AFTER a very entertaining season the chase is almost over now and it doesn't take a genius to realise that, having done most of the hard stuff, it's now within Manchester United's power to regain the coveted title.

The result on Thursday was a disappointment, not just for Newcastle but for all neutrals as well, because it would have been nice for the last day of the season to be a more open contest but, as it is, things must look very good from where Alex Ferguson is standing.

To be honest, though, I wasn't surprised by the result at the City Ground. I said on the radio before the game that it would be a draw which, the way Newcastle have been playing away from home in recent months, looked to be as much as they could have got out of it.

Really when you look back on it, it's almost entirely down to their home form that Kevin Keegan's side are still in the race. On their travels they have been very vulnerable since Christmas and, in that case, you have to ask yourself whether it would be such a good thing if they were going to win it.

On balance I'd say the Premiership is very democratic in that the best side does tend to win it. It has a lot to do with winning or at least getting a result when you are not playing well and extracting something from grounds where struggling teams are desperately trying to hold out for a result in front of their own fans. These are qualities that Manchester United have generally shown over the course of the season while Newcastle have shown enough frailty to leave lingering doubts.

United, on the other hand, have just got better as the season has progressed. There were a number of times when I was impressed with them but I think one of the key days worth remembering was when they went to (Bolton and won 6-0. That must have given Kevin Keegan an idea that things were in danger of being snatched away from him.

It is even worse when you consider just how strong his side's position looked at one stage. Newcastle were 12 points ahead, out of cup competitions, and with next to no injuries. If you offered that sort of scenario to most managers they'd bet heavily on being able to steer the team through to the title.

Ultimately, though, I think Newcastle were found out. People were initially in awe of the style of football that they played but, gradually, the awe subsided and people came up with a formula to play against and beat them.

Managers realised that, while they are dangerous on the ball, they do not always handle pressure well. You have to go at them, take them on and make them work hard for the ball deep in their own half.

The air of invincibility was further dented when they played in Old Trafford where Butt and Keane completely overran them in midfield. At that point Keegan clearly saw that he had to do something and the result was that he went out and signed up Asprilla and Batty.

What was disappointing, though, was the stubborn way that he wouldn't play Gillespie. Aside from pace and the ability to cross the hall well, Gillespie would have given others around him room to play. When he was there they were working well, they were getting a lot of width and the system was good but afterwards there was a lot of messing about with putting Lee and Beardsley out there.

Then came Asprilla and suddenly four or five players were forced to start asking questions about the way that they were playing. It all started to crumble and, frankly, once United overtook them they aspired to have gone past the point of no return.

Ferguson, meanwhile handled the pressure well and turned the screw on Keegan. He has taken a lot of stick for some of the things that he has said over the past few weeks but when you look at the way the Newcastle manager reacted the other night when he basically threw his dummy out of his pram, it was plain to see that it was paying off.

Of course Keegan could be saved tomorrow if Middlesbrough manage to beat United and his own side win at home against Tottenham. And obviously if that happens, nobody will be asking to many questions around St James' Park about what has gone on in recent months but the fact remains that it never should have come down to stealing it back on the last day.

Keegan must know that he will be lucky to have another chance as good as this one to win the league and while I think he would he very foolish to resign after all that he has built at Newcastle, he must surely accept some of the responsibility for the form of recent weeks.

At the bottom of the table, which is almost more interesting than what is going on at the top at this stage, it could be any one of four teams to go down with QPR and Bolton but I would be inclined to go for Southampton as the unlucky side.

They must have thought they were safe last week when they won away from home only to discover that both of their main rivals had also doubled their tally of away wins for the season but now they must dig out a result again and their dependence on Le Tissier is so profound that their survival now seems to rest on one man's shoulders.

Manchester City are the team who definitely know that they must get a result but they might profit from Liverpool's thoughts being on the Cup final. Coventry appear to have tightened up at the back at just the right time and after taking to points from five games they look to have a bit of confidence back in the side while Sheffield Wednesday should have enough experienced professionals in the side to pull something out of the hag on the day at West Ham.

That, and I realise I'm on a hiding to nothing here, leaves Southampton to drop and Le Tissier to finally enter the big bad world of the transfer market.