Valencia paves the way

Antonio Valencia’s inclusion in the PFA Team of the Year will have delighted Sir Alex Ferguson, who believes the Ecuadorian was an ideal acquisition for United.

Now 24, the winger was the manager’s first capture of last summer, arriving from Wigan Athletic on 30 June for an undisclosed fee. He started the opening league game against Birmingham on the right flank and has hardly looked back since, making 49 appearances in all competitions; only Patrice Evra has played more often.

In short, Valencia has had an excellent first season and his successful introduction will encourage Sir Alex to seek out signings of a similar profile.

“When we brought in Nani and Anderson a few years ago, and before them Ronaldo and Rooney, we were rebuilding the team through youthful players,” Sir Alex said during his monthly interview for Inside United.

“We’ll continue to do that. Everyone talks about us bringing in a big name but it’s very difficult. It’s not as easy as people think. So therefore we have to look at the club's structure and at what we need to keep ourselves at the top.

“Last year we signed Valencia, who was 23 at the time. That is a good age to bring someone in.

He’d had two seasons with Wigan and was therefore used to the Premier League. We saw the potential in him and that has since proved itself.

“He’s improved himself almost every month he’s been at this club. He’s been a great signing.”

Sir Alex has already signed two young players for next season – 20-year-old Fulham defender Chris Smalling and, subject to a work permit, Mexican forward Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, who turns 22 on 1 June.

Nani: We've not given up

United’s match-winner at Sunderland insists the Reds can still lift the Barclays Premier League trophy, even though Chelsea have a huge advantage heading into the final day of the season.

The Blues are one point in front and must only beat Wigan Athelitc at Stamford Bridge to ensure the trophy ends up in West London. But a draw or a defeat would open the door for Sir Alex’s men to win a fourth successive title.

“We have a chance to win the league and we will fight until the end,” Nani told MUTV. “You never know what’s going to happen in football. We just have to wait and see and win our game [against Stoke City at Old Trafford].”

Nani played a key role in United’s win at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, firing home the only goal of the game after 28 minutes. It was his fourth goal in as many starts for the Reds since the beginning of April.

“I’m happy because I’ve scored a couple of goals and done well for the team recently,” he said. “I hope to do the same in the future.

“[At Sunderland] we had a lot of chances throughout the game but didn’t take enough of them. It was a difficult game – they played well and wanted to do well against us – so we’re happy with the result.”

Sunderland 0-1 Man United

MANCHESTER UNITED never give up. Never believe any cause is lost and all hope is gone.

That is why they have won so many trophies under Alex Ferguson.

Yet even they looked a forlorn and beaten side yesterday even though they won 1-0.

They did their bit by sinking Sunderland but the mortal blow had already been delivered at Anfield.

That was why they came out at the Stadium of Light with heads down and greeted victory as if it were a defeat.

They can produce something miraculous when their fate is in their own hands. But not when it is in the hands of someone else.

And you sense now it will take something miraculous for United to make history by winning a fourth Premier League title in a row.

Yes, Wigan did beat Chelsea at home this season. They have also won three and drawn two in the league on their travels this season.

Let us not forget, too, that it was a Wigan team under Steve Bruce whose unlikely draw at Chelsea two years ago proved crucial in the Blues losing the title to United.

These are straws to clutch at and, as Fergie says, anything can happen in football.

But the United boss knows, the players know and the fans know that it will take a muck-up of massive proportions for Chelsea not to win against Roberto Martinez's fragile Wigan side on Sunday.

Yesterday, Chelsea completed the double over Liverpool having already done the same to Arsenal and United.

So, are they really going to lose to Wigan at Stamford Bridge where they have dropped only five points from 54 this season?

Even Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has admitted his side have played some "rubbish" football as they have flirted dangerously with the drop.

Ferguson claimed two weeks ago that he had given up on the title race after United drew 0-0 at Blackburn on the back of a defeat at home to Chelsea and their exit from the Champions League.

He then said that Tottenham's win over Chelsea a fortnight ago had given him renewed hope. But that loss will surely prove to be the Blues' last of the season.

