Man Utd legends back Fergie to win 20th title

Manchester United legends Andy Cole and Lee Sharpe believe Premier League table toppers Manchester City lack the experience the cross the final hurdle in the race for the title.

“I don’t think it’s going to go down to the wire. I would be surprised if it goes down to the game at the Etihad Stadium (in April),” said Cole emphatically.

“The way the two clubs are going at the moment, there is not going to be too many points being dropped. In football anything can happen. Both clubs are in decent form,” he added

City, bidding for the first English title since 1968, lead the table by two points with 12 games remaining.

However, Cole believes United have what it takes to come from behind to silence their rivals whom Sir Alex Ferguson described famously as being their “noisy neighbours”.

“Manchester City have never experienced, specially coming into latter part of season (as leaders). Manchester United have been there numerous times. As a Man United fan you will hope that at some stage Manchester City slip-up due to their lack of experience when it comes to this part of the season. You just never know what can happen,” said Cole who won five Premier League championships medals with United.

However, Cole’s former Newcastle and Fulham teammate Sharpe feels the title race will go down to the wire despite United being in a rich vein of form.

“Manchester United have come in to a good vein of form. I think they are playing well. They got a lot of experience in this position (second). Manchester City have never really been in this position (top) before. It’s going to come down to the last few games and probably United-City game in April is going to be really vital,” said Sharpe who has won almost every trophy in United colours.

The duo were fielding questions during a press conference in Dubai held as part of Manchester United’s Champions Trophy Tour to Dubai organised by DHL, the official logistics partner of United.

Frank-Uwe Ungerer, Country Manager of DHL Express in the UAE, said: “The visit of Manchester United’s Champions Trophy Tour to Dubai provides us with a unique opportunity to showcase DHL’s behind-the-scenes operations with Manchester United to our key customers and staff locally, and it was great for our customers and staff to have the opportunity to meet Andy Cole and Lee Sharpe and to see the Premier League trophy up close.”

The Champions Trophy Tour, delivered by DHL, celebrates the club winning a record 19th Premier League title last season and visits 27 countries around the world, travelling almost 48,000 miles in the process.

Asked whether it was a surprise to see City at the top, Sharpe said: “They’ve spent lot of money and one would expect them to be near at the top. (Roberto) Mancini is a good manager. I think they got a bit more attacking this year than last year where they were pretty defensive. But now they got a really strong team, really good squad going forward with some really great players.”

He admitted that United missing out on the knockout stages of the Champions League was a “huge disappointment and setback” with Ferguson’s gamble of playing weaker teams misifiring.

“Not to qualify from the group stages was a massive loss. With the group they had, they (United) were really expected to go through comfortably. Manager (Ferguson) took a little bit of risk and gamble at times in playing weaker teams thinking he would get through and I think it backfired. They paid the price for it. He will do his best to try and win Europa League and obviously win the (Premier) league to make sure they get back into Europe next year,” said Sharpe who is based in UAE since December as a football analyst for Abu Dhabi Sports channel.

Both Cole and Sharpe were unanimous of the view that Ferguson would be a difficult act to follow.

“It’s tough to replace him. I think you normally have to find a scapegoat to fail before someone decent comes in. He’s been the catalyst off all success. He’s changed the club around from what used to be a champagne to a cup winning team, a sort of consistent Championship winning team,” said Sharpe who was one of the first generation of champions produced by Ferguson.

“To bring someone, it has to be a huge personality with massive knowledge of European football. We have to see whether he (Ferguson) stays there and oversees thing or steps away so that someone can get there,” he said recalling how the turn around in fortunes at Old Trafford took place.

“It’s a tough question,” said Sharpe when asked who would likely succeed Ferguson. “Jose Mourinho would love the job. I’m not sure he is the Man United sort of manager the way his team (Real Madrid) plays,” he added of the former Chelsea boss.

Sharpe believes it is difficult to keep United from winning titles.

“When we won the first one, we had gone 26 or 27 years without winning it. It is a huge achievement to get the first one. I think why we got the first one was the season before we lost it to Leeds. I think sometimes you have to lose to try and win it,” said Sharpe who is confident United would not stop at 19 league titles.

Sharpe recalled his backheel against Barcelona at the European Cup as one of his most memorable goals.

“Man United had not been beaten at home in Europe. They (Barcelona) came out and sort of destroyed us a little bit. We were 2-1 down and the equaliser that saved the home record with a little back heel was definitely one of my favourites,” said Sharpe who won the Premier League (twice), FA Cup and European Cup Winners’s Cup during his spell at United.

Cole, the second highest goal scorer in Premier League history with 187, said to play for Manchester United Football Club was a great honour. 

“Looking back, I enjoyed every minute of it. The good, the bad, the indifferent. That’s what football is about. I was fortunate to play in a great team and to achieve as many trophies as I did was a great honour,” said Cole.

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