Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed anyone believing he could
play the same side that defeated FC Porto in Manchester United's FA
Cup semi-final with Everton on Sunday is "off their
heads".
Despite the enormity of their meeting with David Moyes' side,
the Red Devils will be virtually unrecognisable from the team that
started in Portugal.
Wayne
Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick are all
expected to stand down, with Edwin van der Sar and Dimitar Berbatov possibly
joining them, although some will be on the bench in case of
emergency.
The move may not sit well with traditionalists, however Ferguson
insists he has no other choice. "When I pick my team, no matter
what it is there will be critics voicing a concern about me not
playing my strongest team," said the United chief.
"Not everyone agrees with changes. There are some supporters who
want me to play my best team every game. "That is impossible. If
you look at Wednesday's game you are off your head to think I could
play the same team again."
The sheer energy expended in United reaching the last four of
Europe's number one club competition for the third season in a row
means the men asked to do the bulk of the running will not be asked
to put their bodies on the line again.
It means Rooney is set to miss out on an emotional last four
meeting with his former club, with Ronaldo due to sit the game out
as well having toiled on his own up front for the last half
hour.
"I am in a difficult position because we have got so many hard
games coming up," reflected Ferguson. "Somewhere along the line I
have to make changes. "The speed of the game has changed.
"Look at how fast the Premier Division is. The intensity of the
matches is the reason English teams have a head start in Europe."
Yet Ferguson also denies he is devaluing the FA Cup.
Replacements such as Park Ji-sung, Darren Fletcher and Carlos Tevez are all senior
internationals who have been integral figures in United's pursuit
of an unprecedented quintuple this term.
It is easy therefore for Ferguson to reject the theory he is
playing a weakened team. "Hand on heart, the FA Cup is important,"
he said. "We don't want to have a defeat at this time of year. No
matter what the defeat is, we have to answer for that."
There is also the little matter of Ferguson's impeccable record
in semi-finals, which dates back to 1990 and currently stands at
eight. Nevertheless, United will not start quite the red-hot
favourites they were expected to be, with their manager placing his
trust in a defence which, with Rio Ferdinand back alongside
Nemanja
Vidic, kept its first clean sheet in six matches
on Wednesday night.
"Defensively we did really well on Wednesday," said Ferguson.
"We were back to something like our best which is what we need now.
"We can take encouragement from it but we can also take the
understanding of what that partnership at the back means."
As individuals, Ferdinand and Vidic are outstanding, both on the
six-man short-list for the PFA player of the year award. However,
as a pair they are even better, standing alongside Steve Bruce and
Gary Pallister as the best partnership of Ferguson's time at Old
Trafford.
"Experience is important at this time of year," said Ferguson.
"It allows you to be composed under pressure and gives you a
presence. "But it is more than that. It is the partnership. "I keep
on about Bruce and Pallister, who were together for seven years and
hardly missed a game.
"Through that they got a consistency and an understanding and
knowledge of each other's capabilities. Now it is the same with
Ferdinand and Vidic."
