Fergie rallies round his beleaguered Man Utd youngsters

Sir Alex Ferguson has hit back at the critics who have written his youngsters off following Manchester United's Champions League defeat to Besiktas last week.

The United boss elected to field most of the young players that steered the Red Devils to last season's Carling Cup success.

"Those lads need to be challenged and I thought they did OK," said Ferguson.

"They did not deserve that kind of criticism.

"Those same people will be going cap in hand to them, begging them for interviews in a few years' time, mark my words. It is so hypocritical.

"What is the difference between that and Alan Hansen doing it in front of millions? Yet one gets slaughtered for it and this guy gets off. Wonderful. What a world."

Ferguson was referring to Hansen's comments about Wayne Bridge on Match of the Day after Manchester City's draw with Burnley earlier this month.

"I don't need to motivate them with what has been said," said Ferguson. "Their future is well mapped out.

"But the one thing we cannot give them is an old head, which is what we saw in the last third of the pitch last week.

"They got anxious. They created good chances and they hurried the thing. But that is not the biggest crime in the world.

"We are not talking about ability here. We are talking about experience and in that sense is starting to stack up. That is why we have to play them."

 
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