Such is the competition for a place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s double-winning side in 2008/09 that Darren Fletcher revealed he didn’t completely relax over the summer –putting in a few extra hours to keep himself fit in the close season.
Fletcher wasn’t the only one; The Scot says all the players have come back physically sharp. United’s gruelling campaign came to end on 21 May in Moscow, in that equally demanding Champions League final win over Chelsea on penalties.
And even though Premier League and Champions League winners’ medals may have allowed the players to mentally shut off in satisfaction of their achievements, physically they weren’t letting themselves go.
“In modern day football you can’t relax fully, especially at Manchester United,” Fletch told MUTV. “There’s such great competition for places and expectations are so high here.
“You do need to give your body a rest, but you can’t totally switch off. You make sure you do a little bit of work so you don’t come back way behind the other lads for pre-season. We’ve got a big squad and the competition will be there right from the off. By everyone’s reaction, we’ve all come back quite sharp and it’s the same as usual: training is at ahigh tempo because everyone wants to play.”
It says a lot for the determination of this group of players that winning two of the game’s biggest prizes last season didn’t induce an attitude of this being a job done. This is merely the start.
“We all feel we’ve let our bodies recover from what was a long, hard season,” adds Darren. “Now we’re preparing for another tough campaign. But we all hope it goes right to the end again.
“Pre-season has gone well so far. Tony Strudwick, the fitness coach, has put together some good sessions. There’s a lot of hard work in the gym and plenty of running to be done.”
Fletcher had to contend with the usual newspaper gossip over the summer linking him with a move away from Old Trafford - a story he insists has no foundation in truth. “The papers don’t have a lot to write about when the season finishes,” he says. “So they seem to make these things up. You learn to deal with it. I’m focused on United, and unless someone tells me otherwise, that’s what I’ll continue to do.”
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