Retire? It's Champions League No3 for me, says United boss Ferguson

His second European Cup had already been filed away as something to reflect upon when, one day, he retires. He had plans to discuss. Plans, in particular, for next season.

Trophy hunter: Fergie with the European Cup

"I met Carlos Queiroz, we talked about the squad and what we're going to need," he said. "We've got three more matches to consider. The European Super Cup. Two games in the World Club Championship in Japan."

If it sounds expensive, that is not Ferguson's concern. He simply wants to keep winning, keep working and keep his enemies at bay.

He snarled at Real Madrid, snapped at the suggestion that, having secured Manchester United's 17th League title, Liverpool's record of 18 is now his next target.

"I did my job of getting rid of Liverpool many years ago," he said. "I knocked them off that top position. I don't now need to worry about League titles. That is the future. This club will do that."

It was interesting, what he said about the future. He has no immediate plans to retire, that much is clear. But he invited an obvious question when he said the challenge would be to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to stay two or three years from now. Would he still be the manager whose job it was to do the persuading?

"I'm not saying that," he said. "It might be. Then again I might hit the golf club trail."

The golf trail will have to wait for a while, though, because even a second European Cup is not enough for Ferguson.

And, contrary to what he said yesterday, nor is his 10th Premier League title. Catching Liverpool and their five European Cups might be beyond Ferguson in what remains of his tenure but he wants to deliver a fourth - his third - to Old Trafford.

"The European thing is part of our motivation every year," he said. "We are driven by the fact that we have not won it more.

"I've gone on repeatedly about Real Madrid and AC Milan and Liverpool, who are on five, and then Bayern Munich and Ajax, who have won it four times. Winning this one puts us right behind Bayern and Ajax and that's the biggest challenge - to get to a more respectable number of European Championships."

It might have taken nine years to win his second and United's third, but Ferguson clearly believes he has a side that can follow success in Moscow with another Champions League triumph.

After all, the main opposition looks like it will continue to come from within the Barclays Premier League and consecutive titles would suggest United have the measure of them.

"There are good signs about our team," he said. "Yes, we have got some age issues with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. My hope is that in the next couple of years that they will play around 25, 30 games apiece.

"But that depends on their performance level. I wouldn't put barriers against them continuing in the way they have done because both conduct their lives in the right fashion. Both look after themselves professionally. They don't have any weight issues.

"I don't want anyone to leave, though. I want to keep all my players and add to the squad. There are going to be big demands on us next season. When you look at Rangers and what has happened to them - 64 games, bloody hell! 'We have got to look at bringing in players who are young enough to develop in the club all the time. That's what we did last summer and maybe this summer, too."

Ferguson remains a workaholic but he does delegate. He has a huge support network and considers Queiroz a brilliant deputy. With his help, Ferguson could keep working until he is 70.

"I think a lot of clubs want Carlos and if he was offered the Portugal job I'm sure that would be a big attraction," said Ferguson. "But I feel that he's at his club.

"The job he did, his preparation, along with the video analysis people, and all the work we did in the build-up to the Cup - our success had Carlos's fingerprints on it.

"He did a fantastic job. He is improving a lot of the things. I suppose I'm a bit of a dinosaur in that respect. But I've realised that progress has to be made in different areas that I'm not an expert in and that's where Carlos has come in.

"I remember when I was at Aberdeen. I wanted a second physio and Dick (Donald, ex- Aberdeen chairman) would always tell me you don't need two guys to rub a guy's leg. I never did get that physio.

"So when I came to United, I was always going on about getting two physios and now we have built it up to five. I think that was my peak because, in terms of where we are today, Carlos has increased it to all sorts of levels. The medical side is fantastic, I don't think there is anyone better than us now and that's all down to Carlos's vision of the future. And I must admit I wouldn't have that vision. I was happy with my five physios, a nutritionist, a weights coach, a fitness coach, things like that. But the levels now are beyond me."

For Ferguson it is always about the future. The next challenge. The next match. Only briefly did he reflect on Wednesday night.

"I watched the game when I finally got home late last night," he said. "I watched the penalties again and when Edwin van der Sar made that save you could see halfway across that he knew he was about to win the Cup. He was smiling. You could see him smiling. 'That was good."