Red Devils have the self-belief to claim title, warns Neville

GARY NEVILLE has warned Chelsea that Manchester United are more confident than they were 12 months ago as the Barclays Premiership title race gathers pace.

The Red Devils extended their lead over the reigning champions to seven points despite Monday night’s 2-2 draw at Newcastle as their three-game winning run over the holiday period came to an end.

But 31-year-old skipper Neville believes they are better placed to mount a serious challenge than they were last season.

He said: “We know we are a good team and we are a lot more confident going into this year than we were the last one. We are not chasing. We are confident. We feel as though we are playing well.

“We are disheartened a little bit because we have not won the game. But in years gone by, when standards were not quite so great, we would have thought of it as a decent result.

“In this day and age, we are expected to win every game and we are disappointed not to manage that.”

That United did not leave Tyneside nine points better off than their only serious rivals is testament to a remarkably brave performance by Glenn Roeder’s men against the odds.

Already decimated by injuries, the Magpies were forced to make a late change when former Old Trafford favourite Nicky Butt, who would have played as an emergency central defender, withdrew with an ankle injury to hand 19-year-old David Edgar his home debut.

The teenager was to enjoy a dream finish to his big day, but not before a pulsating encounter had unfolded.

James Milner blasted Newcastle into a 33rd-minute lead with an unstoppable long-range strike, but United bristled with pace and power and, despite neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Wayne Rooney firing on all cylinders, roared into the lead as Paul Scholes once again excelled at St James’ Park.

His double in six minutes either side of half-time looked to have won the day until Edgar, who only made his senior bow at Bolton on Boxing Day, rifled home from 30 yards with the help of a deflection off Scholes.

Nolberto Solano headed a Ronaldo effort off the line and substitute Park Ji-Sung shot wastefully over at the end, but Newcastle managed to hang on.

Neville said: “We responded when we went 1-0 down, then when we got 2-1 in front you thought we were going to go on and win the game.

“Nine times out of 10 we won’t concede goals like we did today, two 25 or 30-yard strikes. Hopefully that won’t happen again.

“There will be swings over the remainder of the season. We have to make more of the swings go our way than the other teams.”