EPL ~ Manchester United "best team in the world" says Zola

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Sir Alex Ferguson

Down to the wire: United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is prepared for another tense title finale this season

Sunday, 8 February 2009

Sir Alex Ferguson can offer no rational explanation for West Ham's total dislike for Manchester United. Although United are used to receiving negative reactions on their travels, Upton Park ranks alongside Anfield and Elland Road as a ground where the atmosphere is at its hottest.

It was a topic of conversation earlier this week when former Hammers boss Alan Pardew paid a visit to United's Carrington training base. Pardew did not have an answer either, just an acknowledgement the crowd on Sunday will be at its most intense.

'I don't know why there is an extra intensity to the West Ham games,' said Ferguson. 'Alan Pardew said it is the one game their fans really get revved up for, even more than Arsenal and Tottenham. It is unusual.'

The relationship between the two clubs hardly improved when Paul Ince was pictured wearing a United shirt when he was still a West Ham player.

Ferguson feels it goes back much further, although Rio Ferdinand should be immune as he generally gets a warm ovation when he returns to his old club.

Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Nani and Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio all return to a United squad which has kept 12 successive clean sheets and has powered to the top, two points ahead of Liverpool heading into the weekend fixtures with a game in hand.

However, Ferguson is refusing to look beyond the present. And, despite the healthy look of the league table just now, the Old Trafford boss is planning for a battle that goes right down to the wire.

'You have to put your mind to the possibility that the title could go down to the last few games,' added Ferguson. 'I expect the worst and hope for the best.'

Certainly Ferguson would happily head to Hull on the final day under the same circumstances as he travelled to Wigan last season knowing a win would seal the trophy.

'That would be fine. It would be a position I would take at the start of the season and it could very well be that way this year.'

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Gianfranco Zola hailed Manchester United’s new Untouchables as the "best team in the world" after being beaten by a Ryan Giggs collectors’ item.

Giggs maintained his record of scoring in all 17 seasons since the Premier League’s formation with the 62nd-minute winner - a rare right-foot shot - to send United back to the top.

And goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar set a new British record of 20 hours and 12 minutes without conceding a League goal, beating Bobby Clark’s 38-year-old record at Aberdeen.

West Ham boss Zola shared a bottle of red wine with his counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson last night - and then admitted he could not see United surrendering pole position on the title run-in.

Zola said: "We may have lost, but we were probably playing the best team in the world. They have everything needed to win the title again.

"They punished us for the only mistake we made in the match, so I can only be complimentary about them. I knew it would be very difficult if United scored first, and Sir Alex has done a great job as always."

Fergie celebrated going two points clear of Liverpool, and extending United’s unbeaten run to 13 games, by reserving a special tribute to Giggs.

He said: "I’m searching my memory for the last time Ryan scored with his right foot. I think it was against Coventry about 12 years ago, of all things.

"But he is a credit to the game - if anyone wants an example of how to dedicate yourself to football, you could have no greater example than Ryan Giggs.

"It was a fantastic performance from our back four: they kept their concentration and their focus, and I’m proud for Edwin because at his age he has already achieved almost everything in the game.

"But you can see he is motivated by the challenge of keeping clean sheets now and that’s given us an extra edge - he has everyone jumping out of their skin because of the record."

Ferguson warned Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa that United would be difficult to catch after avoiding a hat-trick of defeats at Upton Park, where his side blew the title in 1992 and 1995 in heartbreaking fashion.