Ferguson: United can only get better

SIR Alex Ferguson warned Manchester United would only get stronger in the Barclays Premier League title race after watching his side move back to within two points of Manchester City.

United produced a classic smash–and–grab raid at Tottenham yesterday, in a game manager Ferguson described as their hardest away from home this season.

The 3–1 victory, thanks to goals from Ashley Young (two) and Wayne Rooney, was the last of a tough run of fixtures for the champions.

They now have a much easier sequence before travelling to the Etihad Stadium on April 30 for what could be a title decider.

“It’s a massive, massive position that we’re in now, really good position,” said Ferguson, whose squad is set to be further boosted by the return of Chris Smalling, Tom Cleverley and Antonio Valencia.

“We’ll have Smalling ready for Thursday, Cleverley will be ready for next Sunday, Valencia will be ready in 10 days’ time.

“If we get a big squad, it’s going to give us a better chance.”

United’s cause has also been helped by David De Gea finally beginning to look like the goalkeeper they paid Atletico Madrid £18million for last summer.

The Spaniard produced another fine display to keep a dominant Spurs at bay, especially a superb reaction save from Jake Livermore's deflected drive.

Ferguson said: “Fantastic save, absolutely brilliant, and that’s the kind of save that the boy’s capable of making.

“He did it last week at Norwich and made two or three great saves then. He’s done it again.”

Defenders Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans have also made light of captain Nemanja Vidic’s season–ending injury.

Ferguson said: “They were brilliant. I don’t know how many headers they got out. “Last year was the same here. We’ve got to realise that to come here and get that result is really first class.”

Ferguson had no qualms admitting his side rode their luck against Tottenham.

“The first half, we were never at the races. Maybe we got our tactics wrong. What we tried to do was come back off them and sit back a little bit and draw them on to us and then play on the counter–attack. But it didn’t work. Second half, we pushed up more on them, challenged their back four better, and it did make a difference.”