Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists he would
be delighted if the Premier League did not turn into a two-horse
race this season.
Already this term, a general view has been concluded that
Ferguson's Manchester United side will be scrapping it out with
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea by the time May comes around.
Yet a bizarre sequence of results last weekend - including Aston
Villa's victory over United at Old Trafford - has cast doubt on
such statements.
And, with Tottenham returning to winning ways during the week,
there is a sense of optimism about the possibility of a genuinely
open title race, one that Ferguson would welcome.
"It could be open," said Ferguson. "It is a tough league. The
form of Aston Villa makes you look over your shoulder and say "Hey,
wait a minute".
"And Tottenham are challenging in that top group as well.
"The history of the league points to it being between two teams
but, from the spectator and general interest point of view, you
hope it changes.
"It would be good if four or five teams are involved in the last
month of the season. It would be fantastic."
It seems, even for someone like Ferguson, who has been involved
in most of the title scraps over the past two decades, the
predictability of the Premier League is becoming a bit boring.
Not that he is likely to blunt his own team's edge to give
anyone else more of a chance, hence confirmation, just as he was
being pitched into a Champions League meeting with old friend David
Beckham, that Ryan Giggs had signed a one-year contract
extension.
Over the past 18 months, Giggs has produced some of the most
consistently high-class football of his career.
It is certainly only this year that his incredible achievements
have received an appropriate acknowledgement.
Either side of collecting his 11th Premier League title, the
36-year-old was named PFA Player of the Year and BBC Sports
Personality of the Year.
Yet, after claiming Ferguson could carry on as United boss for
another five years, Giggs has been tipped to terrorise top-flight
defences for another two seasons after this.
"Ryan deserves a new contract and I am sure that he will play
for another two years," said Ferguson.
"His form is fantastic at the moment and he is playing some of
his best football."
Giggs' longevity sets a standard few others will get close to
matching.
However, in overcoming long-standing hamstring trouble, he also
gives hope to Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves, who are stepping
up their own fight for fitness.
Ferdinand has not featured for United since being exposed by
Fernando Torres at Anfield in October, while Hargreaves has now
been missing for almost 15 months after undergoing career-saving
knee operations to cure a tendinitis problem.
While Ferdinand stated earlier this week that he was not in
danger of missing the World Cup with a long-standing back
complaint, Fabio Capello has stated that Hargreaves must make his
comeback soon if he is to stand a chance of getting to South
Africa.
The England coach will therefore be an interested observer to
see whether Ferdinand and Hargreaves fulfil Sir Alex Ferguson's
stated aims for a return to first-team duties.
"Rio is improving," said Ferguson. "He is much better now and
not too far away, probably two or three weeks.
"And Owen is doing a bit better this week as well.
"He is getting there slowly and we hope he will be back by the
end of January."
Neither will be involved at Fulham on Saturday though. And with
Edwin van der Sar, who has returned to Holland for a further
assessment on his knee injury, heading a catalogue of injuries,
Ferguson can only cross his fingers that Nemanja Vidic will have
recovered from a calf strain in time to face Fulham at Craven
Cottage on Saturday.
Roy Hodgson has won plenty of praise for his work at Fulham over
the last couple of years, with suggestions even being raised that
the 62-year-old could be asked to replace Fabio Capello when the
Italian quits the England hot-seat.
Ferguson is full of praise for Hodgson's achievements, which
continued this week when a much-changed Fulham line-up earned a
Europa League last 32 encounter with Shakhtar Donetsk by beating
Basle in Switzerland.
"There is no question Fulham's improvement is down to the
manager," said Ferguson.
"It is a remarkable turnaround. Who would have thought Fulham
would not only qualify for Europe but got into the latter stages by
winning away after they have made five changes Wednesday."