Ferguson predicts new year cheer

Sir Alex Ferguson hosts Everton at Old Trafford this afternoon looking forward to a new year which, he hopes, will see the club make two significant signings that will help safeguard the club's status among Europe's elite.

The Manchester United manager freely concedes that he may lack the spending power of title rivals Chelsea, who are widely expected to invest more tens of millions of pounds belonging to their owner, Roman Abramovich, when the transfer window opens next month - although Ferguson is expected to add a central defender and forward to his own squad.

News yesterday that central defender Wes Brown is close to a return from long-term injury was highly welcome at Old Trafford, but it is the imminent signing of contract extensions by Ferguson himself and by his striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy that gives the United manager the greatest cause for optimism.

"We're working along with Ruud's agent in terms of his future and I hope to be able to tell you more in a few weeks," said Ferguson of a striker who has scored 17 goals to date and is, by general consensus, in the form of his life. He's very happy and we're on the point of signing a new contract with him even though he still has two and a half years left.

"Our lawyers and David Gill have been pretty busy the past week or so but we are just about there with my contract. It's great for the players to always know who the manager is going to be, and also the staff. Hopefully, in the new year, there will be cause for a double celebration."

Mindful of the problems created by the advanced announcement of his "retirement" in the summer of 2001, Ferguson, currently under contract until 2005, is expected to sign a new three-year deal with a one-year roll-over option. Van Nistelrooy, meanwhile, is expected to commit himself to the club until 2009.

Brown, meanwhile, has declared himself ready to join United's title drive. He took a major step on the road to a Premiership return by completing the full 90 minutes of a behind-closed-doors training game against Burnley at United's Carrington training ground on Christmas Eve.

With Rio Ferdinand facing an eight-month ban, Brown's return could not be any better timed. Brown ruptured the cruciate ligaments in his left knee on the final day of last season, having done exactly the same thing to his right leg three years earlier.

Ferguson feels that the England international may need another reserve game before he could be considered for selection but, with a packed Christmas programme looming, Brown might edge his way back into the first-team picture.

"If the manager needs me I am there to be put in," Brown said after Wednesday's match. "I got through the full game and everything went well. There is no problem with my knee now, it's just a question of getting in as many matches as I can."

Following today's meeting with Everton, United visit Middlesbrough on Sunday, a repeat of the fixture exactly one year ago today which saw United suffer a humbling 3-1 defeat and left a furious Ferguson demanding an improvement in the season's second half.

"You get wake-up calls like that," said Ferguson reflecting on that match a year on. "And the consistency of the team has been terrific since that. In the year since, we have lost Laurent Blanc, Seba Veron and David Beckham, but brought five players into the squad so, squad-wise, we are better this year."

The results tend to bear Ferguson out. This season, United own the best attacking and best defensive records in the Premiership, conceding 13 goals in 23 League and European matches. In the 34 League games since that defeat at the Riverside, United have collected a staggering 27 victories.

The season would now appear primed to develop into a three-horse race, with Chelsea's spending power just one intriguing aspect of the title contest.

Referring to Chelsea's expected explosion into the January transfer market, Ferguson said: "I don't think we can eliminate that from our thoughts. It is quite possible that will happen with them. But I think the three-horse race is terrific for us, I'm enjoying this thoroughly and I only wish it were five teams up there, not three."

He added: "Arsenal drew last Saturday at Bolton, the week before it was Chelsea who lost to Bolton. What that tells you is that if you make mistakes among the top three, the positions change instantly."

Roy Keane is out of today's game, leaving Kleberson to take his place in an attacking United midfield that will see the Brazilian and Paul Scholes support Van Nistelrooy. The hamstring injury is also likely to keep Keane out of Sunday's visit to Middlesbrough.