• Premier League

I could have taken all ten outfield players off - Ferguson

Manchester United's defence was regularly penetrated by Aston Villa © PA Photos

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Sir Alex Ferguson confessed he could have taken all ten of his outfield players off as Manchester United snatched a late 2-2 draw at Aston Villa.

United fell behind to goals from Ashley Young and Marc Albrighton, but they hit back in the final ten minutes through Federico Macheda and Nemanja Vidic to stay unbeaten this season.

Macheda arrived as part of a double change involving Gabriel Obertan, with Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez both withdrawn. And Ferguson admitted his first-choice front pairing were just the scapegoats for a poor team display.

"We controlled the first half, and had a couple of good chances. But in the second half I just think it was carelessness on our part. Our passing was poor. Normally we can control the match. We didn't control it," said the United boss.

"We are a club though that never says there is no way back. We brought people on [Macheda and Obertan] and they changed the game in fairness to them. There was a great life and adventure about them. Macheda scored a great goal and with another five minutes we would have won the game.

"I could have taken any of ten players off because we didn't perform well. We came back well but it was too late and we shouldn't have been in that position. I expected us to do better in terms of our play."

Villa boss Gerard Houllier had mixed feelings about the outcome of the game after seeing his side surrender their two-goal advantage.

He said: "I was very proud of the performance but the mood in the dressing room was disappointment because the players felt they had enough chances to win the game. In the second half we took the game to them, had the chances to win it, hit the bar and post.

"But we were playing Manchester United who never give up and after they scored their first goal, the confidence was on their side and not our side. We should have won but we could have lost, and they are a quality side.

"I do not think I've had such an inexperienced midfield for a game of such magnitude. If someone had seen our team before the game and said 'will you take 2-2?', we would have taken it. But it is just the way that the game went which meant we felt disappointed with the result.''

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