Dunne’s warning to United for final
Thursday 28th January 2010, 10:00AM GMT.
Villa defender Richard Dunne has kicked off the countdown to next month’s Carling Cup final with Manchester United by declaring – ‘We’ll beat you again.’
Wayne Rooney’s injury-time strike earned United a dramatic 4-3 aggregate semi-final victory over bitter rivals Manchester City in last night’s second leg at Old Trafford.
It means the champions, who before their December defeat to Martin O’Neill’s men had not lost to the claret and blues in 24 games, now stand between Villa and their major first trophy in 14 years.
Dunne reckons that victory at Old Trafford has fostered belief among the players that they can defy the odds at Wembley next month.
He said: “Was it a psychological boost winning at Old Trafford? It won’t affect Manchester United I don’t think, it’s more for us. It gives us the belief that we can beat them.
“We’ve enjoyed our cup run this year and we’ve got a day out at Wembley to look forward to. We’ve beaten United once this season, so we know we can beat them again and it will be an enjoyable occasion.
“It was going to be tough whoever we played. United and City are two sides with high ambitions, but United are the more experienced of the two when it comes to winning big tournaments and playing in finals.
“They are one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it’s going to be a tough final. You know at the end of the season they will be very close to winning the league again.”
Dunne was not disappointed that it’s United, rather than former club City, who await at Wembley.
He added: “No, I’m at Villa now and that’s all I’m concentrating on. For me and for the club it’s going to be a great day and that’s something we can look forward to.”
UK Sport
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