ALEX FERGUSON can see the finishing line to his career as manager of Manchester United. But between now and then his team will surely experience a few more chequered flags.
The Champions' Cup remains Ferguson's outstanding ambition, and the visit of Porto to Old Trafford on March 5th in the opening leg of the quarter-finals will offer a valuable clue as to the likelihood of that ambition being fulfilled this season. In the meantime United will concentrate on banking a sufficient number of Premier League points to set against a possible European failure.
An unbeaten run of 11 league games, seven of which have been won, has left Manchester United snapping at the heels of Liverpool, the Premiership leaders. United are two points behind with a match in hand and in no hurry to don the yellow jersey. The pressure is on Liverpool to sustain the pace.
At Highfield Road on Saturday Manchester United achieved their sixth victory in seven games with what for their rivals, was an ominously stress-free performance.
Since taking over the Coventry City side from Ron Atkinson, Gordon Strachan has managed to introduce a greater degree of subtlety to their football with more emphasis on keeping possession. At times on Saturday Coventry thought they had found the angles to make a game of it.
The reality, however, was that Coventry never really had a chance. Manchester United controlled the tempo of the match from start to finish and won 2-0 without breaking sweat.
On the hour a half-hearted tackle by Telfer offered Ryan Giggs a shooting opportunity from near the left-hand corner of the penalty area which he accepted with a rare right-footed shot into the top far corner of the net. It was Giggs's first league goal for four months.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed United's victory 11 minutes from the end after Eric Cantona, having completed an untidy exchange of passes with Giggs, toe-ended the ball to him.
Manchester United, with 44 points from 23 matches, are now two points better off than they were at a similar stage last season. By the time they meet Porto they may have forgotten what it was like to lose.
