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United wedded to attacking tradition
By Tim Rich in Milan

ASIDE from the lyrics to That's Life, which has the singer "riding high in April but shot down in May'', most football managers of a certain age have a soft spot for Frank Sinatra, and Sir Alex Ferguson is no exception.

When asked how Manchester United would take their last step towards the European Cup final, Ferguson remarked they would play against AC Milan as they play against everyone else. If they were to reach Athens, they would do it their way.

"If you are realistic you know that AC Milan will be favourites to score, so you have to back yourself to score,'' said Ferguson as he considered the delicate 3-2 lead he takes into the San Siro. "Sitting on our box would not do me, the players or the fans any good. If we are going to win, we will have to do it our way, and if we lose, we will lose our way.''

This semi-final, that at Old Trafford provided so much drama and beauty, is breathtakingly poised. Although their first-choice centre backs, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, did travel, they have not played together since the muscular Serb dislocated his shoulder at the end of March. In eight subsequent matches, United have kept one clean sheet and conceded 11 times.

Ferguson must believe that Milan, who require the archetypal Italian scoreline, a 1-0 home victory, will score. Having seen Patrice Evra and Gabriel Heinze collide to provide Kaka with an open route to what should have been a decisive second goal, throwing in Vidic seems like an acceptable risk; one which Ferguson would not want to run in Saturday's Manchester derby. Ferdinand, who has broken down with a groin strain in successive matches, is another matter. However, he has played much more recently than Vidic and although Ferguson said he would sleep on the decision the England centre-half is the likelier to get the nod.

"We won't make the mistakes we did at Old Trafford,'' Ferguson said. "And we won't concede a goal like the second one.''

This is the third time Manchester United have faced Milan in the San Siro and on each occasion they have failed to score. In 1958 and 1969 the price was a European Cup final; two years ago it was the pain of admitting Carlo Ancelotti's side were playing football on a different plane.

"If we do get that goal, it changes the whole context of the match,'' Ferguson said. "It is going to be a big test; I don't think our away form has been great. The two 1-0 victories at Benfica and Lille were a step forward.''

They need a sweeping, confident display such as the Ryan Giggs-inspired demolition of Juventus in the Stadio delle Alpi four years ago, which was the last time United slew a big European beast in its own lair. There are obvious parallels with Ferguson's last semi-final against Ancelotti, in 1999. Then, having drawn at Old Trafford, United fell two goals behind to Juventus - scored by Filippo Inzaghi, who will lead the Milan attack tonight - and recovered to win 3-2.

It came at the cost of the loss, through suspension, of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane for the final. Should either Scholes or Cristiano Ronaldo be booked, they will suffer the same fate and so, incidentally, will Paolo Maldini.

Reflecting on 1999, he said: "We are going to need the same courage we had that night. It was hell or bust. Here, we have to play with a degree of caution but we will definitely be having a go.''

This season there has been a waterfall of words expended on Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo; a trickle on some real heroes, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Wes Brown: squad players who stepped up in a way some did not think them capable. "They have their dreams,'' said Ferguson of his younger contingent.

"They would be growing up in Scotland or in Ireland and they would see these European matches on television and they would want to be part of it. Everyone who comes from Manchester United wants to reach a European final.''

Asked to describe his dreams, Ferguson went shy and said they had all been fulfilled. "I am happy just managing a team playing such entertaining football.''

Nobody quite believed him.