Alex Ferguson says Frank Lampard not coming to Man United
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has dismissed speculation that he was considering signing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard in the January transfer window.
|Last Updated: Jan 06, 2012, 06:46 PM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has dismissed speculation that he was considering signing Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard in the January transfer window.
"You are not going to tell me Chelsea would sell Frank Lampard to Manchester United in January. Do you really believe that?" Ferguson told a news conference on Friday. "There is no foundation to that."
"Chelsea are like us. They want to do something. The second half of the season is important to us.”
"What can you get in January? The players we`d like we can`t get. If the alternative is to sign a second-rate player, we don`t want to do that."
United, who have lost their last two Premier League games, face a daunting FA Cup third round tie away to local rivals Manchester City on Sunday.
City head United by three points at the top of the Premier League table. They beat United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October as well as defeating them in last season`s FA Cup semi-final.
Ferguson told Inside United the club`s fans had to accept that City would now be challenging for the top honours.
"They are not going to go away," Ferguson said. "We played them in a semi-final last year and the year before, we`re both in the Europa League this year and now we are facing them in the FA Cup.”
"So we have to get used to the fact that City are going to be challenging for competitions along with us.”
"There`s every chance we`re going to meet at some point, maybe not every year but on average it`s going to be pretty regular. It`s a hard FA Cup draw for us but it will be hard for them too."
City manager Roberto Mancini has expressed his concern at the club`s championship bid could be hampered by injuries and the loss of Yaya and Kolo Toure to Ivory Coast for the African Nations Cup.
Mancini`s problems have been compounded by Gareth Barry`s suspension and injuries to Mario Balotelli, Owen Hargreaves and Samir Nasri.
"If we don`t have the players it`s tough for us," Mancini told reporters. "We are not United, we don`t have 19 championships.”
"United and Chelsea have won trophies for many years so they are quiet. They understand that they can play without pressure. For us it`s different.”
"This could be the first championship for many years and we need to do everything we can to win."
Mancini said City might be able to buy reinforcements this month if the club is able to sell unwanted players, including Carlos Tevez.
"It is better that we sell first," he said. "Maybe we can then take in other players."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.