Why Chelsea look a stronger bet than Manchester United for the title this season - Martin Lipton's Big Lunchtime Read

By Martin Lipton in Laptop with Martin Lipton

Published 11:15 26/11/09

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So now we have seen a glimpse into the potential future of Manchester United - and if anything will prompt the Glazers into digging deep over the next few years, it came against Besiktas.

While Sir Alex Ferguson was left seething over the penalty denied to Patrice Evra - coming just two weeks after Darren Fletcher did not get a stone-waller in what has now become a vital draw with CSKA Moscow - the Scot may reflect that his financial case has been made for him.

Having banked £80million for the sale of Cristiano Ronlado in the summer, Fergie was given the okay to only spend a fraction of that figure in bolstering the squad.

And that squad, despite the glittering array of talents in his first-choice side, is starting to look far from deep.

Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda did not exactly resemble fledgling superstars against a Turkish side that, while neat on the ball, should have been put away with ease.

That they were not, with Ben Foster coming as close as anybody to causing genuine disruption with his desperation advance into the other box, summed up their limitations graphically.

Foster suggested that he could have an extra element to his case for World Cup selection even if it is in his main job that he seems to be lacking.

Despite the deflection off Rafael that produced Besiktas' winner and Fergie's defence of his keeper, Foster is developing a worrying habit of conceding in games when he has little work to do.

By contrast, Edwin Van Der Sar still retains the highest concentration levels but with the Dutchman closing in on the start of his fifth decade, United need to start planning for the future.

Whether that is a future including Welbeck, Macheda, Rafael and Darron Gibson is less clear, even if Gabriel Obertan gave indications that he can become a genuine - and better - option to Nani as a left-sided threat.

Losing at home in Europe for the first time in 23 games was not in itself a major crisis, with qualification already assured courtesy of Antonio Valencia's deflected effort against the Russian, while top spot - and the guarantee of avoiding Rome conquerors Barcelona - can be claimed by a draw in Wolfsburg next month.

Yet Fergie's professed faith in his emerging talents looks more like paying lip-service to the ideal, rather than a declaration of deep personal belief.

With all due respect to Valencia, Obertan and Michael Owen - a great addition on a free transfer but now a squad member rather than a starter - the Scot knows that United need to be competing for the biggest talents.

When Chelsea will be out of the market for 16 months after January - as a result of the FIFA ban over the Gael Kakuta affair - United, along with rivals Manchester City, will be the biggest potential Premier League players financially.

That means the Glazer being willing to bankroll the spending ambitions of the manager, enabling him to compete with the Spanish and Italian giants and ensuring United go forward rather than into gradual decline.

At the moment, as Ferguson will privately concede, Chelsea are in the box seat.

Last night's dull but ruthlessly efficient win in Porto confirmed top spot in Group D and Carlo Ancelotti's side can effectively turn the title race into a two-horse contest by winning at injury-hit Arsenal on Sunday.

While the looming African Nations Cup calls could become a game-changer if the dodgy pitches in Angola bring problems for Didier Drogba or Michael Essien, the Chelsea hierarchy are willing to splash the cash in January and bolster Ancelotti's squad.

Currently, though, with Frank Lampard ready to return at the Emirates, and Kakuta's debut display against Wolves suggesting he can be a major long-term asset, only Jose Bosingwa knee injury prevents Ancelotti from using his entire squad.

The Italian is increasingly at home at Stamford Bridge, assured and full of good humour and bonhomie, knowing his players are - as they were under Guus Hiddink - utterly confident that he will make the right decisions.

That September confidence wobble after the poor displays at Wigan and in Cyprus are well behind Chelsea, with even the defeat at Aston Villa swiftly buried by the winning run since.

Only an idiot would bet against United and Fergie, given the history that cannot be bucked.

But at this stage, with the Old Trafford understudies not looking the part and Chelsea flying, the future looks blue rather than red.

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