Fergie out to make history

13 August 2009 16:27
Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his Manchester United side to make history by winning a fourth consecutive title. The Red Devils claimed their second hat-trick of crowns with last season's Premier League triumph, following on from the achievements of Liverpool and the pre-war efforts of Huddersfield and Arsenal. But no side has ever managed a fourth, and that is what Ferguson and his squad will have their sights on when they kick-off the new season against Birmingham at Old Trafford on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1. The departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez have removed two of United's most potent attacking weapons, although Ferguson has brought in Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen to bolster his squad. And last May's UEFA Champions League final defeat to Barcelona means they will not be distracted by a mid-season trip to Abu Dhabi to defend their Club World Cup trophy. "We would like to do it," said Ferguson. "It would be a great achievement obviously, because we all know what a difficult league it is. "Under the circumstances, it was a great achievement to win it last year. But we don't have to go for the Club World Cup this time and we don't have to play catch-up in terms of games." Ferguson must decide whether Wayne Rooney will continue his partnership with Dimitar Berbatov this weekend given Owen is desperate for some involvement. "Our approach to him has been to say 'enjoy being here, enjoy the training' and he has not missed a single session yet," said Ferguson. "He has operated really well in all the games so far. He has shown some really clever stuff and I am very pleased with him."

Source: SKY_Sports