MATCH QUOTES

Last updated : 08 April 2007 By Editor

Ferguson:

"We are still three points ahead with the better goal difference.

"If we'd been offered that at the start of the season, we would have taken it. And if it comes down to winning our last match at Old Trafford that would be fine.

"It is obviously disappointing. An away game after a European tie is always difficult.

"We played with 10 men for an hour on Wednesday and that caught us today.

"In the first 20 minutes of the second half we were fantastic but then we got stretched and the game opened up far too much.

"But these things happen. It has come at a bad time but we have shown character and we expect to recover. I cannot fault the effort and I have no complaints.

"All our games are cup finals now and it doesn't matter who you come up against. But Chelsea have a lot of big games coming up just like us and they haven't been playing well. So someone will make them suffer, I don't think they will go through six games without that happening.

"It could go to the last game and if it does, I will take that. We've got a 10-day break after the FA Cup semi-final and that might have come at just the right time for us."


Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp:

"It was a great performance by us and a great result.

"We've beaten United in three of our last four home games now but I don't want to play them every week. We would go down if we did.

"I told the players before the match that they would have to work their socks off to win this one. That's just what they did.

"We pushed onto them and didn't let them create. I was already without Glen Johnson through injury and then Sol Campbell pulled out with an achilles. I don't know how long he will be out.

"But Linvoy Primus did a miracle for us today. He made some magnificent tackles and was superb throughout. He's a marvel.

"Europe? I don't know if we are back in contention for it. It can change so quickly but our tactics worked for us today and everybody was a star.

"We grafted and it paid off and we took our chances.

"The title race will still be very tight. United still have three points and have to go to Chelsea probably with a better goal difference. So you would still have to make them favourites."


Mourinho:

"I was not surprised he complained about this fixture [Spurs playing just a few hours after Sevilla away game] because he is intelligent and maybe he thinks the other people are stupid.

"Being intelligent is a great quality.

"Intelligent people are one step ahead of other people. But when you think other people are stupid it is not such a good quality.

"He [Ferguson] is an intelligent man, a successful man with a great career. You cannot be a great manager if you are not intelligent. The time I spend with him I always enjoy so much because he is intelligent. I accept what he said as an intelligent quote from an intelligent person, forgetting other people are not stupid and only can laugh about it.

"I think United have no pressure. They are top of the league. It is the same story as the previous season when people were saying Chelsea were under pressure and I was saying there is no pressure."

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