Vidic Hates the Rain

Complaining about the weather is one of Britain's most treasured hobbies, so Sir Alex Ferguson must be unsure whether to praise Nemanja Vidic's integration into local culture or to criticise his lack of diplomatic skills after the Serbian defender spoke about his rain-induced depression yesterday.

"I will never stay to live in England, that's for sure," said Vidic, whose move to Manchester in January 2006 came after an 18-month spell at Spartak Moscow. "The climate here is something special. You get only a brief glimpse of sunlight before it's all cloudy again. The winters are mild but in summer the temperatures seldom go higher than 20 degrees, and it rains, rains, rains.

"In England they say that Manchester is the city of rain. Its main attraction is considered to be the timetable at the railway station where trains leave for other, less rainy cities.

"But it's not only the weather I'm not happy about here. They just don't have time to feel the joy of life. Throughout the week they all work so hard. They only talk to people at lunch break. Then in the evening they come home and watch the telly so they can get up early for work the next day."

Vidic's state of disgruntlement is such that he is considering a move from Manchester. "In future I would like to test myself in another top league. I'm thinking of Spain. At least there will be no reason to complain about the weather."