Super Cup is just a sideshow as Ferguson loses faith in sealing Berbatov deal

Manchester United and Zenit St Petersburg will compete for one of world football's least significant trophies in the shape of the UEFA Super Cup at Monaco's Stade Louis II on Friday evening.

For United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, there is a much more significant battle to be won over the next four days.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Taking it on the chin: Sir Alex Ferguson is facing up to the possibility of missing out on Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov.

It is a battle of wills with Tottenham Hotspur over their Bulgarian centre forward Dimitar Berbatov that continues to vex Ferguson.

The United manager does not like losing and rarely does, but with only four days of the transfer window remaining, he hinted last night that any failure to get this important deal done will be due to Tottenham's intransigence.

'If I was not very optimistic last weekend then I'm less optimistic now,' said Ferguson in France.

'It's hard to know what's going on. Some people are just very difficult to communicate with in life. But it's not a problem for us. It's OK.'

Berbatov's move to Old Trafford remains alive, and with officials from both clubs in Monaco last night, Ferguson's prognosis may prove too gloomy.

United have already lodged a second bid of £25m and it is understood there is not far to go before the two clubs agree on a deal and - just as importantly - its structure. Nevertheless, it has been a long struggle for a team who continue to play without a genuine centre forward of experience in their ranks.

Despite his return to fitness, Frenchman Louis Saha was left at home when United's party headed for France this week. It remains possible that one of the most frustrating talents of Ferguson's time in football may yet leave the club over the weekend.

Tonight, against UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg, United will ask Wayne Rooney to carry the burden up front. He will work manfully and without complaint as usual, but United badly need a focal point to their attacking efforts if they are to defend the two titles won last season, the Barclays Premier League and the Champions League.

It is because of the latter that United are here and captain Gary Neville was bold enough to suggest yesterday that a repeat of last season's remarkable feats may not be beyond Ferguson's team.

Neville said: 'We're still unpredictable in how we attack, we have players up front who can change games. We've a young squad and there's no reason why we can't do it again.

'The first thing is to reach the standards of last season. If we do that then it's possible; we have a great chance.'

Neville will play tonight as he continues his own comeback, while there will also be returns for Portugal winger Nani - who has been suspended - and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who has been struggling with tendinitis in his knee.

Ferguson predicted yesterday that Hargreaves will play at least 45 minutes but it appears that England coach Fabio Capello - who has journeyed here just to watch him - will have wasted his time ahead of next week's World Cup double-header against Andorra and Croatia.

Hargreaves himself will be glad just to be talked about after a summer fretting about a recurring injury but he has unwittingly provided an insight into the psychological issues facing his team-mates as they endeavour to get themselves 'up' for this game.

Hargreaves said: 'I lost the Super Cup to Liverpool with Bayern Munich. It didn't feel like a big game to me at the time, the stadium was half empty and it was a strange atmosphere around the hotel. It's just Monaco, I guess. It's a different place.'

United will face a wily and determined Russian side tonight who were far too technically adept for Rangers in last season's UEFA Cup Final. F

erguson's team should nevertheless be too strong - even though Zenit's impish playmaker Andrei Arshavin will play - and they will then return to the more important matters back home.

Probable line-ups:
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): Van der Sar; Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Hargreaves, Anderson, Nani; Rooney, Tevez.
ZENIT (4-1-3-1-1): Malafeev; Anyukov, Puygrenier, Krizanac, Kim; Tymoshchuk; Dominguez, Zyryanov, Dani; Arshavin; Pogrebnyak.
Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Den)
TV: ITV1 7.00pm (kick-off 7.45pm)

Super Cup is just a sideshow as Fergie loses faith in sealing Berbatov deal