Sir Alex Ferguson wrote the book on winning the Premiership, so it was appropriate that the garrulous knight yesterday chose the launch of Manchester United Opus to reaffirm his determination to add another chapter.
The 37kg, 850-page, £3,000 history of the club would dwarf the average coffee table and a large chunk of it chronicles Ferguson's eight league titles. It is a story familiar to anyone conversant with the Premiership era and the manager remains convinced that his 20th season will end with a familiar refrain: Manchester United, league champions.
An eight-point margin with Christmas approaching is an unfamiliar buffer for a manager accustomed to seeing his side come up on the rails but Ferguson is certain that his team will stay the course. They will start by ignoring Jose Mourinho's attempt at distraction following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Arsenal, when he said United "would be in trouble" if they thought the league was won.
"We will only be in trouble if we listen to Jose too much," said Ferguson. So determined is he to play down the advantage accrued by an unbeaten league run stretching back 12 matches that he sees Chelsea taking the three points from tomorrow night's game in hand against Newcastle as a given.
"Five points clear at this stage is very unusual for us, we're usually lagging behind, but I won't be letting the players fall into the trap of thinking it's won because all we have done is give ourselves a foundation. There are many hurdles to be navigated in the run-in.
"To win the league, you have to have great consistency, particularly around March and April. Historically we have done OK at that time of the year. All championship races are difficult but the real test comes on the run-in when any mistake can cost you everything."
The sight of Chelsea failing to beat Arsenal brought Ferguson early seasonal cheer and he was still glowing yesterday, dispensing praise for Mourinho's purchasing strategy, Arsène Wenger's youth policy and speaking whimsically of the "dream" of seeing Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo in tandem. There was even a joke when his mobile chirped unexpectedly: "It's Jose, he's panicking already."
Ferguson's pride in the emergence of the current United vintage, an exciting blend of youth and experience, is evident but it will mean nothing unless they add silverware to promise. "Being a good second does not come into it," he said. "I think this side is showing signs of being a really good team but they have to win the league, they have to win the European Cup, they have to win the FA Cup. If they don't, it means nothing."
