Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says the Premier League’s top clubs can’t waste time developing English talent when imported players are more certain to deliver trophies.

“When you are a top four club, you have to understand that you need success right away,” Ferguson said in Shortlist magazine published on Thursday. “You can’t wait three or four years for players to ease in, like perhaps you can with clubs who are not expected to win silverware year in, year out.

“When you are manager of Man United, there is always pressure to win things. We are one of the biggest clubs in the world and everybody associated with the club expects success, no matter how successful you have been in the past.”

Having already won the Club World Cup in December, the Red Devils are targeting a further four trophies by defending their Premier League and Champions League titles, beating Tottenham in the March 1 League Cup final and progressing in the FA Cup.

“In the last decade, we have really seen football move into a squad game,” said Ferguson, who has been at Old Trafford since 1986. “You need 20 good players to fight on all fronts.”

Ferguson has preferred to give emerging English players first-team experience by sending them on loan to rival clubs. Striker Fraizer Campbell, 21, is at Tottenham until the end of the season while goalkeeper Ben Foster has been struggling for action since returning from a two-year stint at Watford with Edwin van der Sar unbeaten in 14 consecutive league matches.

United beat Fulham 3-0 on Wednesday to go five-points clear atop the Premier League, but started with just three Englishmen – Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes. Striker Wayne Rooney came off the bench in the second half to score the final goal for the defending champions.

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Sir Alex Ferguson insisted that his quest for five trophies is not an impossible dream after Manchester United remained on course for an unprecedented haul of silverware by beating Derby 4-1 in the FA Cup fifth round. Having already claimed the Fifa Club World Cup Japan 2008 and a place in the League Cup final against Tottenham next month, United can extend their advantage at the head of the Premier League to five points with victory over Fulham on Wednesday.

Ferguson, whose team are also in the Uefa Champions League last-16, certainly believes he has the squad to attempt a clean-sweep.

After making seven changes against Derby including relegating Nemanja Vidic to the bench and leaving out Dimitar Berbatov entirely, the Scot is determined to give himself every chance of keeping his team fresh for the run-in. “The squad has been fantastic. They have carried us through and got us through some difficult games,” said Ferguson whose team have been drawn against either Swansea or Fulham in the FA Cup last eight.

“With the game on Wednesday in mind I made some changes and the squad did very well again. That is encouraging and we are delighted to be in the next round of the FA Cup. It would have been nice to have a home draw, but we are one game away from the semifinal and that should give everyone a great incentive. I hope the squad can maintain the levels they have hit in the last few weeks, but I saw Swansea play very, very well against Fulham in the first game and that tie is far from finished.”

Derby manager Nigel Clough has been up close and personal with United more than any other manager recently. Since taking charge six weeks ago this was his third encounter with the European champions and after the way United breezed over their latest hurdle, Clough thinks people should begin to take their quintet quest far more seriously.

“It is possible that they can do all five. That was the most impressive performance they have put in against us. They are almost impossible to prepare for and when you look at the players they have to add to that squad and come back,” Clough said.

“It is a very difficult thing to do and would be unprecedented, but they looked very good indeed and if anyone can do it they can. If they had played Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool today they could have put four goals past them as well. That is how good they were.”

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one of United’s goals from a relatively rare outing in a central striking role, to add to others from Darron Gibson, Portuguese winger Nani and substitute Danny Welbeck, while Miles Addison got one back for Derby.

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Ryan Giggs scored an excellent goal to clinch the match 1 – 0 for Manchester United against West Ham on Sunday. This ensured Man U regains the top spot in the English Premier League from Liverpool, who briefly went to the top on Saturday by beating Portsmouth 3 – 2.

In a cagey game of few chances Giggs jinked past two West Ham players after 61 minutes before skimming a low shot inside the far post to put the champions two points clear of Liverpool.

United have 55 points from 24 games while Liverpool, who beat Portsmouth 3-2 on Saturday, have 54 from 25.

United’s miserly defence was never unduly troubled as they registered a 13th consecutive clean sheet in the league.

Arsenal remain a distant fifth after drawing 0-0 at north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur despite playing for nearly an hour with ten men after Emmanuel Eboue was sent off.

Source: supersport.co.za

Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson have warned their rivals in the premier league that the Red Devils have rediscovered their ruthless streak as they beat West Bromwich Albion 5 – 0 in Tuesday night’s English Premier League game to go three points clear of closest rivals Liverpool.

Goals from Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Nemanja Vidic and two from Cristiano Ronaldo completed an emphatic rout of bottom club West Brom, whose flickering hopes were snuffed out with the 40th minute dismissal of captain Paul Robinson for a late challenge on South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung.

But with United now clear of the pack and with goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar breaking his Chelsea counterpart Petr Cech’s shut-out record by taking his run without conceding a goal to 1,032 minutes, Ferguson insisted that his team are now back to their destructive best.

He said: “We have shown a real ruthless streak tonight which has maybe not been there this season.

“We always expected it to come simply because of the forwards we have, but tonight was the first indication that it is there. Hopefully we will start to motor now. We have good form, which is important, but March and April are the key months.

“Even Cristiano scored in the league again and I actually said to him, ‘Oh, you’re scoring again. That’s very good of you!’ But he is delighted to have got himself back on the scoresheet.”

United’s recent surge up the table, on the back of eleven successive clean sheets and seven league wins on the bounce, has been largely down to their defensive record.

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Manchester United suffered a shock defeat of 1 – 0 against second division Derby last night at Pride Park on Wednesday in the Leaugue Cup.

“Kris Commons fired the only goal with half an hour gone and Derby could have taken a two-goal advantage to Old Trafford for the second leg in two weeks’ time had Rob Hulse not wasted a glorious late chance.

United manager Alex Ferguson fielded an under-strength side but introduced Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo late on with the latter almost equalising with a trademark free kick that brushed the post.

Until then the Premier League champions had rarely tested their former keeper Roy Carroll in the Derby goal.

Derby, relegated from the top flight last season with a record low points total and languishing in 18th place in the Championship, had new manager Nigel Clough watching in the stands as he prepared for his first day in charge.

Clough, confirmed as the club’s new manager on Tuesday, must have been impressed by the organisation and spirit of Derby who fully deserved their first leg advantage.

United came under pressure early on, with Jonny Evans forced to clear one effort off the line. Andy Todd then lifted a good chance over the crossbar.

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