Sir Alex Ferguson will not disregard Everton in Sunday’s FA Cup
semi-final at Wembley, insisting that if United cannot match the
Merseysiders’ will to win, the day could end in disappointment.
The boss is an admirer of the job David Moyes has done at
Goodison, and insists the Toffees are primed to win silverware,
with Sunday representing an ideal opportunity to reach a final. “My
problem is that we’re facing a very hungry team,” he said.
“David wants to win a trophy, and this is a big opportunity for
him. That’s what we’re facing: a very hungry team, and a very
hungry manager. We know what we’re up against. He has a good young
squad that will get better. The young players he has in the team,
allied to the ones he’s brought in, have a good future. He’s done a
great job.”
Sir Alex is well aware of Everton’s history and refuses to
accept any notion that they are a small club. “Moyes has been there
for five years now and he has built a good club. Irrespective of
what Rafael Benitez says – he called them a small club – they are a
big club. That just points to [Benitez’s] arrogance.”
It isn’t the only remark or gesture that has irked the United
manager recently. “There’s one thing about the arrogance he has
shown. But you can’t forgive his contempt for Sam Allardyce last
week. When Liverpool scored their second goal against Blackburn,
Benitez made a gesture that the game was finished. It was absolute
contempt and Sam didn’t deserve it.
“He is a guy who has worked so hard for the League Manager’s
Association and looked after young players in the game. He didn’t
deserve that. He had to play a team that was weakened, and to get
that kind of contempt… I don’t think any other Liverpool manager
would have done that.”