Sir Alex Ferguson accuses Inter Milan of negativity ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game @ Old Trafford and predicted that Jose Mourinho’s side will play for penalties in the second-leg of their last-16 tie.
Mourinho claimed before the two sides’ initial meeting at the San Siro, which ended 0–0, that United would not be willing to meet Inter “eye to eye” and would change their usual approach. Now Ferguson has turned the tables and tried to second-guess his opponents’ tactics, perhaps in the hope that it will goad the Portuguese into taking a more attacking approach.
“Could he really have believed that we wouldn’t attack at the San Siro?” Ferguson said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport. “Well, I’ll tell you that at Old Trafford Inter will play for penalties. There is always that Italian mentality. Even with Argentinians and other foreigners, that remains the idea. They will look to suffocate the game and aim for 120 minutes of goalless football. But I’m not worried about anything. My players have shown they have what it takes when it comes to penalties. I hope it continues like that.”
United won last season’s European Cup and this month’s Carling Cup on penalties and Ferguson feels that nothing the Portuguese tries in the build-up will surprise or disturb him.
“We are used to Jose,” he said. “I’m not a little lad from the Govan alleys who finds himself on Fifth Avenue in New York. I’m not shocked by anything any more. Mourinho has a magnetic power over the media; everyone wants him because he goes from the amusing to the spirited to the offensive. He’s a great media tactician. But he also know that when the game begins it will only be Inter against the Reds, he can’t do anything more. Personally I trust in those I send out on the pitch.”
Ferguson has urged his players to find the spirit of last year’s semi-final against Barcelona as they prepare to welcome Inter. United were level at 0–0 after the first-leg of that tie and won thanks to a Paul Scholes goal. “In the build-up to a match against Jose I have to expect everything from him,” he said. “But we are preparing in the same way as after the 0-0 in the Nou Camp. An intense and efficient preparation, which worked very well.
“We controlled them well in Milan – Inter only had a couple of half-chances in the second half. My players played with an incredible level of concentration. They have to do the same in the return leg.”
Inter have not been looking their usual selves in Serie A of late, although they won 2–0 at Genoa on Saturday to move seven points clear of Juventus at the top of the table, but Ferguson believes that is because they have had one eye on Wednesday. “Inter are in command in Serie A and after they came back against Roma [3-3], they have the Scudetto in their pocket,” he added. “He must also believe it, judging from the players he’s been putting out since the first leg. He’s obviously thinking of us.”
Mourinho has spiced up the game by saying he could take over as manager at Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson retires. “If you want me to rule out ever being Manchester United manager I can’t,” Inter’s coach added. “Special clubs need special managers so in theory it could work, but nobody knows what the future is in football. The England national team wanted me as coach and that is the biggest job in England, so I am sure when Sir Alex retires they will look at the best managers in the world and I certainly fall into the category.”
But Ferguson laughed off the idea that he might be close to the end at Old Trafford. “Who’s talking about stopping?” he said. “You would have to take me out of here by force. I’m really not thinking about it at all. And even less so is Mourinho thinking about coming to United.”
