How Man United Finished Top

Manchester United lifted their ninth English Premiership title without kicking a ball as Chelsea could only draw 1-1 with Arsenal on Sunday.

For the past two seasons United had failed to hang on to Chelsea's coat-tails as Jose Mourinho's expensively assembled side ran away with the title. So why was this season different?

Keep 'em out
Chelsea's normally brilliantly marshalled central defence started to show cracks this season. They did keep 21 clean sheets, six more than Manchester United, but strength in depth was lacking after the departures of William Gallas and Robert Huth.

Recurring injuries to John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho proved crucial.

The woefully inadequate Khalid Boulahrouz again showed his lack of positional sense evident all season (imagine him on Mastermind. Name? Khalid Boulahrouz. Occupation? Defender. Specialist subject? Being on the wrong side of an attacker) by giving away the penalty for Arsenal's goal on Sunday and getting himself a red card. Tip: next time you are caught out, let the player go through – he might miss, and even if he doesn't, your team will still have 11 men.

Manchester United have also suffered with injuries to key defenders, but have coped better. Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Gary Neville had fine seasons until sidelined in the past few weeks, but the versatility of Wes Brown, Gabriel Heinze, John O'Shea and Patrice Evra has meant the degree of cover for the excellent Edwin van der Sar was maintained. It seems that Sir Alex Ferguson has finally found a replacement for Peter Schmeichel in the Dutchman.

Chelsea were undoubtedly unsettled by losing the redoubtable Petr Cech for so long after his horrific skull fracture at Reading.

Driving force
Mourinho brought in Michael Ballack to stiffen his midfield, add guile, intelligence, and score goals but the German never gelled and Mourinho ended up with a “how can I fit Lampard and Ballack into the same side'' scenario reminiscent of Sven Goran Eriksson's Lampard-Gerrard dilemma. Ballack could well be on his way out after having an ankle operation last week without the club's permission.

Ferguson splashed out £18 million (Dh66 million) on Michael Carrick from Tottenham and he shone brightly in his first season. After a slow start he has looked the part since Christmas, scoring and creating goals and providing a valuable first line of defence in front of the back four.

But the man who has really made the difference between the two sides is Paul Scholes. Out for the last five months of the 2005-06 season with an eye problem, the former England man has been the star of the engine room.

His experience has brought an assurance back to the midfield not seen since Roy Keane left and his partnership and understanding with Carrick became formidable as the season progressed.

Scholes' vision, non-stop running and wide range of passing have enabled Rooney and Ronaldo to make hay in front of him. He has also scored seven goals in all competitions. His only blemishes were his red cards at Liverpool in March and in Rome last month.

You need wings to fly
Chelsea terrorised defences from 2004 to 2006 with Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben striking fear in many a full-back and providing the ammunition for the front men. But where were they this time? Cole and Robben spent much of the season sidelined through injury and Duff was sold to Newcastle.

That left Shaun Wright-Phillips as the solitary winger in the line-up and, despite being left on the bench frequently, did show enough occasional flashes of brilliance such as his memorable double against West Ham a fortnight ago to suggest he has been criminally under-used.

Contrast those four with the man certain to be crowned Footballer of the Year – Cristiano Ronaldo. Reviled after the World Cup, many thought he would be sold. But that is not Sir Alex's way. The Manchester United boss had seen it all before when David Beckham was subject to a hate campaign after his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup and he knew exactly how to handle his young magician. He flew to Portugal to have dinner with his young tyro and the chat would have gone something like this.

“You're a great player, son. If ye want to be known as one and idolised then stop your diving, stop trying to get others carded and let your feet do the talking.'' And he did. The histrionics have gone and we are left with Ronaldo's rich collection of skill, trickery and breathtaking goals. The boy wonder has matured into a 22-year-old genius being compared to Diego Maradona and George Best for his amazing range of skill.

Such talk is premature of course, but a haul of 17 Premiership goals from midfield is remarkable – the League's top scorer Didier Drogba has just two more.

On the other flank, defences have had the not inconsiderable problem of Mr Dependable Ryan Giggs to deal with as well.

Full frontal
Chelsea have been a one-man team up front. Didier Drogba has enjoyed a fantastic season – 19 Premiership goals have established him as the country's top predator.

But the man alongside him, Andriy Shevchenko, will go down as another expensive foreign import with a huge reputation who could not cut it in the hustle and bustle of English football.

Remember Sergei Rebrov at Spurs? Shevchenko's failures have been eerily reminiscent of his former Dynamo Kiev strike partner. But at least the Spurs man scored nine Premiership goals in his first season, Shevchenko has managed four – a risible return for £30 million (Dh110 million).

Manchester United by contrast, have not relied on one man for their goals and been wonderfully fluid up front. Wayne Rooney has been consistent (14 Premiership goals, 24 in all competitions) and worked up a fantastic understanding with Ronaldo.

Giggs has also slotted in alongside Rooney at times, while Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also made valuable contributions. The short-term loan signing of Henrik Larsson was an inspired success when United were depleted by injuries.

Mind games
Mourinho used to be entertaining in press conferences and a master of lifting pressure from his players by deflecting it on to himself, but this was the season he lost the plot.

Attacking Liverpool's pedigree, claiming that Chelsea and Manchester United were playing by different rules, alleging that the ambulance had been slow when Petr Cech was injured (it arrived within seven minutes), patronising Tottenham after Spurs' first league win over their London rivals in 18 years, and his clear rift with Roman Abra-movich which may lead to a parting of the ways enabled Ferguson and his team to take the psychological higher ground all the way to the title.

Ferguson's Dynasty

In the 15 seasons since the Premiership began Manchester United have won the title nine times and have only been out of the top two three times.

Year Champions (2nd)
1992-93 Man Utd (Aston Villa)
1993-94 Man Utd (Blackburn)
1994-95 Blackburn (Man Utd)
1995-96 Man Utd (Newcastle)
1996-97 Man Utd (Newcastle)
1997-98 Arsenal (Man Utd)
1998-99 Man Utd (Arsenal)
1999-00 Man Utd (Arsenal)
2000-01 Man Utd (Arsenal)
2001-02 Arsenal (Liverpool)
2002-03 Man Utd (Arsenal)
2003-04 Arsenal (Chelsea)
2004-05 Chelsea (Arsenal)
2005-06 Chelsea (Man Utd)
2006-07 Man Utd (Chelsea)

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