"The mood around the place hasn't been good. The main aim
for everybody at this club is to win the European Cup, and
the fact we have not reached our full potential in that
competition this season is staring us in the face.
"At the moment our performances are far from the levels
required to win the competition. It is five years since we
won it - and as the years go by it crosses your mind that it
might not happen again.
"We are not getting any younger, so when people say the
success we have had here over the years is coming to an end
I can understand where they are coming from. When you are at
a big club like Manchester United and you fail to reach your
standards people have every right to say those things.
"At the moment, it seems as though everything we have done
over the last few weeks - with the exception of the FA Cup
tie against Fulham - has been bad. There are a lot of
negatives in our head. We have to try and replace them with
some positive thoughts, and the best way of starting that is
by beating City.
"Although everything seems to be doom and gloom at the
moment, when you look round the changing room and see the
players in there, there is no need to feel quite as bad as
we are.
"The true fact in football is that you don't get everything
your own way. Sometimes you don't get what you deserve, and
Tuesday was an example of that. Our backs are against the
wall now, and on Sunday we need to improve."
Nicky’s glad that he stayed at Old Trafford:
"I always said it would be difficult for me to leave this
club - and now I am glad I didn't. It is the biggest club,
the one I have grown up with, and I definitely see my future
here. I had become a bit disillusioned because you can only
be patient for so long. But experience has taught me things
can change very quickly in football.
"Now I am playing, I am really happy - but I need to prove I
am good enough to stay in the team and start improving my
performance."
Ugh! Here comes the England guff:
"I spoke to the England manager about the situation because
over the past 18 months I have started virtually every game.
He just said as long as you are getting games and are fit,
you will be in my mind. I can only take his word for that
and play as many games as I can up to the summer.