After a break for the World Club Championship that has scarcely harmed Manchester United at all, Sir Alex Ferguson believes that this season's league champions will not require the kinds of points totals needed to win the Premier League in recent seasons.
"There is a trend of leading sides dropping more points," he said before taking Manchester United to Stoke for their first Premier League fixture since the goalless draw with Tottenham on December 13.
"It happened to us last season when teams got results against us that you wouldn't expect — don't forget that Manchester City beat us twice and we lost to Bolton. In this league you can lose anywhere because it is so competitive. That is emphasised when you look at the bottom of the league. I have never known it as tight as that. If you win two games, you are challenging for a European place."
January is the time when Manchester United traditionally accelerate, although asked if he thought his side could put together a run of six or seven straight victories, Ferguson replied: "No, I don't think that will happen, it's going to be a tight league."
Before setting out for Japan to contest the World Club Championship, Ferguson remarked that United's season would be determined by how much of a gap they had to make up on their return. The fact that Manchester United not only won the tournament but that none of their main rivals won a match will only have increased his confidence.
"Going to Japan will not do us any harm," Ferguson said. "It was terrific for team unity. I noticed this after the final when we were back in the hotel and the players were all together. It was the length of time we spent together that was important.
"The strange thing about football is that we tend to go off at tangents away from the training ground. Some go home early, some hang around, some stay on to practise, some linger in the canteen having their lunch — they all have their different lifestyles. But when they were in Japan, they were all together and that was more important than anything. It was a fantastic atmosphere.
"In 2000, we went to the World Club Championship in Brazil and came back still leading the table. Arsenal and Leeds [who were then Manchester United's chief rivals] didn't win a game between them. Leeds even lost to Charlton 1-0 and we went on to win the league quite comfortably."
Progress on bringing the Serbian winger, Zoran Tosic, to Old Trafford from Partizan Belgrade appears to have stalled. "We have offered them terms and they haven't accepted them," Ferguson said. "It's up to the boy himself now and his agents. They brought over quite a few agents, so they have obviously got a bit of discussing to do."
Ferguson would not comment on the FA's decision to ban Patrice Evra for four games after an inquiry into a fracas involving the Chelsea ground staff last season. However, he did note that several members of the FA had travelled to Tokyo for the World Club Championship. "They don't miss their trips do they?" he smiled. "And all on the back of Manchester United."
