United's Owen Hargreaves is 'close to playing fitness' after two
months' treatment in the United States. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for
the Guardian.
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he is
not overly concerned about Chelsea's immaculate start to the
Premier League season by questioning
whether the champions are simply benefiting from being given an
"easy start" to the fixture list.
Chelsea have already beaten West Bromwich Albion, Wigan
Athletic, Stoke City and West Ham United, and they face promoted
Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, while Manchester United prepare to take on
Liverpool at Old Trafford having slipped four points behind Carlo
Ancelotti's team.
"They've certainly had a very easy early start to the season,
there's no doubt about that," the United manager said. "There are
big games coming up [Chelsea play Manchester City and Arsenal in
their following two league matches] but they've had a good start
nonetheless and you can only deal with the games that are in front
of you."
United have endured a frustrating start, with stoppage-time
goals turning winning positions in their games at Fulham and
Everton into draws.
"Our form, I think, has been very good," Ferguson said. "Last
week, if we had scored six I don't think [the Everton manager]
David Moyes would have complained, and there's not many teams that
can do that to Everton.
"At Fulham we missed a penalty kick with three minutes to go and
that's unusual for Manchester United. We have to address that
because making silly mistakes like that can cost you. Hopefully, it
doesn't this year but it may be the final lesson for us."
United's hopes of restoring the title to Old Trafford have been
buoyed by the latest diagnosis on Antonio Valencia and encouraging
news about Owen Hargreaves, who is approaching the two-year
anniversary since his last start for the club.
Valencia suffered a double-break of his lower leg in the
Champions League tie against Rangers on Tuesday and, having
initially said it was unlikely he would be available to play again
this season, Ferguson reported the winger could be back within five
months.
"The break was clean, which we're delighted about," he said.
"That was a major concern for us at the time and, although you're
never 100% accurate in these situations with a bad injury, we're
looking at the end of February, which is better than we thought on
Tuesday night."
Hargreaves, meanwhile, is close to returning to Manchester after
two months in the United States for specialist work on his knee
problems.
"Things are looking good for Owen, it's all worked out," his
surgeon, Richard Steadman, said. "He's close to playing fitness,
although it's up to United to decide when he plays a match."
Steadman had described it as the worst case of tendinitis he had
seen in 35 years of operating. "He's never given up and we never
gave up on him. The recovery was arduous and took a long time but
Owen is a patient patient and his condition looks promising
now."
Ferguson, who confirmed he has chosen Nemanja Vidic rather than
Rio Ferdinand as the new United captain, addressed the thorny
subject of his BBC boycott for the first time today since making it
clear he would not be adhering to the new rules, introduced this
season specifically to tackle him, that stipulate all managers must
talk to the major broadcast rights-holders.
The Premier League has the power to impose a sliding scale of
fines but Ferguson said the club would pay for him. "I don't think
that's the case," he said when asked if he could be punished
personally. United have decided to back him, even though it could
cost them tens of thousands of pounds.
Ferguson explained why he had not challenged Liverpool for the
signature of Joe Cole once he had left Chelsea in the summer.
"We were approached by his agent at one point but we didn't
enter into it [discussions] at all. It was complicated to get
involved in that."