Man United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his players to hit 100 goals this season to show they don't need Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese winger, who joined Real Madrid for a world record £80 million this summer, hit 68 goals for United in the last two seasons.

Despite having much of that transfer fee available to spend Ferguson has yet to buy a direct replacement, with Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen the only newcomers to Old Trafford so far.

But the United boss is confident his side can overcome the loss of the former Sporting Lisbon man by spreading the goals across the team.

He said: "Obviously Cristiano is a big loss in terms of the goals he gave us. But we will just have to find the goals from somewhere else and our tactics will adjust accordingly.

"Usually you look to score about 100 goals in all competitions, so we are aiming for that again.

"I will be looking to Park, Nani, Valencia - even Welbeck and Macheda - to contribute 40 goals between them. The defenders will contribute a few from set-pieces, too."

So that's ten between those midfielders, plus the other midfielders goals, five each for Macheda and Welbeck, and the contribution from the defenders. That means Fergie wants the strikers to score about 60 goals.

Ryan Giggs will turn 36-years-old in a couple of months so it makes sense for him to be thinking about his future. His United playing career will likely draw to a close within the next couple of seasons and Giggs is planning to stay in football, although as yet is undecided as to what career path he wants to follow.


“Football is my life, but I’m not going to be playing at 40 - and I will look for another challenge within in the game,” said Giggs. “When my body tells me I can’t sustain playing at the highest level any more I know it will be time for me to call it a day. I want to finish playing at the top. I have no intention of playing in the lower leagues to sustain my playing career. I have done my coaching courses and would like to stay in the game in some capacity. I think there are numerous opportunities that will allow me to stay in the game, be it in coaching, the media or training in some capacity. I am told that you can inadvertently fall into management - like Mark Hughes and then you get bitten by the bug.”

Dimitar Berbatov has been very praiseworthy of his team mate Wayne Rooney, claiming that he is the best player in the league.

Like every other United player these days, Berbatov has been asked how we will cope without Cristiano Ronaldo, but our Bulgarian reckons we already have a player, in Rooney, who will add a lot more to our team than Ronaldo did.


“Wayne is the biggest talent in the Premier League,” said Berbatov. “We have lost a great player in Ronaldo, but even when he was at the club Wayne was still the biggest natural talent for me. He has much more to his game than Ronaldo. I wish Cristiano well, but he is our past now and Manchester United can become bigger and better without him.”

Ryan Giggs has today claimed that you would be foolish to write Manchester United off following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Giggsy has just started his 20th season as a Manchester United first team player and has seen our club and manager doubted time and again.

He sends out a warning to all those that might question our future success: don’t underestimate the manager.


“The club won’t stand still because players have left,” he added. “We will continue to evolve under the manager and maintain our challenge for silverware. People are making a far bigger thing of it outside the club than we are. Obviously Cristiano was a world-class player and will be missed - but how many times have players left United and we have been written off only to prove the critics wrong? I have seen great players come and go, but the drive and determination to succeed remain the same. Don’t underestimate the manager. I have discovered over the years he always seems to come up with the answers.”

Manchester United season ticket holder, Andy Cole, has praised our strikeforce today, claiming that Wayne Rooney is ready to fill Cristiano Ronaldo’s boots and that Dimitar Berbatov is ‘elegant’.


“Rooney has started the season really well,” said Cole. “He’s ready to step into Ronaldo’s shoes. His attitude is ‘I’m top, and I’m going to prove it’. He’s the man to get 25-30 goals this season.”

It’s not just Rooney that has impressed Cole but our other strikers too.

“It’s not easy coming to United in your first season,” he adds. “The spotlight is on you straight away and everyone expected Berbatov to get 30 goals last year. I don’t think he’s that type of player, but he brings something different to the team. He’s so elegant. Then there’s Michael Owen. There aren’t many natural finishers around. Sir Alex told me that if he keeps Owen fit he’ll get goals.”