Fergie defends owners

SIR Alex Ferguson has launched a stout defence of Manchester United owners the Glazer family.

While United are the number one football club in the world on the Forbes Rich List with an estimated value of 1.84billion US dollars (£1.18billion), the debt is more than £700million.

That is a concern to United supporters and has put the Glazers in the firing line of the Green and Gold protest movement.

But Ferguson said: “The debt has come through by the club being bought out by an owner. You know full well that when a business is bought it’s usually bought with debt.

“So when a particular family like the Glazers have bought it, it’s unfair they come in for criticism because anybody could have bought it.

“I have to say they’ve done their job well. They support myself, the manager, they’ve supported the players. I’ve never been refused when I’ve asked for money for a player.

“So what can I do other than carry on the way we’re doing it and the way I’m allowed to carry on? I’ve no complaints.”

In an interview with CNN, Ferguson also spelt out his intention to carry on at the helm as long as he remains healthy.

At 68, he is heading into his 24th season at Old Trafford where he has won 11 Premier League titles and two European Cups.

The short–term aim is to wrest the domestic crown back from Chelsea after they pipped his side at the post last season.

He said: “A lot of factors come into most important things. I’m at the right club, it’s a fantastic club, it demands a challenge all the time.

“Every day, every year there’s the challenge of being at the top and that helps me. I think you need good natural energy and I’ve been blessed with that.”

Meanwhile, Ferguson believes Javier Hernandez’s pace could be a crucial weapon after the Mexico striker scored in his opening game for the club.

Hernandez, who linked up with the squad for the first time this week after arriving from Chivas Guadalajara, made an instant impact off the substitutes’ bench in the 5–2 victory against the MLS All–Stars

With Federico Macheda getting a brace — the first after 24 seconds — and substitutes Darron Gibson and Tom Cleverley also on target, it was just the performance Ferguson was looking for.