"We hope we can win the FA Cup for the fans," he told Manchester United Radio. "We've won it more times than any other club and it has given us a place in history. It's been a good cup for Manchester United. We've won it eleven times. I've had some great times in the FA Cup. There have been exciting games away from home and thrilling extra time wins."
"You only have to look at Ryan Giggs' goal against Arsenal at Villa Park in the semi final replay, or the momentous semi final versus Oldham. I always remember my first FA Cup game, a Derby match against Manchester City; we won 1-0 with five minutes to go. All these occasions have been gripping football matches."
Ferguson acknowledges that he team have fallen short in both Europe and in the League:
"It's been disappointing," he says. "We place great store in the club's history in European competition. We have won two trophies but that doesn't compare to some of the other great teams in European football. Yes, we have been unlucky some years, should have done better in others and sometimes we've thrown chances away. The bottom line is we should be doing better in Europe. We played AC Milan, we had eight chances and didn't hit the target once; that's killing us. It's a real disappointment."
There is even a hint of self-criticism:
"We can look at ourselves and say 'are we picking the right teams for these games?' But, we have a squad of players that are all well-paid internationals. The players have to accept the responsibility."