Simply the best

In Sir Alex's programme notes for the Reds' match against Blackburn Rovers, he lavished praise upon the current squad, labelling them the "strongest side I have ever had".

It's a boast the UK press have latched onto, with countless column inches devoted to the story. But the manager didn't just speak of the team's charms; he also singled out individuals, most notably summer signing Anderson.

Here's an extended excerpt from Sir Alex's United Review column:


"[Against Arsenal] I thought Anderson was our key man in his duel with Cesc Fabregas. I have not seen the young Spaniard kept as quiet as that in a match for a long time. Anderson struck up a great partnership with Owen Hargreaves; you wouldn’t have thought they had played together as the central midfield pair only once before.

"Still only 19, he is emerging fast now and I rate him a fantastic signing. It’s a very encouraging sign, especially with Paul Scholes out until the New Year. The fact that I was also able to bring on Michael Carrick and Louis Saha as substitutes was also an indication of our strength in depth as our injury blitz eases. In fact, without tempting fate, this is the strongest we have been all season. When you go back to the Wigan game, we had 12 senior players out of action.

"The situation is a lot healthier now, though of course it does give me a few selection problems as well as providing me with a wide range of options. The competition for places is immense. Take the luckless Darren Fletcher for instance. He took over from Scholes against Kyiv in the away leg and put in a wonderful performance only to find himself out of the team for the next game against Middlesbrough.

"He took the disappointment well, hopefully because he realised that I have a responsibility to look at the broader picture and that, at the end of the day, I will be fair to all the players. I always let them know my thinking and that everyone will get a fair crack of the whip. A big squad, strong in quality, is the only way to success these days and the players know it, so provided I am fair – and I always try to be – then they accept that they are part of a set-up that is going places.

"I believe this is the strongest squad I have ever had, so much so that I think I would be pushed to name my overall best team. It will vary, dependent on fitness, form, opposition and the way the fixtures fall - especially on the last lap as the various competitions reach a climax.

"This is what I have been working towards. I don’t like the short-term fix. I prefer to see a pool of players emerge and develop into something special, which, believe me, is what's happening at Old Trafford this season. We have the young players led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and now joined by the likes of Carlos Tevez, Nani and Anderson. In fact it is difficult to know where to stop when I am talking about our important players with Hargreaves, Carrick and Saha in the ranks along with our home-produced players like Fletcher, Wes Brown and John O’Shea.

"I am not becoming youth-obsessed either, with experience represented by Scholes and Ryan Giggs, both now into their 30s but who in my view will play until they are 36, such has been their lifestyles. There is many a pitfall for celebrity players but those two have avoided all the traps and set fine examples for those coming up behind them.

"Incidentally, the operation that Paul has had on his knee has been 100 per cent successful with the surgeon reporting that the condition generally of his knee was excellent, with no concerns. He will be back refreshed and eager in January, like signing a new player in the transfer window for the second half of the season. The only problem is the wee beggar is getting older.

"A bit like me I suppose, though I am still finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that this week saw me celebrating 21 years as manager of Manchester United.
I honestly don’t know where the years have gone!"