Source: SKY_Sports
Fergie claims Fulham favour
Sir Alex Ferguson believes losing to Fulham will do Manchester United a favour as it will stop players believing their own publicity.
United face Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD 1 on Sunday, in unusually vulnerable fashion after successive defeats to Liverpool and Roy Hodgson's Cottagers re-opened the title race.
Ferguson has urged his side to 'kick on' despite suspensions and injuries adding to the Scot's woes.
However, he conceded the growing talk of a five-trophy haul in recent months may have affected some of the younger members of his squad.
"Everybody likes to read good things about themselves," Ferguson said. "It is a natural thing to do so it can affect.
"There are a lot of young players in that dressing room, so maybe the Fulham defeat in particular came at a good time.
"It has got rid of all that nonsense that we are untouchable and unbeatable that I have had to try and dampen down in the last month.
"We have been done a favour. Now we can concentrate on playing football and not reading newspapers."
Ferguson is more concerned about a fixture schedule that forces United to tackle Villa late afternoon on Sunday even though the Red Devils tackle FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.
Ferguson did have an option to move the game back, but the only available timeslot was the Saturday early kick-off at 12.45.
As that would not even have given some of his players time for one training session following this week's World Cup qualifier matches, Ferguson decided a Sunday-Tuesday turnaround was the lesser of two evils.
"Somebody has to look at this because the Premier League are not doing it," he said.
"No club should be playing on a Saturday lunchtime after a European tie or internationals. It is crazy, absolutely crazy."
Carlos Tevez is Ferguson's only available senior striker given Wayne Rooney is suspended and Dimitar Berbatov has been ruled out for another fortnight.
But, having suffered a six-goal mauling with Argentina in Bolivia on Wednesday, Tevez only arrived back in Manchester from South America on Friday evening and Ferguson joked: "I think he is coming back from Mars.
"With Dimitar out and Wayne suspended hopefully Carlos will be okay. That will give us one striker, then we will have to choose another."
