Sign up to The Irish Times Archive (1859 - 2008)My Account »

ENGLISH LEAGUE CUP QUARTER-FINALS:ALEX FERGUSON has angrily defended his young Manchester United players in the face of what he perceives to be “unbelievable” criticism, insisting that the latest footballers to emerge through the ranks at Old Trafford deserve to be recognised as authentic successors to the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

Ferguson was incensed by the coverage of United’s 1-0 defeat at home to Besiktas in the Champions League last Wednesday and the perception that the young players are not good enough to represent the team’s future. United are fiercely proud of the number of young players to make the grade and Ferguson was as animated as at any time since his press conferences started being televised in late 2005.