Vidic: United must cut out complacency
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has demanded his team-mates cut out complacency if they want to continue winning trophies this season. The Red Devils are still on course for an astonishing quintuple, having already won the FIFA Club World Cup and Carling Cup, while they are top of the Premier League and still in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
However, recent league defeats to Liverpool and Fulham and a nervy 2-2 draw with Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals has left United's quintuple quest in doubt.
And Vidic has admitted that the Reds have been punished for taking their foot off the gas slightly. “Against Liverpool maybe you can say we took it easier, because we had a game in hand and there was a big gap in points,” he said.
“We didn’t think we were relaxed, but maybe we were."
As the injury problems continue to mount up – Rio Ferdinand is suffering with back complaint, Johnny Evans limped off against Porto and Wayne Rooney is believed to be complaining of a rib problem – the Serbian centre-back is hopeful the wealth of experience in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad will pay dividends.
“I don’t like to keep saying we’ve had many games to play, because all teams do," he said. "But we have, I just hope our experience will see us through this.”
United travel to struggling Sunderland on Saturday.
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Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.