Sport | Football
Charlton tips United for Premiership title
The Premier League is a marathon and not a sprint and Manchester United have the legs for it, according to their most famous old boy, Sir Bobby Charlton.
- By Sarah Tregoning, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:03 October 15, 2007
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
- Football legend Sir Bobby Charlton is in Dubai to herald a new season at the Manchester United Soccer School.
Dubai: The Premier League is a marathon and not a sprint and Manchester United have the legs for it, according to their most famous old boy, Sir Bobby Charlton.
Charlton, whose long-range rockets found the back of the net 247 times in 754 games for United between 1954 and 1973, is confident the Red Devils can emulate their first-place finish of last season despite a poor start.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who finished runners-up last term, are still floundering in the wake of departing manager Jose Mourinho and languish a disappointing seventh.
Respectable position
While Chelsea fans mournfully sing of the loss of the self-styled 'Special One' at Stamford Bridge, their United counterparts are revelling in the form of Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo and see their side occupy a respectable second spot in the table after taking just two points from their opening three games.
But Charlton, who travelled to Dubai to herald a new season at Manchester United Soccer Schools (MUSS), is dismissive of Chelsea's title campaign. It's with United where his heart lies.
"Mourinho leaving was a surprise to me," he admitted. "We can't tell yet how that will affect Chelsea, we will have to wait and see."
United, whose unsmiling Scottish figurehead, Sir Alex Ferguson, seems as immovable as Ben Nevis, have found their form just in time for a serious title bid, according to Charlton.
"I'm very pleased that we are still up there," he says of their position one point above third-placed arch-rivals Manchester City and two behind Arsenal. "If you have a bad September then sometimes you are playing catch up and that can be very tough. The Premier League is a marathon and United can do it."
But the domestic title is not the only thing in Ferguson's battle plan. The thought of United claiming the Champions League 50 years after the Munich plane disaster is occupying much of his thoughts.
"It would be really great if we could win it," said Charlton, who as a 19-year-old survived the horrific 1958 crash that claimed the lives of eight team-mates as United returned from a victorious European Cup quarterfinal against Yugoslavia's, Red Star Belgrade.
"It wouldn't change what's happened but it would be nice, even Alex has said it would be great to win the Champions League this time."
Hard path
But 1966 World Cup winner Charlton, now director at Old Trafford, knows the road to the final in Moscow is long and hard.
"We are in a strong position," said the 70-year-old, who also struck a record 49 goals in 106 games for England, referring to the fact that United have a maximum six points following their wins against Sporting Lisbon and Roma.
"But we have been in a strong position before. Dynamo Kiev, [who United play on October 13] will be very difficult to beat at home. But we are probably a bit more focused on the Champions League this season because of our previous disappointments."
For more information about MUSS call 04 3293313 or click on www.muss.ae.
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