Ferguson enjoying the City challenge

Sir Alex Ferguson is ready to meet the challenge presented by "screaming" neighbours Manchester City head on. Three years ago, the Blues were just a noisy irritant to the Manchester United boss. Now, with an FA Cup and Premier League collected, City have turned the volume up. And Ferguson is prepared for it. "They're screaming now," he said ahead of tomorrow's derby at the Etihad Stadium. "It's great. Challenges are what we're made of. "I've been lucky that, in my time here, I've been involved with great competitions against teams like Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and now City. There are no dull moments. We don't run from challenges." There does seem something special about this particularly rivalry, though. The pain of that never-to-be-forgotten final day last season, when United were technically champions when their last game was completed at Sunderland, only to have the prize snatched away from them by Sergio Aguero with virtually the last kick of the entire campaign, was more acute for the fans because so many had to face their City counterparts on the Manchester streets. Even slightly detached in upmarket Cheshire, Ferguson lives in close proximity to those of a blue persuasion. Yet it seems the Scot has little interest in such niceties. "I wasn't happy to lose the title and I keep talking to the players about that," Ferguson said. "But I have never entered into the revenge stuff - it doesn't work. "Let's be straight. At this club you can't enjoy losing to anyone because the consequences are always huge. When we lose we're front-page news. We get used to that but we don't like losing, no matter who it is to." And while Ferguson plays down the impact opening up a six-point lead on City would have on a title race that will not be decided for over five months, any advantage would be accepted because the Scot is wary the positive spin-offs City may eventually get from their unexpectedly early exit from Europe, having missed out on the UEFA Europa League this season with their defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. "It's obviously an advantage to City," he said. "Fewer games mean fewer chances of injuries and they get a full week to prepare for games now. They do have a big squad - probably a bigger squad than most teams - and they need to keep everyone happy. "That, in itself, is a bit of an encumbrance in terms of the manager picking the right teams and keeping everyone involved. And I do believe they'd rather have European football. That's the biggest disappointment for them." From FIFA