MANCHESTER United remain relentlessly focused on their Champions League duel with Barcelona in Rome tomorrow, despite rumblings about the futures of Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, and the attitude of the club's record signing Dimitar Berbatov.
While Ronaldo is persistently linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, much to the annoyance of manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the player himself, it is expected Tevez will leave Old Trafford next month, once his two-year loan deal expires.
United
chief executive David Gill is planning more talks with Tevez's advisor Kia Joorabchian before the Argentina international finally resolves his future but the indications for weeks have been that a complete break is the likely outcome.
The major stumbling block appears to be United's refusal to pay the final instalment of an agreed £32million transfer of the player's registration, even though Tevez wants to stay.
However, the 25-year-old is determined to put discussion about his future on hold until United's European fate is sealed.
"I want to win the European Cup for the club and the fans," he said yesterday. "After that we will talk about the future.
"I really like it here and want to be part of the success, but right now I don't want anything to distract me from my football."
Berbatov, meanwhile, has rejected the accusation he is too laid back to care whether United beat Barcelona. The Bulgarian has only been a qualified success since arriving at Old Trafford from Tottenham for a club record £30.75million.
Moments of pure genius have been mixed with periods of perceived inactivity as Berbatov adjusted to his new surroundings.
Ferguson has certainly never questioned the 28-year-old's commitment.
However, plenty have taken his phlegmatic demeanour as a sign that Berbatov lacks the application normally associated with United players.
The player insists that perception is wide of the mark. "I know people sometimes think I don't care. Trust me. I do," he said. "I get frustrated and if I don't play well I am very disappointed. People should not just look at my face and make an assessment about me, depending on what it shows."
Ferguson pursued Berbatov for well over 12 months, believing the former Tottenham front man could add an ingredient missing from his team by being able to unlock the tightest of defences in the most difficult of games.
A tally of 14 goals and an equal number of assists suggests Berbatov has indeed added a bit extra. Yet as the season has reached its dramatic conclusion, he has been gently eased out of the United starting line-up.
Indeed, it is now expected that Berbatov will be on the bench tomorrow night as United attempt to join Ajax and Bayern Munich among the list of clubs that have won the European Cup on four occasions.
"I know what I have done. And I know I can do a lot more," he said. "I can improve because I didn't produce 100 per cent in some of the games I have played since I came to the club."
Concerns about form will be set aside in the Italian capital as Berbatov attempts to win a trophy that has so far proved elusive in a career that finally boasts a Premier League title.
"I still get nervous," he said. "I play for the biggest club in the world. The nerves are always there. Barcelona will give us a tough match but every game is like that for us. The opposition think, we are playing against Manchester United, we are going to give it everything. We don't expect anything else."
United defender Nemanja Vidic believes the team's knack of scoring important goals at critical times gives them an edge.
United have a reputation for scoring late – most notably in the 1999 final when they turned things around against Bayern Munich with two goals in injury time – but recently it is when the goals have gone in that has been significant.
A month ago their successful defence of the Barclays Premier League title hung in the balance when they trailed Tottenham 2-0 with almost an hour gone before a fortuitous penalty got them going and they won 5-2.
A fortnight later Tevez came off the bench to deflect in Michael Carrick's shot to equalise at Wigan, a match they went on to win 2-1 with just four minutes to go.
"When we need the goals we score the goals," said Vidic ahead of the clash in Stadio Olimpico. "A few games we were one or two goals down and won the games. We have shown when we need to score the goals our attackers can. We are not a team that is just going to go there and defend. We want to attack."
Barcelona duo Thierry Henry and Andres Iniesta continued their bids to be fit for the final as they returned to squad training yesterday, albeit not at the same level as their team-mates.
The full article contains 840 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
