PRESS BOX VIEW – TIMES

From The Times:

‘The season may have started eight months ago, but as far as Sir Alex Ferguson is concerned the race for the Premiership title kicked off at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

When the Manchester United manager gave his players their final instructions in the dressing-room, he knew that Chelsea had drawn against Birmingham City at St Andrew's and that the gap between the champions and their nearest challengers, which was 18 points a month ago, could be cut to seven points by the final whistle.

Ferguson has been at Old Trafford for so long that some of his players could have been forgiven for switching off during his team talk, but what they heard at 2.45pm may have perked up the ears of some of the older members of his squad. The United manager's tinkering and infatuation with exotic formations may have cost his team their place in the Champions League and the FA Cup this season but when it comes to giving chase to runaway leaders all-out attack has always been the United way.

It worked in 1996, when Newcastle United were overhauled in the final furlong, and three years ago, when Arsenal were pipped at the post. According to Ferguson, history could be about to repeat itself. His side have not dropped points in the league since losing away at Blackburn Rovers two months ago but this hard-fought win was described by Ferguson as “our best result of the season”.'