Nothing new but here it is all the same.
The club have repeatedly denied that Ruud van Nistelrooy is not leaving the club, yet still the rumours persist. What more can the club do to end these rumours about Ruud's future?
"We can’t do any more. Ruud has been very clear on it through the media, as have Sir Alex and the club. Ruud is an integral part of our planning for the next four years, as per the new contract he signed. That is the situation but we have to get on with it. And the proof of the pudding will be in the eating."
Do you regret not signing Ronaldinho last summer after seeing his performances for Barcelona? And if a player of similar ability became available this summer, would the club go all out to get him?
"You have to say he had a great second half of the season at Barcelona when they stormed up the Spanish league. Do you regret? No, you’ve got to move on and make sure we deliver and build a team that can challenge at the top in European football. If another player like Ronaldinho came along we would have to assess it. We would have to look at it with the manager, look at our budget and determine whether the squad needed strengthening to ensure that we can get back to the top of European football. Sir Alex is always looking for the player who’ll make the difference at Manchester United. That's something he has been excellent at over the years."
There has been some criticism of Peter Kenyon for the Ronaldinho deal falling through. What would you say about that?
"I personally don’t agree with that. Peter worked very hard and I was assisting him in certain areas but it wasn’t meant to be. You get a feeling with certain players that they’re desperate to come to you. With others, you sense they’re not and that they’re using you in terms of the wider negotiations. Ronaldinho probably fell into the latter category. I think he probably had his mind set on going to Spain and that was the situation. I personally don’t think the club or the board could have done more to get him. We basically met his wage demands and we made a very, very significant offer to PSG. They chose not to take it and went for a deal with Barcelona instead. Personally I think that criticism of Peter is unwarranted."
Do you look forward to the summer and the transfer activity that comes with it? Or does the intense media interest in transfers make it a difficult period for you?
"I look forward to the challenge. There’s always a buzz, a sense of excitement, and a sense of real pride, I suppose, if you bring in a top player that can hopefully really add to our team. Every deal is different. Some go smoothly whereas others are perhaps more problematic. What we have to do is identify our key targets, keep them to ourselves and then go after them. The media frenzy will have us linked with many more players than we are actually after. I know ManUtd.com track the numerous players we are linked with in the papers and it’s always a long list!"
A lot of United fans believe the club bought a fleet of Fiestas instead of a Ferrari last summer. Will United be buying a Ferrari this summer?
"I don’t think anyone could class Tim Howard or Ronaldo as Fiestas unless I am watching a different game of football to them! As for the other players, you’ve just got to give them time. Young players like Kleberson can take a while to settle in. Look at another Brazilian, Edu, for example. For his first three years at Arsenal, Edu played second fiddle to Gilberto Silva but last season everyone was raving about him. We bring in players on four or five year contracts so let’s view them in the medium term, not after one season."
How much of a say does the Board have in the players that Sir Alex signs?
"We have a discussion. Sir Alex will identify the key targets with his knowledge and his scouting reports. There may be two or three for a particular position. Then it is a matter of deciding what the best use of our funds is. We do have to operate within budgets. Unlike some clubs, we’re not in the category of having unlimited funds. We do have a limit on our funds like any sensible business has. That’s a balancing act. I discuss Sir Alex’s targets with him and prioritise them. We (the Board) have a say but ultimately no player comes to Manchester United or leaves Manchester United without the manager’s approval which is entirely appropriate."
With the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid spending hundreds of millions on players, how difficult is it not to lose sight of bringing young players through the ranks?
"Manchester United, over the years, has always been a club with the ability to spend large amounts of money in the transfer market, on players like Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rio Ferdinand. But we also have a tradition for bringing young players through. We’ve seen that this year with Darren Fletcher coming through. So it’s a combination. We do have the power and the financial muscle to compete effectively in the transfer market but let’s be honest, if we’re up against Chelsea and they desperately want a player, they will probably outbid us. But they can’t get every player. In a straight fight with them, we may lose out. That’s why our (scouting) network needs to be good so we can identify the other player. If they (Chelsea) have got their number one priority, we can go for the other guy."
Roy Keane has been quoted as saying that the overall package at Manchester United is better than the rest. Would you agree?
"Well, I don’t know all the details of the other clubs but Roy’s clearly happy with his package. Thank you for that, Roy – I’ll remember that next time you’re in for a re-negotiation! But yes, we are one of the top payers in English football, if not European football. We make sure we compete effectively for players. You only have to read the papers to get a sense of what players earn – not that you should believe everything you read in the papers! Players are quite rightly very well remunerated for their services."