Half-Term Report: Manchester United

If there is any club with momentum behind them as the Premiership season turns for home, they reside at Old Trafford. A first defeat in the Manchester derby since 1989 seemed to encapsulate the waning powers of United and their manager. His players' response to some vitriolic criticism from Sir Alex Ferguson has been a run of nine wins in 10 games which sees them four points behind Arsenal with the business part of the campaign to come. The psychological hold Arsenal and Liverpool seemed to have over United in recent seasons was broken, while the return of Roy Keane and the less convincing Rio Ferdinand can only strengthen Ferguson's hand. They have scarcely endured a smoother Champions' League campaign. Progress to the quarter-finals seems assured and, with the final in Manchester, Ferguson hardly needs much incentive.