Manchester United supporters hoping that Sir Alex Ferguson might make a last-minute venture into the transfer market are likely to be disappointed.
The Barclays Premier League champions’ modest start to the season may have strengthened the belief in some quarters that Ferguson needs to reinvest on a world-class performer a large chunk of the £80 million received for Cristiano Ronaldo, but the manager has once again dismissed the calls to spend and insisted that his faith in his squad remains absolute.
“I know we have the right squad and I trust them,” he said. “It’s an insult to suggest that I could lose my faith in my players overnight.”
Having failed in an attempt to sign Karim Benzema, the France striker, and opted against pursuing an interest in Franck Rib?ry and David Silva, the Bayern Munich and Valencia wingers respectively, United’s transfer business this summer has been relatively low key.
Michael Owen, Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Mame Biram Diouf have arrived for combined fees of about £20 million, yet despite question marks surfacing over the ability of some players to help to fill the void left by Ronaldo’s departure for Real Madrid, Ferguson is unconcerned.
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United responded to losing 1-0 away to Burnley by thrashing Wigan Athletic before riding their luck to overcome Arsenal 2-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday, although it is a pivotal season for players such as Dimitar Berbatov, Anderson and Nani, none of whom has convinced fully in a red shirt.
“We took a lot of flak after the Burnley game, and there was no shortage of suggestions as to what I should do — for example, dashing out to pay through the nose for a big-name signing,” Ferguson said. “The bulk of the £80 million we got for Ronaldo is still there and seems to be burning a hole in the pockets of a lot of fans.
“But you don’t suddenly scrap your transfer policy because of one defeat, even if it was a bad one. I have explained our strategy, based on my confidence in our squad with a few new faces, existing players maturing and eager beavers on the way up, and I have no intention of abandoning it.”
Owen Hargreaves, the United midfield player, is finally expected to return to the club from the United States on September 23 as he prepares to step up his rehabilitation from the double knee operation that has kept him out of action for the past ten months.