Source: Daily_Mail
Fergie defends Wolves boss McCarthy after he fielded reserves at Old Trafford
Sir Alex Ferguson has defended Mick McCarthy's controversial team selection at Old Trafford on Tuesday.[LNB]Wolves manager McCarthy has come under fire for leaving all 10 outfield players from the weekend win at Tottenham out of their clash with Manchester United.[LNB]Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was so incensed he claimed United - who recorded a 3-0 win - were effectively embroiled in a 37-game campaign compared to 38 for all their rivals.[LNB] Write caption here[LNB]To see the entire outfield team changed was a surprise to Ferguson, but the basis of the decision was not.[LNB]Having assessed the stats of Wolves' players at White Hart Lane, the Scot concluded at least six of their team would not be asked to produce a repeat showing at Old Trafford.[LNB]'Mick McCarthy did the right thing for Wolves,' said Ferguson.[LNB]'We looked at their performance against Tottenham and the amount of running they had to do. I said five or six of those players could not play.[LNB]'In addition to the actual match, they had been down to London, then they had to travel to Manchester and they also play Burnley at the weekend.[LNB]'We didn't think they would play their full side. We worked through the ones who did all the running and worked out who we thought it would be.[LNB]'We didn't expect 10 but we weren't far wrong.'[LNB]Since Tuesday night's encounter, a number of former professionals have expressed their disgust.[LNB]A number point to the great Liverpool sides of the 1970s, who often featured in 60 games a season without the need for a rest.[LNB]Yet Ferguson believes there is a fundamental difference in the game nowadays, both in terms of speed and physicality and the technology that allows clubs to monitor their players for evidence of a drop in standards.[LNB]And the results, according to United's long-serving manager, are what makes Sir Bobby Charlton's appearance record staggering.[LNB] Three and easy: Nemanja Vidic heads one of United's goals against Wolves[LNB]'Bobby Charlton played 759 games for Manchester United, without substitutions,' he said.[LNB]'Ryan Giggs has reached 821 games, but, both coming off and going on, he has been involved in hundreds of substitutions. That tells you how the game has changed.[LNB]'Up until 1965 there were no substitutions. After that it was only one, then two.[LNB]'To play 759 games in that era is amazing. It could never be done again.[LNB]'Ryan has benefited from being a substitute 112 times. That is an indication of the speed of the game and the competitive element.[LNB]'There are also more games now. Okay, there are benefits. The modern technology, sports science and nutrition have all improved a players' ability to last longer and deal with injuries better.[LNB]'Nonetheless there are a lot of games played at a high tempo.'[LNB]And, rather than effectively providing his team with a walkover on Tuesday, Ferguson feels the changes worked to Wolves' advantage.[LNB]'The Wolves side that played on Tuesday did exactly what a lot of sides have been doing to us recently,' he said.[LNB]'They never gave us a minute on the ball. They worked their socks off.[LNB]'To my mind, there was no discernable difference in the Wolves team that could have played to the one that did.'[LNB] THE MIDLANDER: Punishing McCarthy over selection is taking the MickWolves boss McCarthy rants: Fergie got away with it so why pick on me?WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS FC
