Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was not happy to hear that Bolton players have been out celebrating after securing their place in the Premiership with a 2-0 home win against Sunderland last weekend. On Sunday, Bolton plays Chelsea in what will be an effectively meaningless match for Bolton. Similarly, United’s opponent Wigan Athletic will have little to fight for, too, having insulated itself against relegation with a 2-0 win away to Aston Villa last weekend. Skeptics worry that neither team will put up much of a fight against United and Chelsea, who are tied on points at the top of the table. If both teams win, the Red Devils will once again be crowed champions thanks to a vastly superior goal difference.
“All week, people have questioned the integrity of Wigan. No one has even mentioned Bolton,” Ferguson said. “Both teams are safe, relaxed and confident. But one can celebrate and the other is all keyed up to play against Manchester United. That difference in attitude amazes me.”
Ferguson called on his former assistant Archie Knox, who is now an assistant to Gary Megson at Bolton, to fire up his players ahead of what will be an enormously important match for both United and Chelsea. “I worked with Archie Knox for many years at Aberdeen and United and in a way, I wish he was playing,” said Ferguson. “He will not enjoy hearing his players have been out celebrating and neither will Gary Megson because this is an important game.”