Fergie staying cool as title race hots up

NORMALLY so fractious when denied what he believes to be his rightful place at the head of the Premier League, Alex Ferguson has managed to maintain his good humour so far this season because of his conviction that, having turned the corner into the new year, his side now face a downhill charge towards the May finishing line.

Ferguson’s recent angry complaint about the fixture list may have delivered the unexpected benefit of striking an extraordinary psychological blow against Rafael Benitez but it rang hollow when viewed in the context of United’s run-in that is peppered with home fixtures against their leading rivals.

Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford tomorrow marks the first of those, and while Liverpool’s presence at the head of the table ensures the meeting doesn’t carry the edge of a title decider as it has in recent years, the outcome will inevitably have a huge influence on prospects of the two sides as they attempt to rein in Benitez’s side.