No repeat of Champions League ‘horror show’ in 2012-13, promises Fergie

London: Manchester United manager-cum-coach Sir Alex Ferguson has promised that there won’t be a repeat of the club’s Champions League horror show of last season, when the side failed to reach the knockout stage.

Ferguson said that he still has nightmares about how his multi-talented side failed to extricate themselves from a tame-looking group which also included Benfica, Basle and Otelul. This season, Manchester United will face clubs like Galatasaray, CFR Cluj and Braga before entering the knock-out stage. “If we don’t get through, quite rightly we will be criticised and pilloried for it. But I don’t anticipate going out this time. We will play our strongest teams starting on Wednesday night against Galatasaray at Old Trafford. It hurt everybody what happened last season,” the Daily Express quoted Ferguson, as saying. He felt that in the 2011-12 season, Manchester United made the mistake of playing too many young players in some games. “We also threw some games away. There is a great charisma to the competition. Without doubt winning it elevates your status in the game,” he said. ANI