Boss Hails Reds' Experience

Every month Sir Alex sits down with Inside United (on sale now) to discuss the latest United and football issues. Here's part two of what the boss had to say this month...

Edwin van der Sar, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville are all coming to the end of their careers. How do you even begin to think about replacing players like that?
You can’t replace players like that like-for-like. Instead, you look for people who perform in similar positions and who have comparable qualities. But you’re never going to find replicas – not for those sorts of players. When these men retire we need to look at what’s left and what we need to bring in to maintain the right balance. I think we’ve been good in that respect over the years, and I’m confident we’ll get it right again. These guys continue to defy age simply because they have the desire to do well and their preparation is so good. Two years ago I was reading that Ryan and Scholesy were playing what would be their last seasons. Then I read the same things last year. Now I think they can still contribute for at least another campaign.

Over the last two years you must have become frustrated with answering questions about Dimitar Berbatov...
When you bring a player to Manchester United, not everybody takes to the situation straight away. Not all signings become hits overnight. Valencia did, of course, but he’s almost an exception. Others take time, and Dimitar was a bit like that. It’s just a fact. Nobody’s ever doubted the ability of the lad, but what we’re seeing now is a striker who’s playing with belief and confidence. All strikers are massively reliant on those two factors – belief and confidence. And at the moment Berbatov has both.

After the Community Shield you seemed confident this would be Berbatov’s season. Did you have a crystal ball?
No, no, nothing like that! I just had a word with him at the start of the campaign. I told him: ‘Look, only you can solve this conundrum. You’re the one in control here. You’ve got fantastic ability and you need to realise that ability and make the most of it. We’ll be here to support you’. And he’s started the season in terrific form for us. Dimitar has been, without doubt, our star forward.

The first goal against Liverpool came directly from a corner, which is something we don’t see a lot of these days. Is that an area where you’d like to see an improvement?
I think a lot of teams are finding it harder to score from corners and set-pieces these days. There’s been a reduction in that type of goal in recent years because defences are far more aware of the dangers of such situations and are much better organised. All we ask for is good movement in the penalty area and decent delivery from the player taking the kick. If we can score from set-pieces that’s a bonus.

United’s next test in Europe is facing Turkish side Bursaspor at home. Nothing other than three points is acceptable in that one, is it?
You’re right. We have to be consistent in the Champions League now and pick up good results at Old Trafford. United need to win against Bursaspor, without a doubt. Our away record in the competition has been terrific over the last few years, so we want more of the same this season as well.

United have never played Bursaspor. What sort of research goes into games against teams that are relatively unknown?
We watch a lot of videos, and my brother Martin and our chief scout Jim Lawlor have been to see Bursaspor twice. It’s a long journey to get there but we have decent knowledge of them now. They have four Argentinians, two Brazilians... the club have spent a lot of money over the last few years, thanks to their Russian owner. It’s going to be a tricky trip with one of those typical Turkish atmospheres.

Is it a coincidence that three important figures in the United set-up – yourself, Brian McClair and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – were all prolific strikers as players? Do goalscoring coaches make for attacking teams?
That’s a difficult one to answer. I don’t think so, though. To be a top manager you need to have the proper belief in the game and approach it with the right philosophy. Attacking football is part of that. But I don’t think players’ characteristics necessarily influence the way they manage.

Ryan Giggs describes you as a ‘supreme psychologist’. Is that something you’ve worked on over time?
To be honest, I think a lot of people play that side of me up and exaggerate it. What’s important is that when you’re dealing with human beings you need to know your subject. Then it’s a case of picking the right technique to deal with that subject. Most of the time it comes down to common sense. Experience helps, of course. There’s no big secret, though.