The Red Devils are eight points off the Premier League pace, and you already get the impression that they will need to beat Chelsea and Liverpool at home if they are to win a third title on the bounce. Although Manchester United have a game in hand against Fulham, they have dropped twelve points in their eleven matches to date, although the manager has a ready-made excuse.

As The Times reports, Fergie claims that the champions have been handicapped by the fixture list this season, especially as they have a number of difficult away league matches following on from Champions League games. The Scot reckons that other teams have an unfair advantage over the Red Devils, but is he correct with his view?

“They say the league is not handicapped, but I’m not so sure,” Ferguson said. “Having every game away from home following a European tie is not easy. Going from Celtic on Wednesday to play at Arsenal the following Saturday lunchtime is hard, although, funnily enough, I didn’t think it was a problem on this occasion.”

The article points out that all six of Manchester United’s Champions League matches are followed by difficult away games, although Blackburn are what you might describe as one of the worst teams in the division, while Spurs and Manchester City also reside in the bottom half of the table. Do Red Devils fans think that their team is handicapped, or do they have a big enough squad to cope with these fixtures?

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