by JimmyK

Created on: January 19, 2007   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

I think that come May, Manchester United will be crowned Champions. Like most observers, I would have thought at the start of the season that Chelsea were practically unbeatable, and were sure to clinch their third Premiership on the trot.
As the season unfolds however, I have changed my mind. United are looking incredibly strong. Vidic has proven to be a first class purchase and has really shored up United in the centre of defence. Evra too has improved immensely this season and now looks a bargain. Van der Sar is the best keeper in the league, and with Neville, Heinze, Ferdinand,Brown and O'Shea, United have a very strong defence, and excellent cover in all the defensive positions, which gives Ferguson the chance to rotate the players as required or to cope well with injuries.

In the middle of the park, United are also very strong. Paul Scholes is producing some of the best football of his career, Ryan Giggs too has found a new lease of life this season. Carrick looks like he is eventually settling into the team and is now contributing well both defensively and with telling passes to the front men.
Ronalda has been at times sensational this season,and is also scoring regularly. Park, O'Shea and Darren Fletcher also give the manager options in the middle of the park and all three have made telling contributions to United's efforts so far this season. The possible arrival of Hargreaves from Bayern Munich would make United without doubt the strongest midfield in the priemiership and possibly in Europe.
The arrival of Henrik Larsson could be the masterstroke,that brings Fergie yet another title. Larsson is strong,still quick, good in the air and intelligent, his presence alone will give the squad a lift at a vital time in the season. He is also a deadly finisher and will be provided with plenty of chances at United to show just how a goalscorer he is. Rooney is not scoring goals of late, but his contribution and work rate in every game is second to none.If he can hit a scoring streak, United will be unstoppable. The form of Saha and Ole Gunnar means that United now have four strikers capable of getting the better of any defence.They can also be rotated or Larsson and the "baby faced assassin" can be used as high impact substitutes. Pity the defender who marks Rooney for 70 minutes and is then instead faced with Larsson.
Chelsea season meantime is threatening to implode. The "special one" is starting to look ordinary and even hassled at times, and the cracks are starting to show in the team's performance. The relationship between Abramovich and Mourinho seems to have deteriorated to crisis point, causing friction throughout the club. On the pitch injury to John Terry has left Chelsea looking very vulnerable at the back, whereas Michael Ballack is proving to be a flop in the middle of the park, so much so that apparently his team mates are more than a little digruntled by the contribution or lack of it from the German play-maker. Shevchenco too has brought more friction than goals to the club, and is supposedly at the root of the problems in the Mourinho/Abramovich relationship.
None of this augurs well for Chelsea's defence of the title.
United have their noses in front,and Ferguson is too experienced and too good a manager not to make the best of Chelsea's problems. The experience in the United squad with the likes of Giggs and Neville who know all about what it takes to win titles, should help to see them safely over the line ahead of the Londoners.

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