ALEX FERGUSON has cast doubt on Chelsea's ability to kick on next season under Luiz Felipe Scolari, suggesting the Brazilian World Cup winner has inherited an ageing team and will struggle to surpass the achievements of Jose Mourinho.
Scolari's arrival as Chelsea manager this month as a replacement for the sacked Avram Grant was intended to inject renewed hunger into a squad that finished a close second behind United in the Premier League last season and lost by the narrowest of margins to Ferguson's team in the Champions League final, after a penalty shoot-out.
The clubs remain the most likely challengers for domestic honours this season, but with Scolari inheriting a group of players with immense experience but containing few youngsters, Ferguson believes the Brazilian faces a difficult challenge.
Ferguson said: "(Jose) Mourinho won the title two years in a row and beat us in the FA Cup final, so there's no one who can improve on his record really. They (Chelsea) would have to go beyond Mourinho's performance to really worry us. Scolari is fortunate. He is joining a big club and he is joining a team of internationals.
"Chelsea have a lot of experience and that was the one thing I was a bit concerned about last season, but I don't know how far that team has got to go. It's hard to see where there's going to be a big improvement with a team that's really very experienced."
With the key figures of Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba already beyond their 30th birthdays, Chelsea's squad compares unfavourably, in terms of youth, with Ferguson's pool of players.
While the long-serving Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes remain valued members of United's squad, Nani and Anderson have already been earmarked as long-term replacements and United are also blessed with the relative youth of Wayne Rooney (22), Cristiano Ronaldo (23) and Carlos Tevez (24). Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra are all 26 or 27.
Although Ferguson concedes that Chelsea's experience is an important factor that underlines their trophy-winning credentials, he remains doubtful that they will improve on their title-winning sides of the recent past.
"'Plateau' is maybe not the word, but how can they accelerate beyond what they've done up to now?" he said. "When you see the ages they've got, apart from Salomon Kalou (22) and Mikel John Obi (21), they are an experienced side. I'm not saying necessarily that they're old because, with the modern-day training methods, you should be playing in your thirties. What I am saying is that I don't see outstanding progress in a team that's in their thirties.
"I don't know Scolari. We played against him when we won the World Club Championship (against Palmeiras in 1999), and he has managed a lot of clubs. But he is experienced, having won the World Cup and managed Portugal, and that's one thing he has in his favour."
United have already been installed as favourites to win their 11th Premier League title next term, but Ferguson has warned against expecting a two-horse race between themselves and Chelsea.
"I wouldn't write off Liverpool or Arsenal. Arsenal had a good start last season and that carried right through until they had some injuries. It's been understated what Arsenal did last season because they got injuries at a bad time.
"In February, they lost most of their midfield - they lost (Tomas) Rosicky, they lost (Alexander) Hleb for a spell and then Eduardo. Who is to say it wouldn't have been closer if Arsene Wenger had kept his players fit?"
Word of Ferguson's scepticism at whether such a seasoned Chelsea squad boasts the potential for further improvement had yet to filter from Durban to Guangdong Province, yet the message issued from this sprawling city in southern China was still resounding.
"We've got the best players in the world," said Michael Essien. "Players who are at the top level are also, like me, all bad losers."
Experience, it seems, could prove more of a help than a hindrance. Essien yesterday signed a five-year deal - following goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Wayne Bridge in committing his future to the club.
The Ghana midfielder (25), has been a major success since joining Chelsea from Lyon for €30 million in 2005.
Scolari sends a Chelsea side out for the first time in Guangzhou this evening and, with Michael Ballack still to return from his honeymoon and Claude Makelele released to PSG, there were only two thirty-somethings in what appeared to be the first-choice line-up put through its paces by the Brazilian at the Olympic stadium last night.
Deco - granted "veteran" status alongside Ricardo Carvalho - and Frank Lampard (30) patrolled the midfield with Essien and Mikel John Obi at their side.
Guardian Service
