Ferdinand to be Fergie's party pooper

May 11 2008

Wigan V Man Utd Today, Kick-Off 3pm

RELENTLESS Rio Ferdinand has vowed to keep celebrations to a bare minimum if Manchester United win the title today - because he's already greedy for more glory.

Victory at Wigan followed by a Champions League triumph over Chelsea on May 21 would complete the second most successful campaign ever for United, eclipsed only by the historic Treble in 1999.

Yet the champagne corks will barely have popped before the players knuckle back down to the serious business of racking up more silverware.

Ferdinand said: "To win back-to-back titles this weekend would be great. It is a hard thing to do and we understand that.

"But as soon as it is achieved we'll be looking for a third, moving on right away."

It is an attitude shared by boss Sir Alex Ferguson, drummed into United mainstays such as Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes and being picked up by the younger generation like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ferdinand said: "It is hard to sit back when there are 76,000 people watching you every week.

"The manager does not buy players with that kind of slack imprint in their make-up. He buys guys who are hungry.

"It is bred into you to want to win every league and cup. Lads like Giggs, Scholes and Neville who have won countless trophies are the inspiration behind that."

Ferdinand is likely to again be captain today, not that the England defender is losing sleep over the pressure situation.

United will be champions if they win while Chelsea could put 10 past Bolton and still finish second.

Rio smiled: "I would rather be where we are than relying on the other team to slip up. But we got this far by attacking teams from the off so that is what we will do."

With up to 20,000 United fans expected to make the short journey north Ferdinand knows he is likely to find out the score at Stamford Bridge if he wants to or not.

However, he won't risk blowing United's big chance of glory by letting his mind wander to next week's Champions League showdown. Ferdinand said: "I haven't been thinking about what we could achieve in the next 10 days.

"You don't look that far ahead. We want to concentrate on the job in hand - beat Wigan and win the league. Only then will we move on to the next game."

Boss Fergie reckons pipping Chelsea to domestic supremacy will be a victory for United's tradition of free-flowing football.

With the rivals locked on 84 points the Red Devils' 78 goals scored compared to Chelsea's 64 gives them the vital edge.

Fergie said: "We have our beliefs and they will not change. We play the game the way it should be played. That is our history - it is indelibly printed at this club."

The United boss is sure his players will have no fear ahead of the first of two games that could earn them a place in history.

He said: "Sometimes you get nervous or over-confident. That is the nature of the game.

"But beating Barcelona was a fantastic fillip. Getting to the European Cup Final in Moscow has relaxed everyone and I hope that momentum stays with us."

Nemanja Vidic returns from concussion but Wayne Rooney will be on the bench as he recovers from a hip problem.