FERGUSON DEFENDS 'FANTASTIC' BLANC
Blanc has looked much more composed and confident in United's recent games, showing the distribution skills that have helped make his name and at times appearing to be part of his side's midfield, such has been the way Ferguson's team has dominated their matches.
Having surprisingly sold Jaap Stam to Lazio and brought in Blanc the United defence had looked unsettled at the start of the season, with a spate of injuries not helping matters.
Speaking about Blanc, Ferguson told MUTV: "I should have got him five years ago.
"They will all say he's slow and all the rest of it, but there is not one goal he has been responsible for this season - not one.
"The press are not going to allow him to be successful. I think that's their intention and it's unfortunate because he is a fantastic character and he's added a lot to the team in terms of character and how he perceives the game.
"He talks such great sense about the game, and I think the players he is playing with will look back years from now and say `he was a great player. He taught us this, he taught us that and we learned from him.'
"The French players all looked up to him as the man, and it's just unfortunate that he is getting the criticism that he is.
"He's not the quickest. He never was the quickest, but that is never going to be accepted."
Ferguson also denied that Stam's book forced his exit from the club and the introduction of the 36-year-old Blanc, saying: "People look at the Jaap thing in many ways and they'll always point to it being the book.
"I read the book and there's nothing in the book. It's actually a bland book. I mean, there's nothing there controversial at all.
"It was nothing to do with the book - absolutely nothing to do with it. Nobody will ever believe that, I suppose, but that doesn't matter to me.
"I know the facts, and it was a football matter, and I just didn't think Jaap was the same player."
