Sir Alex Ferguson admits he is baffled by Manchester United’s defensive woes after watching Braga run riot before Javier Hernandez rescued a 3-2 win against the Portuguese minnows.
For the eighth time in 12 matches this season, United were forced to come from behind after conceding the opening goal.
While Ferguson was full of admiration for the Hernandez-inspired fightback, it was revealing that, without any prompting, he launched into an analysis of his team’s problems at the back during the post-match press conference.
Even more intriguing was Ferguson’s revelation that he doesn’t have a cure for the careless way United are surrendering so many goals. ‘I can’t understand our defending, I can’t get to bottom of it at all,’ Ferguson said. ‘If you analyse all the goals we are losing they are all different types. Today it was a cross, then a cutback into the box with players free.
‘I can’t put my finger on it, but we aren’t getting good starts to games that’s for sure. It’s making it difficult for us. It’s interesting that it’s the home games when we are conceding early goals, but we’ll sort it out eventually, I’m sure of that.’
Hernandez faces a tough battle to hold down a regular place as he competes with Rooney, van Persie and Danny Welbeck, but Ferguson admits it is a selection headache he is happy to have.
‘The boy is improving all the time. He is good in training and works hard. He’s given me a problem and I think that’s good. His goal ratio for us is fantastic.’
LAMPARD DOUBTFUL FOR MAN U CLASH
Frank Lampard could miss Chelsea’s top-of-the-table clash with Manchester United on Sunday after limping out of his side’s Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk after only 18 minutes on Tuesday with a calf injury.
The 34-year-old midfielder was having a scan which will determine whether he can play in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.
‘It’s a recurrence of an old injury, He was training fine and there were no alarm bells before the game’. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo told reporters after the 2-1 defeat in Ukraine.
For the eighth time in 12 matches this season, United were forced to come from behind after conceding the opening goal.
While Ferguson was full of admiration for the Hernandez-inspired fightback, it was revealing that, without any prompting, he launched into an analysis of his team’s problems at the back during the post-match press conference.
Even more intriguing was Ferguson’s revelation that he doesn’t have a cure for the careless way United are surrendering so many goals. ‘I can’t understand our defending, I can’t get to bottom of it at all,’ Ferguson said. ‘If you analyse all the goals we are losing they are all different types. Today it was a cross, then a cutback into the box with players free.
‘I can’t put my finger on it, but we aren’t getting good starts to games that’s for sure. It’s making it difficult for us. It’s interesting that it’s the home games when we are conceding early goals, but we’ll sort it out eventually, I’m sure of that.’
Hernandez faces a tough battle to hold down a regular place as he competes with Rooney, van Persie and Danny Welbeck, but Ferguson admits it is a selection headache he is happy to have.
‘The boy is improving all the time. He is good in training and works hard. He’s given me a problem and I think that’s good. His goal ratio for us is fantastic.’
LAMPARD DOUBTFUL FOR MAN U CLASH
Frank Lampard could miss Chelsea’s top-of-the-table clash with Manchester United on Sunday after limping out of his side’s Champions League defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk after only 18 minutes on Tuesday with a calf injury.
The 34-year-old midfielder was having a scan which will determine whether he can play in the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.
‘It’s a recurrence of an old injury, He was training fine and there were no alarm bells before the game’. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo told reporters after the 2-1 defeat in Ukraine.