H Graham.

Romans money is a loan.

Alan, Dublin, Ireland

Shannon - You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. I am not a Manchester Utd supprter, but anyone who knows ANYTHING about football knows that Alex Ferguson did not inherit a great club and has certainly not taken 'undue credit' for their unparralelled success over the last 20 years.

DB, Brighton, England

Utd's present 1st team squad includes Neville 33, Silvestre 30, Giggs 34, Scholes 33, Saha 29, Rio 29 & a youthful Van Der Sar at 37. Chelsea's presently has 8 players aged 29 or older (Times credits 9 by including the 3rd choice keeper!) and NONE older than 31?

So (once again) Fergie your point??

Keith , Surrey ,

Oh how we missed this!

This is what it is all about, Fergie in one corner, Scolari in the other and the rest of us chewing the fat on the great war of mind games between the pair of them.

When the great man does finally retire we'll all this miss - including the papers.

Darren, Manchester,

Ferguson is simply pointing out the obvious Chelsea will be the main threat to the title defence not discounting Arsenal & Liverpool. Balance of the teams age enhances their ability to sustain a longer period of being at the top. All great teams monitor this & refresh or they will be overtaken.

Baneville, Birmingham, UK

@ H. Graham,

"Utd Owe billions, and Chelsea have billions".

I think that should be Utd owe about 600 million which is being paid off (admittedly little by little). Abramovich made clear earlier this year that the money he has put into Chelsea is in the form of a repayable loan.

slyslow, Wiltshire, England

Its all mind games - maybe the chelsea player age might make a different in 3 years time....on the assumption they make no changes to their squad in that time. As if !

NIk, Kent,

I think age counts for little to be honest. All you have to do is look at the AC Milan in the previous years. They are still on going even with Maldini being 40! half there team is over the age of 30 and yet they still have won the Champions League. Chelsea have nothing to worry about.

Ollie walton, Swindon,

Typical Ferguson.

A classless, myopic hypocrite who has no equal in the EPL.

A great manager, a poor excuse of a man.

S.Jones, Cardiff,

Reds are sweeping the political world so Tractor might have a power season again.
BR are back as well!
If they start revos again with all their expertise it could limit Man U. abilities.
Busby Babes had a clearer ring for UK than winning in Moscow and the Scotland Skirts. Beckham in USA losing

Dr MI Barton MA. MBA.PhD, Oxford, uk

People continue to make an issue of United debts but they seem to miss the fact that these are not debts incurred by running costs - United continue to make obscene amounts of money. These were debts transferred to United to fund Glazers takeover.

Money isn't a problem at United.

Mike Farren, Manchester, England

Man U owe millions - so this is just a way of trying to level the playing field a little bit against a side who either complete or a linked to hundreds of million pounds worth of transfers each year.

Phil, Reading,

I am CTID from the BLUE side of Manchester but you have to give it to Ferguson. Not only has rebuilt the Rags to dare I say greatness but he is correct in his assessment. Chelsea have proved by changing their manager that it effects continuity. Buying older player in the most physically demanding league will have an effect on performance. The saving grace for is that he will retire soon and lets see if the Rags will survive. No, not in their present position.

Graham Whittingham, Manchester, England

I hope you Joe foreigners are voting on http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/07/manchester-unit.html

Graham Whittingham, Manchester, England

Shannon, as much as i dislike SAF and support the mighty reds, i have to pull you up on SAF inheriting a great club. All they had was history, SAF has built it up again, with MILLIONS, just like Chelsea

andy moffat, melbourne, australia

Please read carefully what Ferguson has said -he did not dismiss Chelsea -he simply made the point that in the long term, a team which has more players in their 30's cannot expect to progress as much as a team with a younger profile. Seems reasonable to me.

Tony Pereira, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Shannon with due respect Alex Ferguson inherited a big club but a club in bad form below the likes of Everton and Liverpool at that time.Pls do note that he was one game away from being sacked. 22 years on and he's the most successful British manager and mark my words no man will come that close.

Sunil , Woodside, New York, USA

If the Chelsea staff react with anything like the indignation displayed by four of the first five bloggers here, Fergie's opening cerebral salvo will have well and truly hit the mark!

Vikram, Sydney, Australia

SAF has lost the plot. His arrogance and hypocricy have grown unbearable. In football, wins go as easily as they arrive. He inherited a great club and for years has taken undue credit for its success. His reaction will be priceless when the Blues, Reds and Gunners take home silverware this year.

Shannon, Milford, Delaware, USA

So, that's it. The war of words have started, am i right Fergie? but can somebody out there do me a favour and tell Fergie to leave 'ageing' chelsea alone and concentrate on his 'youthful' red devils? i think only time will tell who the real 'ageing' and 'youthfull' squad is beeween the Blues/Reds.

alexander , lagos, nigeria

Utd owe billions, and Chelsea have billions.

There is only one team who will be buying the best players for the next 5 years, and the EPL and CL will reflect that eventually.

H.Graham, London,

Im not a United fan but only idiots would write off Ferguson. He's been doing it near on 20 years...Additionally, I think calling Ronaldo the sole dependable player of Manchester United is an insult...You've been reading too much Roy of the Rovers son. One man doesn't win the European Cup.

Richard, Featherstone, West Yorks

well, it is an old man's words towards his younger counterpart...he forsee that his team is not in the contention to retain the title as he is prepared to loose his sole dependable player to real madrid...his team struggle to see-off chelsea even under the uncharismatic and unconvincing grant!

Danial, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ferguson should worry about his own squad before writing off Chelsea as "ageing". Perhaps he should remember that C.Ronaldo saga is still unresolved, as is Tevez's status at the club, and he would be better if he concentrated on someone who can secure 40+ goals for United when Ronaldo leaves.

Ozzie, Nottingham,