/ 25 December 2005

Ferguson has no worries about Chelsea’s form

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he is not fretting about the performance of Premiership leaders and reigning champions Chelsea as the season enters the busy Christmas and New Year period.

Chelsea lead Ferguson’s second-placed Manchester United by nine points heading into Monday’s programme.

Ferguson had hoped Chelsea might falter away to London rivals Arsenal last weekend — instead, they won 2-0.

Given that Jose Mourinho’s side, who face Fulham in a west London derby on Monday, show no signs of weakening, the United manager has decided that the best thing he can do is concentrate solely on his club’s progress.

”At this moment in time, I am not looking at Chelsea’s fixtures,” Ferguson said of United’s match at home to West Brom.

”I watched their [Chelsea’s] game with Arsenal last weekend hoping something would happen, but it didn’t. All we can do now is carry on doing our own job,” the Scot added.

”I know people are saying the title race is over, but that opinion is based on the assumption Chelsea are not going to drop any points.

”Their record over the past 18 months gives strength to that argument, but we have to put ourselves in a position where we could do something if they slip up.”

West Brom are managed by a former United captain in Bryan Robson, as are another of the Old Trafford side’s holiday opponents, Birmingham City, where Steve Bruce is in charge.

Both clubs, who are each at the foot of the Premiership table, were knocked out of the League Cup by United — who face a Blackburn team managed by another Old Trafford old boy in Mark Hughes — in the semifinals of this season’s event.

And while nothing will diminish Ferguson’s desire to get maximum points against the Baggies and Birmingham, he said he hopes both his former skippers are still managing in the Premiership next season.

”I like to see Bryan and Steve doing well. To me, they are doing hard jobs well. They were great players here and fantastic servants to Manchester United and it just proves the leaders we had in the squad at that time.”

United approach the half-way stage of the season with several players returning from injury and there is even the possibility that Norwegian striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has not played for the first team since last year’s FA Cup final win over Millwall, could return in the next couple of weeks.

However, Ferguson — an advocate of a European-style winter break — believes the good news on the injury front may not last long.

”The Christmas programme has never changed,” he said. ”It doesn’t really matter what I think about; it has always been there and we just have to get on with it.

”Some players enjoy it but four games in eight days is exacting and the basic principle is to try and get everyone through it.

”You touch wood [that] you don’t get any injuries, but the likelihood is somewhere along the line you will get one or two.” — Sapa-AFP