A 73rd-minute Wayne Rooney penalty proved enough to earn United a 1-1 draw with Blackburn at Ewood Park on Saturday and give the Red Devils a record 19th championship. It also meant United will end the season with only five away wins, matching the total of Liverpool in 1977. Yet Ferguson still feels his side deserve the accolades that should come their way, despite repeated doubts being cast over the quality of this particular season. "It is not fair to say it's a bad Manchester United team or a bad league," he said. "It is a tighter league, a harder league to win. "Any campaign has got blips for anyone. You have got to look at the league in general." However, even though his team could yet win the Champions League and were one game away from reaching the FA Cup final, Ferguson knows the overall campaign has been below the standards set in 1999. "Let's not get carried away," he said. "The treble season was something special. I don't think anyone will ever do it again. "We made a go at it, as a manager of the club, you have to try that. "But I didn't think it would happen. I thought we would get knocked out somewhere along the line. Fortunately it was the one you would want to win least of all because the Premier League and the Champions League are paramount." United have now won the championship more times that rivals Liverpool, an amazing achievement given in 1990 the score was 18-7. "It's not so much passing Liverpool," said Ferguson. "That thing about knocking Liverpool off their perch, I don't think I actually said it, but it's more important that United are the best team in the country in terms of winning titles. "Same with the FA Cup. We have won it more times than everyone and now we have won the Premier League more times than anyone. Ferguson did take risks at Blackburn. Trailing to a first-half strike from Brett Emerton, the United boss took off Fabio and slotted Antonio Valencia into the right-back role. Ryan Giggs would have gone to left-back had Rooney not profited from Paul Robinson's foul on Javier Hernandez. After that, the game petered out in dismal fashion, with neither side willing to try anything that might cost them the point they already had. "You can look upon the last five minutes as demeaning the game but it was common sense for us and obviously it was an important point for them," said Ferguson, whose side will be presented with the trophy after their clash with relegation-threatened Blackpool at Old Trafford next Sunday. "It gives us a real opportunity to look at how we can rest players and who needs to keep going. "We have a responsibility to make sure we are fair to all clubs in the country who are struggling relegation. "Manchester United will try to win next Sunday, there is no doubt about that."
