'Chelsea have had it easy,' says Fergie
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United's Owen Hargreaves is 'close to playing fitness' after two months' treatment in the United States. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian.
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he is not overly concerned about Chelsea's immaculate start to the Premier League season by questioning whether the champions are simply benefiting from being given an "easy start" to the fixture list.
Chelsea have already beaten West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City and West Ham United, and they face promoted Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, while Manchester United prepare to take on Liverpool at Old Trafford having slipped four points behind Carlo Ancelotti's team.
"They've certainly had a very easy early start to the season, there's no doubt about that," the United manager said. "There are big games coming up [Chelsea play Manchester City and Arsenal in their following two league matches] but they've had a good start nonetheless and you can only deal with the games that are in front of you."
United have endured a frustrating start, with stoppage-time goals turning winning positions in their games at Fulham and Everton into draws.
"Our form, I think, has been very good," Ferguson said. "Last week, if we had scored six I don't think [the Everton manager] David Moyes would have complained, and there's not many teams that can do that to Everton.
"At Fulham we missed a penalty kick with three minutes to go and that's unusual for Manchester United. We have to address that because making silly mistakes like that can cost you. Hopefully, it doesn't this year but it may be the final lesson for us."
United's hopes of restoring the title to Old Trafford have been buoyed by the latest diagnosis on Antonio Valencia and encouraging news about Owen Hargreaves, who is approaching the two-year anniversary since his last start for the club.
Valencia suffered a double-break of his lower leg in the Champions League tie against Rangers on Tuesday and, having initially said it was unlikely he would be available to play again this season, Ferguson reported the winger could be back within five months.
"The break was clean, which we're delighted about," he said. "That was a major concern for us at the time and, although you're never 100% accurate in these situations with a bad injury, we're looking at the end of February, which is better than we thought on Tuesday night."
Hargreaves, meanwhile, is close to returning to Manchester after two months in the United States for specialist work on his knee problems.
"Things are looking good for Owen, it's all worked out," his surgeon, Richard Steadman, said. "He's close to playing fitness, although it's up to United to decide when he plays a match."
Steadman had described it as the worst case of tendinitis he had seen in 35 years of operating. "He's never given up and we never gave up on him. The recovery was arduous and took a long time but Owen is a patient patient and his condition looks promising now."
Ferguson, who confirmed he has chosen Nemanja Vidic rather than Rio Ferdinand as the new United captain, addressed the thorny subject of his BBC boycott for the first time today since making it clear he would not be adhering to the new rules, introduced this season specifically to tackle him, that stipulate all managers must talk to the major broadcast rights-holders.
The Premier League has the power to impose a sliding scale of fines but Ferguson said the club would pay for him. "I don't think that's the case," he said when asked if he could be punished personally. United have decided to back him, even though it could cost them tens of thousands of pounds.
Ferguson explained why he had not challenged Liverpool for the signature of Joe Cole once he had left Chelsea in the summer.
"We were approached by his agent at one point but we didn't enter into it [discussions] at all. It was complicated to get involved in that."