Why Sir Alex Ferguson will go on and on at Man Utd

As Manchester United celebrated their 18th league title on Saturday, Sir Alex Ferguson expressed the desire to spend another five years in the Old Trafford hot-seat, a statement of intent that will "have sent a draught through the managers' offices at Melwood, Cobham and London Colney", the training grounds of their big four rivals, writes Richard Williams in the Guardian.

Of course, "it might not be five years. He may have been teasing. It could be 10, given the memory of the bad experience he went through the last time he announced his retirement. Or, more likely, just a couple, to take him up to 70 and past two milestones: the record of 18 league titles now held jointly with Liverpool, and the personal tally of three European Cup victories belonging to Liverpool's Bob Paisley, which Ferguson will equal should his side overcome Barcelona in Rome next week.

"He might, finally, be satisfied with those," says Williams. But the satisfaction and pleasure that Ferguson takes from bringing generation after generation of word class players through the ranks at Old Trafford cannot ever be overestimated. "Witness his special commendations, discussing United's internal player of the year award in Saturday's match programme, for John O'Shea and Darren Fletcher, two home-grown players whose rise has amply vindicated his judgment."

While the path hasn't been as smooth for some of the newer talents than the original golden generation of Scholes, Giggs, Beckham et al was - "both have endured terrace scepticism" - "they have done the job required by Ferguson this season with honour, and in Fletcher's case with real distinction."

The only hope offered to Ferguson's main rival Rafa Benitez comes from their team's performances against Man Utd. "The Liverpool manager may be encouraged not just by the knowledge that his team have lost only two league matches this season to United's four defeats" and beat them home and away. But still the Premier League trophy remains at Old Trafford. ·