Could it be that Manchester United will not sign a new striker for next season with Wayne Rooney and Dimi Berbatov being the only two senior strikers?

The scenario has become a likelihood according to Fleet Street after Real Madrid’s capture of Karim Benzema prompted a number of broadsheet newspapers to predict that, short of options and reluctant to pay over the odds, Sir Alex Ferguson will not reinforce his arsenal after missing out on Benzema.

A refusal to add to his strikeforce in the summer that he has lost both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez would constitute one of the bravest/most remarkable gambles Ferguson has ever taken in his twenty-year reign at Old Trafford. However, Fleet Street is unanimous in its belief that Benzema’s decision to move to Spain has left United reeling and short of options.

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A goalless draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday was enough for Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United side to secure the English Premier League title for a record equalling 18th time. Having sealed a third successive title, as well as the League Cup and Club World Cup this season, Ferguson has now set his sights on bringing the curtain down on a hugely successful campaign with a second consecutive European Cup triumph when United face Barca in Rome on May 27.

Before then United face relegation-threatened Hull in their final league game of the season next weekend, but Ferguson admitted his players were already looking forward to facing the Spanish league leaders.

“Now we’ve won the league we’re bouncing into the final in Rome,” said Ferguson as he savoured his 11th English title since taking charge of United in 1986.

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Sir Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager at the end of next season, according to his son Darren. Speculation about when Ferguson will end his long reign at Old Trafford has been ongoing since he changed his mind about quitting when he turned 60 seven years ago.

Now Darren Ferguson, manager of League One side Peterborough, has hinted it could be the summer of 2010 when his father finally walks away from the game. “His health is fine and he’s building a new team,” said Darren. “If they win (the Premier League) this year then they catch Liverpool in terms of titles won.

“I can see him doing this year and next - and then that might be it for him.” United are only a point clear of Liverpool at the top, but have a game in hand.

Source: soccernews.com

Sir Alex Ferguson has in his own words described the current Manchester United squad under his control as the best at Old Trafford in two decades, but does not believe his team will win the unprecedented five trophies this season.

United, who have already won the Club World Cup and English League Cup this term, are currently four points clear at the top of the Premier League and still have chances to win both the FA Cup and the European Champions League.

However, the Scottish boss - who took charge of United in 1986 following a successful spell as Aberdeen manager - was adamant that at least one key result would go against his side.

“The thing about Cup football is you need to be the best but you also need a lot of luck and I think it’s asking too much for all the games to go your way,” Ferguson said in an interview with the New Statesman magazine.

“The one thing I will say is, this squad is the best I have ever had. Every game we play, I feel confident.

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Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says the Premier League’s top clubs can’t waste time developing English talent when imported players are more certain to deliver trophies.

“When you are a top four club, you have to understand that you need success right away,” Ferguson said in Shortlist magazine published on Thursday. “You can’t wait three or four years for players to ease in, like perhaps you can with clubs who are not expected to win silverware year in, year out.

“When you are manager of Man United, there is always pressure to win things. We are one of the biggest clubs in the world and everybody associated with the club expects success, no matter how successful you have been in the past.”

Having already won the Club World Cup in December, the Red Devils are targeting a further four trophies by defending their Premier League and Champions League titles, beating Tottenham in the March 1 League Cup final and progressing in the FA Cup.

“In the last decade, we have really seen football move into a squad game,” said Ferguson, who has been at Old Trafford since 1986. “You need 20 good players to fight on all fronts.”

Ferguson has preferred to give emerging English players first-team experience by sending them on loan to rival clubs. Striker Fraizer Campbell, 21, is at Tottenham until the end of the season while goalkeeper Ben Foster has been struggling for action since returning from a two-year stint at Watford with Edwin van der Sar unbeaten in 14 consecutive league matches.

United beat Fulham 3-0 on Wednesday to go five-points clear atop the Premier League, but started with just three Englishmen - Michael Carrick, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes. Striker Wayne Rooney came off the bench in the second half to score the final goal for the defending champions.

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Sir Alex Ferguson insisted that his quest for five trophies is not an impossible dream after Manchester United remained on course for an unprecedented haul of silverware by beating Derby 4-1 in the FA Cup fifth round. Having already claimed the Fifa Club World Cup Japan 2008 and a place in the League Cup final against Tottenham next month, United can extend their advantage at the head of the Premier League to five points with victory over Fulham on Wednesday.

Ferguson, whose team are also in the Uefa Champions League last-16, certainly believes he has the squad to attempt a clean-sweep.

After making seven changes against Derby including relegating Nemanja Vidic to the bench and leaving out Dimitar Berbatov entirely, the Scot is determined to give himself every chance of keeping his team fresh for the run-in. “The squad has been fantastic. They have carried us through and got us through some difficult games,” said Ferguson whose team have been drawn against either Swansea or Fulham in the FA Cup last eight.

“With the game on Wednesday in mind I made some changes and the squad did very well again. That is encouraging and we are delighted to be in the next round of the FA Cup. It would have been nice to have a home draw, but we are one game away from the semifinal and that should give everyone a great incentive. I hope the squad can maintain the levels they have hit in the last few weeks, but I saw Swansea play very, very well against Fulham in the first game and that tie is far from finished.”

Derby manager Nigel Clough has been up close and personal with United more than any other manager recently. Since taking charge six weeks ago this was his third encounter with the European champions and after the way United breezed over their latest hurdle, Clough thinks people should begin to take their quintet quest far more seriously.

“It is possible that they can do all five. That was the most impressive performance they have put in against us. They are almost impossible to prepare for and when you look at the players they have to add to that squad and come back,” Clough said.

“It is a very difficult thing to do and would be unprecedented, but they looked very good indeed and if anyone can do it they can. If they had played Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool today they could have put four goals past them as well. That is how good they were.”

Cristiano Ronaldo scored one of United’s goals from a relatively rare outing in a central striking role, to add to others from Darron Gibson, Portuguese winger Nani and substitute Danny Welbeck, while Miles Addison got one back for Derby.

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