Rio: No Complacency …
Mirror: RIO FERDINAND is convinced Manchester United are ready to dominate football again.
Ferdinand has looked on as Sir Alex Ferguson has rebuilt the team - when it seemed the manager’s glittering Old Trafford reign was coming to an inglorious end.
Arsenal and Chelsea’s domination of the Premiership for three years, coupled with United’s worsening record in Europe, saw legitimate questions being raised for the first time about Fergie’s suitability to stay in charge.
But last season’s emphatic Premiership success and progress to the FA Cup Final and semi-finals of the Champion League offered conclusive proof of Fergie’s enduring ability after 21 years at the helm.
“The team we had when I first came here was one on a downward slope,” said Ferdinand. “I don’t want to be too harsh, but in terms of age the manager knew he had to do some reshuffling.
“You have to give him credit for that because he did it admirably. There was a transitional period and it can be difficult to be part of that sometimes.
“You want to be in a winning team week-in, week-out, and that wasn’t happening. We were drawing and then losing games here and there and we weren’t really contenders.
“But last season we showed a resilience and a growth that the manager had been looking for and working on, and hopefully we can move that on again.
“Sitting on our laurels just isn’t going to happen, because we want to be the best team again and win the the title again.
“Winning the title leaves a taste of wanting it more.
And the desire to have the same feeling of success at the end of a hard season is always going to be there.”
Only this week, as United prepared for tonight’s second game of their pre-season tour against FC Seoul, Fergie - caught in a rainstorm yesterday - had to fend off questions about when he might consider stepping down.
But Ferdinand believes the 65-year-old will continue at Old Trafford for some years to come.
“It’s difficult to imagine life without the manager,” said Ferdinand. “I hope he doesn’t retire while I’m still at the club. He’s a fantastic manager.
“His passion, his desire, his pride, and all the qualities that have brought him so much over the years, are the lifeline of the club.
“It’s been like that since he took charge and I don’t envisage the club being without him at the moment.
He trusted himself and his judgement when things weren’t going so well.”
And Ferdinand insisted that there will be no complacency when the new campaign gets under way.
He added: “The players I’m surrounded by are strong personalities. We haven’t got any who will sit on their laurels. The manager wouldn’t have it.”