And, in the end, it will be United's Old Trafford defeat by Chelsea and more significantly the goalless draw at Ewood Park that has cost Fergie's men most dear.

They played both games without the injured Wayne Rooney. Both times Dimitar Berbatov failed to step up to the plate.

Yesterday, they at least gave themselves some hope, however faint, through a cracking winning goal by Nani and a superb defensive display that kept Sunderland dangerman Darren Bent out of the game.

The goal came on 28 minutes as Berbatov fired a ball into Rooney who did well to lay it off to Darren Fletcher.

He put it neatly into Nani's path and the Portuguese star slammed it into the far corner.

The celebrations were muted from all but Nani himself. Sunderland were not bad but only a long-range effort from Steed Malbranque troubled Edwin van der Sar.

United should have had more goals with Berbatov guilty of some awful misses. Just before the break the Bulgarian was put in on a similar angle to Nani, but with more time and space. Yet he screwed his shot wide.

Rooney's frustration at all this seemed to show when he kicked out at Lorik Cana and got booked.

His mood will not have improved two minutes later when, from another of his crosses, Berbatov failed to connect with a point-blank header.

And that has been a big part of United's problem this season: Not enough support for Rooney in the goalscoring department.

The England striker has 34, Berbatov just 12 - none of them against a club in the top seven in the Premier League. Not good enough.

No combination of four United midfielders can top Chelsea's Frank Lampard, who hit his 25th of the season yesterday.

And if you add together the goals of every midfielder on United's books, it does not match Cristiano Ronaldo's 42 of two seasons ago.

Ah, yes. Ronaldo. United said they could cope without him, they would play more as a team rather than for one individual.

Some fans thought £80million was great business and they probably couldn't keep him any longer as he craved the move to Real Madrid.

But the truth is United are nowhere near as good without him.

They have lost seven games in the league this season, went out of the FA Cup in the third round and exited Europe in the quarter-finals.

The Carling Cup will hardly take pride of place in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet for a year.

So, it is back home for the finale against Stoke.

Tony Pulis' side have lost only six of their 17 away league games this season so victory is not a given.

But United should still win - the match that is, not the title.

As their body language suggested yesterday, the game really is up.

Sir Alex: I have faith in my men

Sir Alex Ferguson has unflinching faith that his players won’t let him down in the last two league games, not when there's still a chance to win the title.

Chelsea hold the advantage, but the leaders are just a point ahead of United and face a trip to Anfield before the Reds pay a visit to Sunderland – a game Sir Alex isn’t underestimating.

United secured a late win last weekend against Tottenham Hotspur, and the manner of the victory has filled Sir Alex with confidence. “We played without nerves last week. We showed great temperament. At 1-1 with 20 minutes left, we had to raise the bar. I thought that was the best part of our game. We showed great determination to get back in front.

“We made one or two changes, which worked for us. But the temperament was fantastic. If you get that with three games to go then you can be confident and trust your players for the last two matches. I hope it goes down to the last game. If we get a chance to win it in the last game, that’s all we would wish for.”

Before taking on Stoke City at Old Trafford next Sunday, United must first take three points at the Stadium of Light. But Steve Bruce’s Black Cats are no pushovers. “Sunderland have hit form,” says the boss. “My old captain has done a great job there, and he's started to bring one or two young players. It's refreshing to see a manager putting his trust in young players.

“Darren Bent has had a great season, young Fraizer Campbell is doing very well. He's getting a quota of goals and it is encouraging for him. Kenwyne Jones is also a real handful and they’ve got some good young players in their team, like [David] Meyler and [Jordan] Henderson. So, we know what we're facing.

“And it’s one thing saying we hope Liverpool do us a turn, it’s Sunderland’s last home game of the season and they are in good form. Sunderland will do their best and we have to match that. It’s not an easy game.”

Boss: Liverpool will give their all

Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Liverpool will do their utmost to beat Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday, even though a win or a draw for Rafa Benitez's men would hand bitter rivals United a massive advantage in the title race.

