Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admits he'll continue to make decisions over his veterans without sentiment.

He explained: "You have to think about tomorrow, not yesterday. To maintain the level of success that this club expects, change is essential. That means observing how players' form changes as they get older - in some cases, they've no more to give.

"You can't have a team grow old without being ready to make changes.

"There's a risk you'll be caught unawares, make panic buys and change too suddenly. Managing change is the most difficult thing. This will always be an emotional game.

"Players like Nicky Butt and Phil Neville are like family, so you regret having to let players go.

"Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville are the foundation of our current team.

"That's why when we brought in Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Anderson and Carlos Tevez, we had time. They were young but they were surrounded by tremendous experience. Nowadays in football, you don't have the same time to settle in and realise your vision.

"Some managers lose their first five games and the pressure is on.

"The fans aren't happy and you get knee-jerk reactions."