Ferguson predicts tightest-ever title race

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the 2010 Premier League title race could be the most exciting in its history after the recent emergence of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur as potential rivals.

Last month, Ferguson claimed that he felt his own Manchester United and Chelsea would ease away to leave the run-in as a two-horse race between the winners of the last five championships.

But Villa’s impressive victory at Old Trafford last weekend, coupled with Tottenham?s comfortable win over wealthy Manchester City in midweek, has forced Ferguson into a drastic re-think.

And the veteran manager is now of the opinion that those four clubs, as well as perennial rivals Arsenal, could all be in contention.

“I think it could be open, I think it could be a very tough league,” said Ferguson,” speaking Friday before United were drawn against Italy’s AC Milan, who have former Old Trafford hero David Beckham in their squad, in the last 16 of the Champions League.

“With the form of Aston Villa now, you have to look over your shoulder and think, wait a minute,” Ferguson added.

“They have a lot of experience in the right quarters, their back four was terrific last week. Then Tottenham got a big win during the week so they are now challenging that top group.

“The history of the league does point, over the years, to it becoming a two-horse race but it does change.

“From an interest point of view, a spectator’s point of view, you hope four or five teams will come through over the last month of the season. It would be fantastic and it is capable of being like that.”

United responded to their surprise Villa reverse by beating Wolves in midweek, a game overshadowed by Wolves manager Mick McCarthy’s controversial team selection.

The former Republic of Ireland manager changed all ten outfield players from the line-up that defeated Spurs on their previous outing and must explain his actions to the Premier League after wide-scale condemnation of his policy.

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger was particularly vocal in speaking out against McCarthy, claiming he is now competing with United over 37 games, instead of 38.

Ferguson managed a joke at Wenger’s expense before launching a strong defence of the Wolves manager.

“I wish we were playing him over two games…the last two,” quipped Ferguson in response to Wenger’s comment.

“But I think Mick McCarthy did the right thing for Wolves Football Club.

“We looked at their performance at Tottenham and we thought they would make six changes, with the amount of running they had to do on the Saturday against Tottenham and then travelling up to Manchester on the Tuesday.

“So we weren’t far wrong. Of course, we didn’t expect ten changes but there wasn’t any discernible difference between the Wolves team that could have played and the team that did play on Tuesday.”

United’s recent defensive injury problems have seen as many as eight senior players, plus goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, on the treatment table.

But, ahead of the busy Christmas programme, Ferguson – whose reigning champions are three points behind leaders Chelsea ahead of Saturday’s league match away to Fulham, can finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.

Van der Sar has returned to Holland to continue treatment on a knee injury but Gary Neville and Brazilian right-back Rafael could be available next weekend while Wes Brown is about ten days from a return.