Edwin van der Sar is going out at the very top, says Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson is to ask Edwin van der Sar to captain Manchester United in his final Premier League game for the club against Blackpool tomorrow, but insists he will make a final attempt to persuade Paul Scholes not to follow the Dutch goalkeeper into retirement.
Something special: Edwin van der Sar will captain Manchester United against Blackpool in his final Premier League match for the champions Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Mark Ogden 10:30PM BST 20 May 2011
Follow Mark Ogden on Twitter
Comments
Ferguson, who will hand Darren Fletcher his first senior start since March 1 in an attempt to get the Scotland midfielder fully fit for next Saturday’s Champions League final against Barcelona, admits he will rest several key players against Blackpool, despite the threat of Premier League sanction for fielding a weakened team in a game which carries huge significance in the relegation battle.
Wayne Rooney, rio ferdinand, Barclays player of the year Nemanja Vidic and Javier Hernandez are all set to miss out against Ian Holloway’s team.
But with Ferguson’s selection under scrutiny because Blackpool are one of five clubs facing relegation, the United manager admits he will name a team much stronger than the collection of reserves and youngsters who faced Hull on the final day of the 2008-09 campaign. And Van der Sar, who has confirmed his plans to retire, will lead the champions out at Old Trafford.
“He’s been fantastic, absolutely sensational, with his professionalism and dedication,” said Ferguson, who has been named manager of the year. “For a goalkeeper, training is completely different to outfield players. It involves diving about their goalmouth all the time, saving shots, blocks. To do that when you’re over 40 years of age – it’s hard to imagine a normal person would do that.
“He’s special and he’s got something special inside himself. Some people have a certain quality inside them that involves a need to be a winner all the time. That’s what Edwin has been, a winner, all his life. He’s had a fantastic career and he’s going out at the very top.”
In contrast to Van der Sar, Scholes has left United guessing as to his future, but the 36 year-old is understood to be ready to retire following the Champions League final.
Ferguson remains hopeful, however, that he can persuade the former England midfielder to stay on for one more year.
“We will discuss it and, hopefully, encourage him to stay on another year,” Ferguson said. “We will talk at the end of the season.”
Despite the Champions League final on the horizon, Ferguson admits Blackpool’s involvement in the relegation battle is an issue he cannot ignore. But with Fletcher, only recently returned from a virus, needing games to prove his fitness for Wembley, Ferguson is confident that his eventual selection will save United from criticism.
“There are players who need a game anyway.” Ferguson said. “Fletcher, Scholes, Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov, Patrice Evra and Van der Sar will all play. There are certain players who need a game. How we manage the rest, we will have to wait and see.
“Darren is much better, getting stronger. He’s doing all his work. After his reserve game, he trained the whole day and completed the session the next day because he is very keen to get there and we will give him every chance. He is a big-game player for us, so we are chasing him along to give him the chance of being ready for the final.”
Ferguson added: “This game is not a game you enjoy, playing someone at the bottom of the league. It’s not the easiest game for me to pick a team. The most important thing on Sunday is to make sure there is no criticism of the club.”
Blackpool must better Birmingham’s result at Tottenham and hope Wigan fail to win at Stoke to stay up.
David Beckham will play in Gary Neville’s testimonial match against Juventus on Tuesday, eight years after he left Old Trafford for Real Madrid. Ryan Giggs and Scholes will also be involved despite their presence in the United squad for the Champions League final.
edwin van der sar, goalkeeper training, getty images, alex ferguson, paul scholes, mark ogden, wayne rooney, old trafford, rio ferdinand, rsquo, vidic, sir alex, van der sar, darren fletcher, relegation battle, final attempt, league game, manchester united, outfield, barclays online
沒有留言:
張貼留言