
a strong team and will push us all the way.
What are the goals for this
season?
Ultimately I want the club to be successful
and to win trophies. On a personal level I just want to stay fit
and contribute to the team as much as possible.