THE Premier League is the best league in the world, or so they say.

MANCHESTER UNITED manager Alex Ferguson has revealed that Owen Hargreaves will miss the start of the season after suffering another setback following a series of knee problems.

THE Republic of Ireland may not be in South Africa but supporters of the Boys in Green will have savoured France’s defeat to Mexico last night, a result that leaves Raymond Domenech’s side staring at the prospect of saying an early ‘au revoir’ to the 2010 World Cup.

FRANCE captain Patrice Evra has dismissed claims there is disharmony within the squad and that players do not play as a team.

WHEN asked to name his World Cup heroes, the men he most wanted to emulate, there was never any chance of Wayne Rooney playing safe and going for Paul Gascoigne or Gary Lineker.

ARGENTINA coach Diego Maradona took a swipe at fellow legends Pele and Michel Platini and also criticised the World Cup matchball during another no-holds-barred press conference in South Africa yesterday.

NEW Inter Milan coach Rafael Benitez is confident he can follow in Jose Mourinho’s footsteps, claiming this is the start of an “historic period” for the club.

IVORY COAST boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is quietly confident striker Didier Drogba could play in today’s World Cup opener against Portugal.

I HAVE always suffered with PMT – that’s Pre-Match Tension – but the week leading up to the Liverpool game was torturous. I couldn’t concentrate, I couldn’t sleep, I was distracted, my nerves were shot to pieces with the thought that we could have come so close and then throw it away for the third and final time at Anfield.

MIDFIELDER Frank Lampard believes Barclays Premier League champions-elect Chelsea fully deserve the title for the way they have performed at a crucial stage of the season.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S midfielder Nani is refusing to give up on his title dream after taking the race to the final day of the season.

AS a keen student of the sport of kings, Alex Ferguson needs little reminding of the sticky fate of Devon Loch.

ALEX FERGUSON’S admission that Manchester United are “clutching at straws” wasn’t an early attempt at mind games ahead of the Premier League’s final day denouement next weekend, it was rather more a stark admission of the facts.

ALEX FERGUSON was left to bemoan Steven Gerrard’s “great gift” to Chelsea as the race for the Premier League title went down to the wire.

MANCHESTER UNITED chief executive David Gill has repeated that Alex Ferguson will have money to spend on new signings in the summer.

STEVEN GERRARD had spent all week insisting Liverpool would not allow Chelsea to stroll to victory at Anfield.

IF you are a gambling man then this is the time to put all your money on blue.

RISING star David Meyler is likely to miss out on a Republic of Ireland debut later this month after suffering a suspected cruciate ligament injury in Sunderland’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester United yesterday.

APART from the occasional overnight blip, the leadership of the Premier League effectively changed hands nine times this season.

CHELSEA coach Carlo Ancelotti did not look like a man ready to crack under the intense pressure of this season’s title run-in as he shrugged off suggestions that the “old pals act” could provide one more twist in the tale.