Sir Alex Ferguson has condemned the plans for a 39th Premier League game to be played in Asia. The proposal was first put forward last spring but was greeted with widespread anger by the football community, with fans claiming it went against the principles of a league system and Asian football chiefs arguing that it would adversely affect their own countries' domestic competitions.
Yet more recently there have been some conciliatory noises coming out of the Far East, with the Asian Football Confederation president, Mohamed Bin Hammam, saying he believed the idea had some merit and the Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, insisting the thought process behind it was starting to be understood.
But it seems the Premier League will not be able to count on the Manchester United manager's support. The Scot maintains that cannot see the need for an additional match, and he certainly has no idea where it could be fitted into the fixture calendar.
"I don't think there will ever be a 39th game and I don't believe there should be," said Ferguson. "I certainly am not in favour of it. You look at our domestic programme allied to our cup competitions. It is impossible."
It is another cup competition that has brought Ferguson to Japan and he has asked his United players to leave a lasting legacy by becoming the first British side to win the Club World Cup.
Surprisingly, the United manager insisted the potential rewards for travelling to the Asia far outweigh the damage it could do his team's chances of retaining their Premier League title.
"The nitty-gritty of it is for us to be world champions," he said on Tuesday."In 30 years time you look back and say 'Manchester United — world champions'. "That, to me, is what our club's all about and that's why it's important for us to win it."
United, who arrived in Japan on Monday after drawing with Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, will play the J-League side Gamba Osaka in Thursday's semi-final in Yokohama.
"It's a big incentive to become world champions," said Ferguson."You can't win the Premier League in December. Yes, it's a little bit of a handicap, but that's what happens when you're successful. I hope we're in Abu Dhabi next year because it means we're successful.As far as I'm concerned the incentives outweigh, without any question, whatever happens in the Premier League. The media don't take it as seriously as we do,"said Ferguson."It's an extra game for us but the prestige attached to the competition now is greater."
Ferguson's side won the tournament's forerunner, the Intercontinetal Cup, when the format was a one-off match between the champions of Europe and South America, by defeating Brazil's Palmeiras 1-0 in 1999.United were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Argentina's Estudiantes in 1968 when the tournament was played over two legs.
The Premier League champions are overwhelming favourites to win the Fifa competition with Mexico's Pachuca and Ecuador's surprise Libertadores Cup winners LDU meeting in Wednesday's first semi-final.
Ferguson said the biggest hurdle facing his players would probably be the jet lag after the 12-hour flight from London followed by two games in a week in Japan. "The most difficult part is to change their body clock in such a short space of time," said the Scot, whose side travel to Stoke City on Boxing Day, five days after the Yokohama final.
"We had them up at seven on Sunday morning to make sure they didn't sleep until they got on the plane. We have to give them a proper chance to acclimatise."
The Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher was struggling to keep his eyes open after team doctors ordered the players to stay awake until 2am before being woken up early on Tuesday.
"Lack of sleep will affect anyone's performance," he said."We've just flown in and we've only got a couple of days. It's a case of mind over matter."
Meanwhile, Rio Ferdinand has dismissed Arsenal's chances of winning the Premier League title.
Although the Manchester United defender accepts that winning the championship is not beyond Arsène Wenger's men despite them being eight points behind the leaders Liverpool, he feels it will eventually prove too big a gap to bridge.
Instead, Ferdinand is convinced United, Liverpool and Chelsea will surge clear before one of the three drops away, leaving just two to battle it out to the end.
The opinion is not likely to go down well at the Emirates Stadium but, speaking before Thursday's Club World Cup match with Gamba Osaka in Yokohama, Ferdinand is certain Arsenal will fall behind the pack.
"It is not beyond Arsenal but it is my personal opinion that it will be between the other three this season," said United's captain."At the moment it looks like being nip and tuck but usually from Christmas onwards the teams who are going to be there at the end start pulling away. I can see that happening this season. I presume ourselves, Chelsea and Liverpool will pull away, then it will be down to two and finally one."
For the second time in a month none of the "big four" managed to win this weekend. On Saturday evening it seemed United had blown an excellent chance to close on Liverpool, who had been held at home by Hull, when they failed to beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane. But, at Heathrow on Sunday, as they waited for their flight to the Far East, United's players heard Chelsea had drawn with West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
"It looks like teams will drop points," said Ferdinand. "Hull going to Anfield and getting a draw is a massive result for them. Who would have said that before the season kicked off? West Ham getting a draw at Chelsea was a surprise as well. There have been quite a few unusual results this season but I am sure it is good for the fans."
Ferguson also confirmed that the England international Ben Foster broke a finger in training last week. The goalkeeper was expected to play some part in United's two games in Japan but was forced to pull out of the squad after suffering the injury on Thursday. It is the latest in a catalogue of fitness problems for the 25-year-old, who missed almost all of last season following cruciate surgery.
