Sir Alex will miss Mourinho

Sir Alex Ferguson paid a brief but glowing tribute to former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, and admits that he will miss the challenge of squaring up to his Portuguese counterpart.

But, at the manager’s pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s fixture between the two teams, this was no lingering farewell, nor was it a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Sir Alex was to the point, clearly determined not to let the goings-on at Stamford Bridge overshadow the need for three points at Old Trafford.

“Jose leaving is a disappointment for the game,” he said genuinely. “I think that he was terrific for football and, of course, for Chelsea. I enjoyed the competition with him and I think he brought something fresh and new to our game. I just don’t know what I’m going to do with my wine now!

“What has he done? He’s been fantastic and brought unparalleled success,” he added. “It’s certainly a challenge for the man that replaces him. At the moment it’s Avram Grant, and it’s a big test for him.

“I wish Jose well, but that’s as far as I want to put it,” he said, before declining to take any more questions on the matter. “What happens at Chelsea doesn’t matter to us, we’ve got to focus on our game because it’s still the same set of players that we will be facing. And that’s a challenge enough for us.

“When you play Chelsea it’s always a big game. I don’t think it will be a defining moment, but it’s important.

“If you look at the record between the two teams over the last three or four years there is nothing in it. Very few goals are scored. It’s always a tight, tight game.”