Will United reign supreme?

FOR now, let’s all agree to ignore the distinct downturn in quality and concentrate on the business in hand.

The second half of this most curious of Premier League seasons is guaranteed to be the most enthrallingly, undulating we’ve ever seen.

It’s the title race everyone — or at least the top five — has a genuine chance to win.

Let’s start with the outsiders, Tottenham. It’s no surprise to hear Harry Redknapp singing the praises of his fearless, attack-minded side from the White Hart Lane rooftops but when he recently claimed Spurs were capable of winning the Premier League, no-one laughed.

Redknapp himself didn’t even provide us with his trademark mischievous smirk. That’s because in this craziest of campaigns, it’s a realistic ambition.

Despite bridging the gulf in class that’s kept them well out of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal’s sights for over a decade, Tottenham fans would still be wise to take their manager’s previously unthinkable target with a healthy pinch of salt.

Champions are usually built on the foundation of a solid defence and with just one pitiful clean sheet in the league to brag about so far this term, it doesn’t bode well for them.

For all their virtues, Tottenham are still miles away from knowing how to ruthlessly close out victories as a team.

With gifted talents such as Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric, Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale confident enough to wave their magic wands home and away these days, Spurs no longer fear anyone and rightly so. But whether they have the correct balance and, more importantly, the necessary nous to go the distance still seems unlikely.

The book-makers have Manchester City as short-priced fourth favourites to land their first Premier League crown and you can’t help but wonder if they rep-resent the greatest value just days before Sheikh Mansour dusts off his diamond encrusted cheque book in readiness for phase two of operation ‘World Domination’ next month.

Pessimists would argue that Carlos Tevez’s brattish spat with the club’s board suggests all is not well within the confines of Eastlands but much of City’s fortune will rely on the man management skills of Roberto Mancini.

If he can handle his prized asset with the same strength and aplomb shown by Alex Ferguson across the city earlier this term, the stormy waters could yet be calmed.

With Tevez getting his mind back on the job, City have a real chance. However, while there is much to admire about the contributions of Vincent Kompany, Nigel de Jong, Yaya Toure and David Silva a reluctance to remove the hand brake in front of their home faithful remains a psychological block Mancini and his men have yet to overcome.

A third or fourth place finish appears to be their goal and you sense the Italian boss would settle for that should he be offered it for Christmas.

Just what Arsene Wenger would settle for in this most unpredictable of seasons is anyone’s guess.

He insists the Gunners are good enough to land their first championship since 2004 and is right to say so when considering the quality of his forward players and fallibilities of their rivals.

But does the Frenchman genuinely believe a team lacking a top-class goalkeeper, strong centre-back pairing and a defensive midfielder who is prepared to stay in his position can overcome the might of Chelsea and United over a whole season?

Most Arsenal fans certainly don’t think so.

The Gunners are still beset by demons and limp defeats to Chelsea and United have done nothing to banish them.

It’s difficult to see how Arsenal will succeed where they have previously failed unless they try something different — but the omens suggest they will continue on their merry way in the hope rather than expectation it will lead to the end result they so crave.

Defending champions Chelsea have been demoted to second favourites and that’s a fair reflection of the crossroads the troubled Blues now find themselves at.

Shorn of a squad possessing the prerequisite depth, Carlo Ancelotti has been forced to rely too much on the old guard. On the back of a gruelling World Cup season, Chelsea’s ageing stalwarts John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have wilted physically, if not mentally.

The brute force and domination we saw last term has faded and until the batteries have been recharged, you sense the previously rampant west London bully boys lack the craft required to bail themselves out of sticky situations.

Whether a demoralised Ancelotti also has the energy to muster a new year revival is also a moot point.

All of which brings us to United, who just a few weeks ago appeared to be title no-hopers.

The seemingly inexorable exit of Wayne Rooney coupled with a worryingly long run of uninspired form marked them down as a team on the slide but now they find themselves top of the league, albeit almost by default.

Functional, organised and hard to beat are certainly not the words we’ve grown used to using in the same breath as United in the Fergie era but this season those are their greatest strengths and they might just be enough.

To have remained unbeaten having played to their potential on no more than two occasions is a sure sign that they are going to be the team to beat.

It’s going to be one hell of an exciting journey in 2011 but it has got to be said that for one season only the eventual champions will have been the best of a pretty ordinary bunch.

What the ‘Big Five’ will do in January

Tottenham: History suggests that Redknapp will be unable to resist the temptation to tinker with his squad so expect some movement at White Hart Lane. The frustrated Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas, Niko Kranjcar and David Bentley could he heading for the exit door, with defensive and midfield reinforcements the top priority in terms of replacements. The likes of Lassana Diarra, Steven Pienaar and Gary Cahill will all be in the frame.

Manchester City: The world is truly Manchester City’s oyster and with an unexpected title triumph tantalisingly in reach, it will be fascinating to see if they push the boat out. Much will depend on the possibility of a reluctant Carlos Tevez sale but if he is to leave, expect an equally big name to fill his boots — possibly in a swap deal. Fernando Torres is the man Mancini wants but it seems unfathomable that Liverpool will sell him next month.

Arsenal: The Emirates faithful will be praying Wenger bucks his usual trend by splashing the cash next month but having already stated he has no plans to add to his squad in January, Gunners fans are not holding their breath. A new goalkeeper, centre back, defensive midfielder and goalscorer are all required but unless the likes of Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela and Manuel Almunia are sold, it’s unlikely to happen. Unheralded Croatian full-back Sime Vrsaljko is the most likely new arrival from Dinamo Zagreb.

Chelsea: Brazilian whiz kid Neymar and Benfica’s imposing central defender David Luiz are high on Ancelotti’s wish list but will Roman Abramovich dig deep and fund a new revolution in the Blues squad? Woefully light on numbers, Chelsea need to invest in two or three additional players but the Italian might be restricted to low key signings by the Russian oligarch. Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones could be the surprise newcomer.

Manchester United: Alex Ferguson won’t have huge money to spend in January and is unlikely to make any major signings. Fresh legs in the middle of the park are what United need and rumours suggest Jordan Henderson is on United’s radar should Sunderland give them any encouragement that they would be willing to sell. The United gaffer may prefer to keep his powder dry if he doesn’t need to spend to win something this season, and go all out for Gareth Bale, Fernando Torres and Wesley Sneijder in the summer.