Sir Alex Ferguson looks to end FA Cup drought, starting with West Ham win

Manchester United's manager Sir Alex Ferguson during the Barclays Premier League match at the DW Stadium, Wigan. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Friday, January 4, 2013
1:16 PM

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is desperate to win the FA Cup, but must first overcome West Ham tomorrow.

United have played in four Champions League semi-finals, reaching the final on three occasions, since the last of their record 11 victories in the FA Cup.

Of their present squad, Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are the only ones with winners’ medals, with even Rio Ferdinand missing out on that 2004 victory over Millwall due to the ban he served for missing a drugs test.

“Rio has been with us 10 years and not won the FA Cup,” Ferguson added. “It is amazing. We will have to do something about it.”

Although many would view United’s success in Europe and relative failure in the FA Cup as confirmation of their priorities, Ferguson points to instances of bad luck in the world’s oldest cup competition.

He still feels aggrieved at final losses to Arsenal in 2005 and Chelsea in 2007, both of which he felt were undeserved.

Semi-final defeats to Everton and Manchester City are more recent, with a run of matches against Arsenal, City twice, an away tie at Liverpool and now an encounter with West Ham at Upton Park underlining that the draw has not been particularly kind either.

“Over the last three or four years we have had some really difficult ties,” Ferguson added.

“When the draw comes out you hope for either a home tie or one you can navigate. This is a particularly hard one.

“But I always feel, at a club like ours, the closer we get to Wembley, the better we become.”