FERGUSON BACKS HIS YOUNG GUNS
Rooney - back by FergusonSir Alex Ferguson has backed Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo to come good when Manchester United embark on their Champions League revenge mission against Benfica tomorrow night.
For differing reasons, the Red Devils' hottest young properties head into the Stadium of Light duel with major question marks hanging over them.
Ronaldo returns to his homeland anxious to avoid a repeat of the temper tantrum that accompanied his previous visit, which ended with an ill-advised 'one-figured' salute to the home supporters who baited him mercilessly for his affiliation to bitter rivals Sporting Lisbon.
Rooney, meanwhile, is looking to emerge from the first extended below-par run of his fledgling career and also score his first goals in Europe since his debut-day hat-trick against Fenerbahce, since when two years and nine games have elapsed.
The barren run includes last season's 2-1 defeat on the same ground to the same opposition, a loss which sent United tumbling out of the Champions League in embarrassment, unable to even snatch the safety net of a UEFA Cup spot.
Under the circumstances, some doubt would be only natural. But, as Ferguson looked ahead to a game where victory would cement a place at the top of Group F, Ferguson insisted he has none.
"I am not concerned about Wayne's form at all," he said. "All he needs his games.
"I have made the point a number of times about how little football the lad has played over the past six months.
"He did well at Reading on Saturday. He showed a big improvement. There was far more sharpness from him and I am sure that progress will continue.
"If you start to doubt that I don't know how you can take it further."
Ferguson's clear inference is that none of Rooney's previously superhuman powers have been sapped away by the broken foot he suffered at Chelsea last term which initially threatened his participation at the World Cup and ultimately left him badly short of match practice.
Having played in every match on Portugal's run to the semi-finals, including the stormy last-eight meeting with England, match practice is not something Ronaldo has been lacking.
Throughout the season so far, the 21-year-old has been United most potent attacking threat and his brilliant equaliser at Reading merely confirmed the danger which exists every time he picks up possession.
Yet, despite rising above the taunts which have accompanied him to every Premiership away ground this season, Lisbon remains unconquered territory for a player United assistant-boss Carlos Queiroz believes will eventually become the best on the planet.
Ferguson though has no plan to offer the youngster any specific advice, preferring instead to let his electric feet do the talking.
"I have not spoken to the boy," he said.
"I don't need to. Cristiano is intelligent and he understands the situation.
"He has been fantastic for us so far this season, probably our best player. He is growing up terrifically and has a fantastic future ahead of him."
With Louis Saha still doubtful after picking up a groin injury in training that limited the Frenchman to just half-an-hour's action off the substitutes bench at the Madejski Stadium, Ferguson may be forced to rely on Rooney and Ronaldo rather more than he would have hoped.
After spending the last couple of seasons emphasising his was a team under construction and lacking the experience required to make an impact among Europe's big hitters, Ferguson knows it is time to start delivering.
And, rather like a defeat to Juventus a decade ago proved to be the defining moment for the side which went on to win the trophy in 1999, Ferguson is hoping the bitter experience of last year's Lisbon trip can have the same effect on the current United squad.
"I hope it does something similar," reflected the Scot.
"We have the ability, there is no question about that, and I believe we have a good squad which is much stronger in terms of being able to handle injuries.
"When you think about maturing mentally, you hope the experience of games like the one against Benfica last year can drive the message home far more than the words I could ever say."
Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand accepts Manchester United must start making an impact in Europe otherwise one of his major reasons for moving to Old Trafford will be stamped 'F' for failure.
A Champions League semi-finalist from his time at Leeds, Ferdinand was expected to do even better when he crossed the bitter Pennine divide to join the Red Devils in a record £29.1million deal four years ago.
Since then though, United's performances in Europe have got steadily worse.
Ousted in the quarter-finals by Real Madrid during Ferdinand's first season, Sir Alex Ferguson's men went on to suffer successive last 16 exits before their humiliating group stage capitulation 12 months ago.
Now, as United return to the scene of last season's catastrophe and prepare to meet a Benfica side out to score another triumph at the expense of their 1968 final conquerors, Ferdinand believes it is time to deliver.
"I won't lie," said the 28-year-old.
"I joined Manchester United to win trophies, and part of that was winning European trophies.
"The Champions League is a great opportunity to showcase your talent and we have not managed to do that."
For too long now, Ferdinand feels he has been forced to watch the latter stages of the competition on TV.
Never in his wildest nightmares could he believe United would fail to even grasp a UEFA Cup spot from a group that contained Villarreal and Lille as well as tomorrow's opponents last term.
The feeling Ferdinand experienced the last time he trudged out of the Stadium of Light has not gone away. And it is not one he wishes to repeat.
"I do not want to be in that situation again," he stressed.
"It was a very disappointing experience, both individually and collectively. But what we have to try and do is turn the negatives into positives.
"The last couple of years have been part of a transitional period for us.
"We have been trying to build up the experience with new players coming in. Now it is time for us to go out and prove our worth as individuals and as a team."
With Ruud van Nistelrooy now at Real Madrid and Louis Saha still to prove he has fully shaken off the series of injuries that have dogged his United career, the Red Devils are still heavily reliant on youth to spearhead their attack.
Ferdinand, like his boss Ferguson, also defended Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
"Over the past 18 months a lot of our young lads have got more experience under their belt both in Europe and at club level," he said.
"The amount of international experience has moved up also, which only bodes well for the team."
As one of Rooney's closest friends, a staunch defence of the forward is only to be expected from Ferdinand.
Yet, having seen him at close quarters in training and matches, the defender is adamant the current debate over Rooney's loss of form is being fuelled only by his failure to find the target since his opening-day brace against Fulham.
"If Wayne had scored against Reading on Saturday, the questions about him would probably not be being asked," he said.
"I thought he did well at the weekend and got stronger as the game went on.
"But, as we all know, strikers are judged on goals. Everyone knows what a quality player he is and once he scores, people will soon be singing his praises again."
Saha celebrates the only goal
