Manchester United will parade the Premiership trophy to a jubilant Old Trafford on Sunday but manager Alex Ferguson insists it will be business as usual as soon as the whistle goes against relegation-threatened West Ham.
The Hammers, one of only three teams to have beaten Ferguson’s men in the league this season, need a point to complete a remarkable escape from relegation on the back of six wins in their last eight matches.
But although Ferguson is a good friend of their manager Alan Curbishley, he acknowledged that United are duty bound to make West Ham’s players sweat as profusely as their nervous fans will be as they await news from the Bramall Lane meeting of the two other teams still battling to survive, Sheffield United and Wigan.
”We have to respect the position of the other teams at the bottom,” said the Scot. ”Paul Jewell has done a fantastic job at Wigan, as has Neil Warnock at Sheffield United. I cannot be putting a team on the pitch that disrespects those teams.
”We also have our own reputation to think about, so although I am a great friend of Alan Curbishley, he understands the position I am in and knows I will be playing my strongest team on Sunday.”
The relegation drama has been set up perfectly with all three clubs involved retaining control of their own destiny.
A point would be enough for both West Ham and Sheffield United while Wigan must secure a win to be safe.
Whatever happens it could all be decided by the finest of margins. A one-goal win for Wigan would put them level on points with their hosts with the same goal difference. In that case, Jewell’s side would stay up courtesy of their superior goal-scoring record.
If both West Ham and Sheffield lose, the Blades would be favourites to stay up as their goal difference is three goals better than the Londoners going into Sunday’s matches.
After playing out a lacklustre goalless draw in midweek, Manchester United and Chelsea have to start regaining sharpness in the build-up to their FA Cup final meeting next week.
At Chelsea in particular there are Wembley places up for grabs as a result of the injuries which will mean Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko will miss the showpiece.
England left-back Ashley Cole underlined how much the squad had been hurt by the twin blows of losing their Premiership crown to United while going out of the Champions League at the hands of Liverpool.
”It’s hard to describe how gutted we are all feeling because we had expectations to win both competitions this season,” Cole admitted.
”That’s why it would be brilliant to round things off with an FA Cup final victory over Man United. That is what we’re focusing on now.” – Sapa-AFP