United boss slams Kop legend

MAN UNITED boss Sir Alex Ferguson has launched a stinging attack on Alan Hansen – claiming the former Liverpool star will end up with egg on his face again.

Fergie insists Hansen, now a BBC pundit, will look silly for claiming United have not played well for 18 months.

The Red Devils boss has a frosty relationship with Hansen, dating back to 1986 when he left the defender out of his Scotland World Cup squad.

Annoyed

In more recent times, Hansen came out with his famous line about “never winning anything with kids” in his assessment of the group that went on to dominate the English game.

And Ferguson’s been annoyed again by the recent condemnation of his side, with Hansen at the head of the queue.

In his programme notes for last night’s Premier League clash with Stoke, the United boss made it clear he feels Hansen is wrong.

“After the Arsenal game, one of the London papers said we were the worst United team he has seen, and I noticed Alan Hansen was at it again, saying we had not played well for one-anda-half years,” Ferguson told United Review.

“I reckon that goes alongside his claim a few years ago that you don’t win anything with youngsters – and you know how he ended up with egg on his face after dismissing the Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Gary Neville crop of kids so foolishly.

“Maybe he was just trying to rattle us on the eve of going to play his old club at Anfield in the cup at the weekend.

“I don’t know how some of the critics come to their conclusions. Yes, we have had our bad days (who doesn’t?), losing to Man City and folding against Blackburn before crashing out of the FA Cup.

“Forget the fact that we had 14 players out with injury for the Blackburn fixture and that we were missing a few at Liverpool; we won’t use injuries as a crutch, we will simply concentrate on getting our message across out on the pitch.

“I’ve every confidence that we will give a good account of ourselves – even perhaps play well enough to convince pundit Hansen.”