Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted Manchester United's title
destiny will be determined by their six remaining away
matches.
Having maintained their six-point lead over Chelsea in unconvincing
fashion with a 2-0 victory against a determined Charlton, United
head back out on the road looking to take maximum advantage of
their rivals' inactivity. With both sides' immediate thoughts
occupied by FA Cup and Champions League commitments, it will be
another fortnight before either is in league action again, when the
Red Devils visit Fulham.
On that same weekend, Chelsea tackle Arsenal in the Carling Cup
final. And, with United's March 3 encounter with Liverpool getting
underway almost five hours before the Blues head to Portsmouth,
Jose Mourinho's side could find themselves a massive 12 points
adrift when they take the field at Fratton Park.
"It is an opportunity," acknowledged Ferguson. "In total, we have
six more tough away matches to come and I don't think you can say
any one match is harder than another. "There are the two big ones
against Liverpool and Chelsea but Fulham, Portsmouth, Everton and
Manchester City will all be hard. "Our destiny lies in those away
matches."
Although Chelsea made the slightest of dents in United's massive
lead in the goal difference column, reality suggests nine wins from
11 games will be enough to end a three-year title drought. Aware
Chelsea's chances might start to get talked up in an effort to
breathe even more competition into the championship race, Ferguson
is calling for total focus on his own side's run-in.
Of particular delight to the Scot this weekend was the names on the
scoresheet. Both Park and Fletcher replaced established members of
United's first-choice line-up in Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael
Carrick, who were absent through minor illness and injury
respectively.
And, after a period when United conceded too many soft goals,
including the gut-wrenching late double at Arsenal, a third
successive clean sheet also gave Ferguson something to smile about.
"We need to get back to getting six or seven clean sheets in a row
because it can have a massive impact on our results in the league,"
said Ferguson.
"There is no question we are in a good position. "You can never
take anything for granted but what encourages me, whether we are at
home or away, is the form of our team. "They are enjoying their
football and they are playing without any sign of nerves, which is
great to see.
"We are very excited about the coming months. It is what we have
worked for all season. "But we need to stay there in the melting
pot right until the very end of the season and I think our squad is
strong enough and good enough to last the distance."