In the red corner: Fergie takes the fight to Stamford Bridge
Sir Alex comes out fighting over United's woeful record at the Bridge but concedes the hosts' diamond formation packs a mighty punch, writes Jeremy Cross
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'If you look at Ballack and Deco, they come from places where tactics are more of an issue,' says Sir Alex Ferguson
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Sir Alex Ferguson has seen managers come and go from Stamford Bridge since 2002, but one thing has remained the same and it seems to be burning in the mind of the Manchester United manager.
That was the year United last triumphed over their great rivals in a Premier League game at the Bridge. Today's incentive to address such a poor record couldn't be greater considering a rare victory for United would lift them above Carlo Ancelotti's side to the top of the table.
Ferguson is convinced the season is still too new to place ultimate significance on the outcome, but he knows psychological points are also up for grabs against the team he now considers to be his greatest challenge.
Yet he faces a new conundrum that he must overcome if United are to claim three points: how to stop Chelsea thriving on the diamond formation Ancelotti has brought with him from Milan and implemented so successfully at his new home.
Ferguson believes Ancelotti has been missing someone to head the diamond, as Kaka did for the Italians, but the return to fitness of Joe Cole might just solve this problem.
Ferguson is a huge admirer of Ancelotti and believes he could be the manager to finally help fans stop mourning Jose Mourinho's exit. He said: "He has done a really good job quickly and he is helped because he has had experienced players around him. They can understand changes of tactics better than younger players. If you look at [Michael] Ballack and Deco, they come from places where tactics are more of an issue. Anelka and Drogba have played abroad so it's not surprising that they have adapted. It is the same to how he operated in Milan, with the difference being that he had Kaka. That made a hell of a difference and they [Chelsea] are still looking for someone in a forward role to balance their team better.
"They have tried [Frank] Lampard there, they have tried Deco, they have even tried [Florent] Malouda there and now they have brought in Joe Cole. But they have the experience to cope.
Regarding the spectre of Mourinho, he added: "I don't think Carlo is worried about that at all. He has his own CV. It is impressive, he has won two European Cups and the Scudetto, and how many European medals has he got? His European pedigree is unquestionable. He will maybe play a different way to Mourinho. He was at Milan for a longer time than we expect of Italian coaches. Maybe he needed a new challenge, and outside England where was there?"
Ferguson, who will be without Rio Ferdinand, who has a calf injury, and the suspended Gary Neville, does not believe this game will decide the title race but he appreciates that Chelsea are well ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool when it comes to pushing United. "They have replaced Arsenal as our main competitor. We have faced them in FA Cup and European Cup finals and they or us have been first or second in the League a number of times. They play a different system now but they are always tough to beat.
"It is early season. Until the internationals are over in November you don't get the consistent pattern. Teams can surprise you – we didn't expect to lose three points at Burnley, not in a million years. It was a fantastic night for them, their fans were brilliant and we never took [our chances]. But over the last two or three years, you tend to anticipate surprise results early on."
Such is United's dire record at the Bridge, the next biggest surprise could be an away win for the champions.
Chelsea v Manchester United is live on Sky Sports 1 from 3.30pm today
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Comments
Since, he has only bashed 2 other referees, which is not too bad by his standards, supposedly.
Finally they said November 3rd was the decision day, but hey, that would make a bad influence on the morale before the Chelsea game, so let's wait!
Pathetic FA, you are shamefully corrupt, and it is too transparent!
1) October 2009: Andre Marriner's decision to dismiss Nemanja Vidic against Liverpool rather than Jamie Carragher.
Fergie said: “The Vidic booking was the worst decision. It is a foul, fine. But the player has played on, he won the second ball and knocked it for a throw in and got booked. It put Nemanja under pressure.”
2) October 2009: Alan Wiley's decision not to add any more injury time at the end of Manchester United's draw with Sunderland.
Fergie said: "I was disappointed with the referee. He didn't add on any time for the goal. He played four minutes and two seconds. He was also walking up the pitch for the second goal needing a rest. He was not fit enough for a game of that standard. The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game.
3) August 2009: Chris Foy's decision to allow play to continue after Michael Ballack had floored Patrice Evara in the Community Shield.
Fergie said: "The referee saw it, he clearly saw it. I’m disappointed because he has stopped the game twice before that. Once when Ballack went down he jumped up and was back on his feet again in seconds. That decision cost us the game. We’ve said it time and time again, all we want is consistency.”
4) November 2008: Mike Dean's decision not to send off Hull's Michael Turner during United's 4-3 win at Old Trafford.
Fergie said: "The player's already been booked so the referee's failed in his duty there. It should have been a red card as he was right through."
5) September 2008: Keith Hackett's decision to rescind a red card awarded to John Terry by Mark Halsey, clearing him to play in a crucial league game against Manchester United.
Fergie said: "My information is that Hackett told Mark Halsey to rescind the red card and he would not do it. Now I understand that Halsey is being made to referee in the Second Division this weekend. I just don't understand how this could have happened. If it had been a Manchester United player, Hackett would never have done this for us."
6) March 2008: Martin Atkinson's decision to award Portsmouth a penalty and send off Tomasz Kuszczak during the FA Cup tquarter-final at Old Trafford.
Fergie said: "Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week."
7) December 2007: Mark Clattenburg's decision not to protect Manchester United players enough during a 1-0 defeat at Bolton.
Fergie said: “I told [Clattenburg] exactly what I thought and he didn’t like it. I told him just how bad he was in the first half.”
8) November 2007: Howard Webb's decision to award Arsenal a 92nd minute equaliser after Edwin van der Sar thought he'd kept William Gallas' header out.
Fergie said: "It is very difficult for the referee ... at times, he favoured Arsenal. Their second goal came from him not giving a free-kick for a foul on Louis Saha on the far side. It should have been a foul for us!"
9) April 2007: Herbert Fandel's decision to send Paul Scholes off during United's 2-1 defeat to Roma in the Champions Legaue.
Fergie said: "I can't have any complaints about [Scholes's] first booking but I do have complaints about the second one. In a big game like that, a good referee would not have sent him off."
10) August 2003: Uriah Rennie's decision not to penalise Newcastle's Andy O'Brien after he brought down Ryan Giggs.
Fergie said: "!#@!" - or words to that effect to fourth official Jeff Winter, for which he was subsequently charged with misconduct
It was boring and irrelevent when you first posted this nonesence yesterday although after the performance of the officials at Stamford Bridge today I'm sure you'll find SAF's comments to be even more ammunition for your one man crusade against Britains most succesfull manager, afterall the referee was superb today wasn't he!
Keep taking the tablets.
I am sure it is boring and irrelevant for you, after all, for you lot the truth is only ten truth, when it is on YOUR side!
Man U players surrond referees like culture gangs, protest to every decision against them, and never mention the ridiculous decisions for them like not sending off Evans for kicking Drogba in the chest (giving Drogba the yellow card isntead), or Valencia's ridiculously vilolent tackle on Lampard.
Shamelessly violent team, and terribly poor losers, led by this greatets British manager (or godfather) of all times! Be proud my friend!