Elliott: United still not out of title race

FORMER Chelsea captain Paul Elliott admits Jose Mourinho is right to be concerned by Manchester United’s late surge as Alex Ferguson has the personality to inspire the greatest comeback in Barclays Premiership history.

Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Birmingham on Saturday has left them glancing nervously at United’s eight-match winning run, which has sliced their lead at the top from 18 points to seven.

Elliott believes the gap is too big to make up, but knows the Blues’ tricky run-in will cause a few sleepless nights at Stamford Bridge.

He said: “I’ve been in football long enough to know anything is possible.

“On the weekend Jose Mourinho said he was concerned about United’s run and I think there is genuine reason for that because of what happened when they caught Newcastle and Arsenal.

“Mourinho is a different animal to Kevin Keegan and Arsene Wenger. He’s a very shrewd guy. But Chelsea do have a very difficult finish with games against Bolton, Blackburn and United.

“All those teams are chasing something, such as a place in the UEFA Cup or Champions League.

“United are very focused. In Ferguson they have one of the best managers to grace the game for many years. They know they’re not expected to win the Premiership. That relieves them of a lot of pressure.”