Few footballing rivalries can match the intensity of Liverpool and United's, but Sir Alex dismissed suggestions that the men on Merseyside would go easy on Chelsea to help prevent a record-breaking 19th league title ending up at Old Trafford.

"Great clubs don't throw their history and traditions away for one game," Sir Alex said. "I think Liverpool will do their best on Sunday – they have to. You depend on that resilience of the British players and players playing in British football – they know they have to go out and produce Saturday and then midweek and Saturday again. They show great attitude and character all the time."

This isn't the first time since the Premier League's inception Liverpool have had the chance to do United a favour in the championship race. In 1995, title-race rivals Blackburn Rovers went to Anfield on the final day of the season.

"We hoped and depended on Liverpool doing us a favour then and we got it," Sir Alex recalled. Unfortunately, United were held 1-1 by West Ham at Upton Park and the title went to Ewood Park.

"Liverpool had a lot of English players at the time and they understood the history of their club very well," Sir Alex said. "But I don't think there's been such a swing that the players there now don't understand their club's history. You don't throw that away."

Wayne's a winner... again

England's top football scribes have honoured Wayne Rooney by voting him Football Writers' Association footballer of the year.

Rooney, who's netted 34 goals for United this season, polled a remarkable 80 per cent of the vote, leaving him way ahead of Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez. This latest individual honour comes in the same week the 24-year-old picked up both the Professional Footballers' Association players' player of the year and fans' player of the year.

Of the FWA award, Rooney said: "I'm delighted to win an award with so much history and tradition," he said. "To follow a long line of wonderful players who have been honoured by the FWA since 1948 gives me real pride.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Alex Ferguson, the coaching staff and my team-mates, without whose help and support this award would not have been possible."

Wayne is the eighth Manchester United player to win the award since its inception, following in the footsteps of Johnny Carey (1948), Bobby Charlton (1966), George Best (1968), Eric Cantona (1996), Roy Keane (2000), Teddy Sheringham (2001) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2007, 2008).

FWA chairman and The People journalist Steve Bates said Rooney was a worthy winner of the prestigious award.

"It's testimony to the marvellous season he has had for club and country. On his day you have to call him the best player in the world. His tally of 34 goals so far this season is certain to have captured the attention of our members but I'm sure the overall improvement in his game has been of equal significance."

 

New deal for Neville

Gary Neville has been rewarded for his recent performances and overall commitment to United with a new one-year contract extension.

The 35-year-old has been a regular at right back for much of 2010, and he will continue as club captain for another year at Old Trafford.

"We've agreed a contract with Gary Neville for another year," Sir Alex confirmed on Friday morning. "We've been working on it for a couple of weeks now.

"We're delighted with that. We think he deserves it because his contribution to the club has been fantastic. As I've said time and again about certain players, they make a career out of their will and determination to do it. Gary is one of those players."

The Reds skipper was praised by Sir Alex for his "astonishing" comeback from 18 months out with a series of injury problems, which began with an ankle ligament problem he suffered in a challenge with Gary Speed against Bolton in March 2007.

"The amazing thing he has achieved is coming back from a year-and-a-half out in his thirties," said the boss. "To get to the level he is playing at today is astonishing. The man is doing it because he wants to do it, he has the determination and drive within himself not to give in on his career. He's getting the rewards for that because his performances levels have been outstanding, and at an important time for the club.

The boss admits there were times when he did harbour concerns that the 35-year-old would ever return to his former levels of performances.

"We worried about it," he said. "When you're out for 18 months in your thirties, it is a concern. We knew he was putting everything into it. You don't worry about Gary's commitment and his endeavour to come back from injury. We leave it to him because he is more determined than any of us. We wanted to make sure he was back and tried to give him the right treatments. But at that age you have to have concerns, but we're delighted he has recovered from the injury."

Neville has an invaluable contribution to make because of his experience, but Sir Alex insists his performance levels have to be right, too. "I think experience could also be misinterpreted in the sense of the ability to play in games," he added. "You could keep a player with great experience and not play him. I don't think Gary would enjoy that, I don't think Scholes, Giggs or van der Sar would either. They want to play, nobody more than Gary."