ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Everton V Manchester Utd Venue: Goodison Park Kick-off: Today, 12.45pm On TV: Sky Sports 1

ALEX FERGUSON has spoken publicly for the first time about the green-and-gold protests aimed at Manchester United’s ruling Glazer family and admitted that he could “understand where it was coming from”.

Ferguson, previously a defiant ally of the Glazers, showed sympathy to the supporters’ concerns, though he countered it with the claim that the men in power at Old Trafford were “doing the right thing with the club”.

That last sentence will do little to quell the lingering grievance of many United supporters that Ferguson and the chief executive, David Gill, sold them short by opposing the takeover and then aligning themselves with the Glazers once it was completed, regardless of the huge debts that were accrued in the process.

A protest match is planned to take place before the second leg of the Champions League tie against Milan on March 10th and fans have started wearing the colours of United’s formative club, Newton Heath, to show their disdain for the current owners.

“It’s not a concern to me,” Ferguson said. “It doesn’t matter what colours they wear, they’re still supporting the one team. It just shows we have fans who care for the club.

“Every fan has a right to complain about what they think is right but we also have to run the club the way we think is the right way and I think we are doing the right thing with the club.

“The foundation of the club is just the same as it has been for the last few years. Obviously there are fans protesting and we understand where it is coming from but we carry on with the football side of it. I’ve made my point to the supporters as long as it doesn’t interrupt or interfere with the progress of the team and I think they realise that too.”

Ferguson takes his team to Everton today hoping that the most prolific form of Wayne Rooney’s career will continue against the club where he began his career but the United manager also had sympathetic words for Dimitar Berbatov. “It’s hard (to include him) when we decide to play three central midfield players. That’s the difficulty for him. Every time I have spoken to him (Berbatov) he understands what we are doing.”

Meanwhile, John O’Shea is refusing to set a comeback date even though he is edging closer to full fitness.

The Waterford man has been out since November after suffering complications in his recovery from a dead leg he picked up during the latter stages of The Republic of Ireland’s World Cup play-off defeat to France in November.

“It is progressing very well,” he said yesterday.

Guardian Service