Source: Telegraph
Sir Alex Ferguson backs Nemanja Vidic as Player of the Year
Serbian defender Vidic has been nominated alongside Old Trafford team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Edwin Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard for the award, which will be presented to the winner on April 26. [LNB]United winger Ronaldo will become the first player to win the award three years in a row if he tops the voting later this month. [LNB] Related ArticlesPorto v Man Utd: Game ZonePFA Player of the Year Awards isn't workingUnited dominate PFA nominationsArsenals Arsene Wenger blasts Manchester United dominance of PFA awardsChelsea v Liverpool: History old and new gives Rafa Benitez hope over expectationChampions League guide: Manchester United and Barcelona the teams to beatBut Vidic, whose performances during United's record-breaking run of 1,334 minutes without conceding goal proved pivotal earlier this season, is understood to be leading the race, despite a recent dip in form sparked by a below-par performance in the 4-1 Old Trafford defeat against Liverpool last month. [LNB]United manager Ferguson said: "We have had a lot of standout performers this season, players who have all done well, but Vidic has been exceptional. [LNB] "I also have to say that Ryan Giggs just amazes you every time that he plays nowadays. When we won the treble in 1999, though, my players didn't win a single award, so they are not something I place too much emphasis on." [LNB]Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has suggested that the PFA vote fails to recognise the performances of players throughout an entire season, with votes usually cast by PFA members during January and February. [LNB]And Ferguson concedes that the timing of the voting does not lend itself to identifying the true standout player of the season. [LNB]He said: "The voting for the PFA award is done early and that is something that I have mentioned in the past. It should perhaps be done a bit later, but the Football Writers' award is voted for at the end of the season and the two don't really want to coincide." [LNB]United face Porto in Portugal this evening bidding to better a 2-2 first-leg draw to progress to the semi-finals. [LNB]But United's former Porto midfielder Anderson admits that the hosts are more than capable of giving the European champions a tough night in Estadio do Dragao. [LNB]Anderson said: "I wasn't surprised at all by Porto in the first game. They have a lot of quality in the squad. A lot of them are South American, so they know how to play football. We might not have been at our best in the last few games but we have to go into this game confident. We have the will to win. [LNB] "Porto are certainly capable of producing another good performance, but we all know we need to play well and, most importantly, score goals. That's our objective and we're confident." [LNB]
