THE day after the night before, and Jaap Stam was already turning his attention, as professional footballers do, to the next game. In his case, that meant this afternoon's little scrap against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final.
Yes, Stam admitted, Manchester United were disappointed not to have carved out a lead to take to Turin for next week's European Cup semi-final second leg, but they were also more than a touch relieved at Ryan Giggs's lasp-gasp equaliser.
But no, United's Dutch defender emphasised, there would be no residual despondency when he and his teammates step out at Villa Park at lunchtime for the latest showdown in United's relentless quest for a treble. On the contrary, said Stam, United will be out to prove that they can bounce back from Wednesday's uncomfortable meeting with Juventus with a win over their toughest domestic rivals.
The FA Cup may be third on manager Alex Ferguson's list of priorities but, make no mistake, the whole United squad wants to win badly today and set the record straight against Arsène Wenger's side.
"Everybody is anxious to prove that we can play better football than we did against Juventus," said Stam, on a visit to the Match of the Day exhibition in Birmingham. "This is our chance to show again that we have a very good team, to set the record straight if you like. The prospect of getting to Wembley is enough motivation in itself, but the fact that the opposition is Arsenal makes the players all the more determined."
Nobody needs to remind Stam how frequently Arsenal have upset United's victory plans: the Londoners have beaten them twice this season, once in the Charity Shield, and drawn once. So how will Stam and his fellow defenders cope with the dual threat of Dennis Bergkamp and Nicolas Anelka?
Stam has played enough times with Bergkamp to know the striker's strengths and weaknesses. It will all come down, he said, to which of them copes best with the tensions of the day. "Dennis is, of course, a very good player for whom I have enormous respect," said Stam. "But I'll be treating him on the pitch exactly like I treat all strikers."
But isn't there a difference between Bergkamp and most forwards Stam encounters in the Premiership? "That's true, and the key will be to stop him scoring," Stam said. "If we can do that, I think we have a great chance." What about Anelka, who has also given United's accomplished Dutch defender his fair share of problems? Stam acknowledged this with a shrug of the shoulders. "Bergkamp and Anelka are both quality players, we know that," he said. "We will have to pay a lot of attention to them both. If you lose sight of them for just one second they can be off."
Like so many foreigners who have come to the Premiership, Stam used to watch FA Cup finals on television, dreaming of the day when he might take part in a Wembley final. "I wouldn't say it was one of the reasons I signed for United, but, of course, it would be a dream come true for me if I'm there in May," he said. "I always watched the Cup final on television. Everybody does all over the world."
Stam also used to watch Manchester United, in particular, when growing up in Holland. Other clubs, he said, were interested in him when he was at PSV Eindhoven, but the only team he wanted to play for was United. "Of course I asked the other Dutch players like Dennis and Marc [Overmars] about life in England before I signed, and all of them encouraged me. But, to tell you the truth, I'd sort of made my mind up anyway that England was where I wanted to play. Playing for a club you supported as a boy is an extra bonus. I always knew United were a big club, but I have been surprised by how many fans there are worldwide, judging by the sackfuls of fan-mail I receive."
He said United have already made him a better player than when he signed for £10.75m last summer, something he credits to Alex Ferguson: "The manager can spot things very quickly and put them right. He's certainly helped me improve."
Stam is sick and tired, however, of talking about that price-tag: "Some people expected me to do everything straight away when I arrived. But every player takes time to settle into a new club and a new environment, regardless of how much he costs. I'm no different."
Reluctantly, because he likes only to look forward, Stam returned to the subject of Juventus. How difficult was it for him to guess the Italians' intent when they moved the ball around with such precision and fluency at Old Trafford?
"It was hard, for sure, but we didn't expect to play as we did in the first half. We gave them too much time on the ball and allowed them to do the things they wanted to do," he said.
"We were a lot more aggressive in the second half and that's why we created those chances. The result wasn't ideal, but we still have a chance. Everybody will be going for it. This team is good at scoring goals, so, if we play to our strengths, who knows? We are still in the race for three prizes."
In a few hours' time, that could all change; three could become two, and two could become one if United lose today and again in Turin next week. A massive challenge, then, as if Stam needed anybody to tell him.
