Sir Alex Demands Response

Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United will need at least one point against Manchester City next Monday after throwing away a pair against Everton.

The manager admitted he was in shock after seeing his team somehow only draw 4-4, having led 4-2 against David Moyes' Toffees with only eight minutes to go at Old Trafford.

"It was a throwaway, an absolute giveaway," said an aghast Sir Alex. "We just needed to see the game out and it was a travesty because some of our football was fantastic. The goals we scored were great goals. To give away four goals at Old Trafford in a home game like that which was so important to us is unbelievable. I can't believe it."

Expecting Manchester City to win at Wolves in Sunday's later fixture, Sir Alex told MUTV: "We've given ourselves a real task at the Etihad. We'll go there only three points ahead."

The performance against Everton was pure Jekyll and Hyde - with a wonderful attacking show from the likes of Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Nani let down by a poor defensive display.

"We've created our goals with really good football but I think they got their goals easily," reflected Sir Alex.

"Rooney and Welbeck were a real threat to Everton today, their combination play and understanding of each other was terrific. They should have got more out of the game than they did.

"Defensive lapses have cost us. In previous matches recently we've actually defended very well. But this was a bad performance defensively. It was a real blip for us today to get a performance like that. I think the goals we conceded were soft goals."

No United fan will need reminding that the last away team before Everton to score four - or more - at Old Trafford was Manchester City and that same side could now capitalise after yet another twist in the title race.

"We've given City the inititative, there's no question about that," conceded Sir Alex. "It makes the game at the Etihad Stadium a really important game now. It makes it the title decider really.

"We make it hard for ourselves but we have to go there knowing we're capable of getting a result. We need to get a result now at the Etihad, there's no question about that. There's no reason why we can't do that. There's been an expectancy from City that this could be their decider. But it's our decider too.

"There'll be a reaction from us obviously. There's no question about that. A derby game next Monday against City would always have been a derby game of the highest proportions."

But is it now the biggest derby game of Sir Alex's 25 years? "Yes, definitely."

Sir Alex was talking to MUTV and Sky Sports.