FERGIE: 'THIRD MAY HAVE TO DO'

Last updated : 24 April 2005 By Editor

"Second place is now a difficult task.

"We have to depend on Arsenal dropping five points because their goal difference is so superior. I shouldn't need to impress upon the players how important it is to finish in second place - they have a bonus structure that applies for second place as opposed to third spot. They know the difference all right. I don't need to spell it out.

"But they have all been aware of that for a while, by the way. We've had a bad spell in the last three League games. We lost to Norwich, we drew with Blackburn and we lost at Everton without scoring a goal. And that is the strange part. That is the worst goalscoring performance by us for years and yet in the FA Cup we have been scoring well, so it is strange situation. It is unusual."