Last Monday as the United squad sunned themselves on a mid-season break in Jerez Alex Ferguson told his players that if they wanted a night out they could do so with his blessing.
While it was not carte blanche to get blotto, it was nevertheless the type of invitation that the average footballer might reasonably see as the green light for a pleasant evening sampling the local Sangria. United, of course, have few average footballers: the offer was politely declined and the players organised a quiz night among themselves before lights out at 11 p.m.
When the manager inquired to their reasons, he was told they did not want to run the risk, however minuscule it was, of detracting from what was a time for recharging batteries. "It just goes to show their professionalism, how strong their focus is," Ferguson said on Saturday, and he had every right to glow with satisfaction. "I thought they might want a beer but, to a man, they wanted to stay in the hotel."
That type of slavish dedication has helped take United a country mile clear at the Premiership's apex and for as long as Ferguson continues ad absurdum to scold those who say the title is theirs the fact remains he is not fooling anyone.
One bookmaker is offering 100 to 1 on - the shortest odds ever - for United to reel in their seventh title in nine years. Another firm paid out three weeks ago after declaring the championship won. Take United out of the equation and we would have a heck of a contest, but delving into hypothesis does not alter the fact that the league is becoming something of a snooze.
Aston Villa have lofty pretensions to United's throne and what was ultimately a humdrum result might have been different if their impudence had paid off at the start of the second half when they displayed something spookily reminiscent of an away team at Old Trafford playing with, that's right, self-belief.
It remains a peculiarity that for all the time United spend in opposition territory their best player so far this season has been their goalkeeper. How the watching SvenGoran Eriksson must have wished Fabien Barthez had been born in Leyland rather than Lavelanet after watching him pluck the ball off Lee Hendrie's toe amid Villa's intrepid adventures.
Hendrie seemed certain to score but that chance gone, and a shot from Gareth Barry hoofed off the goal-line by Jonathan Greening moments later, United stirred while still remaining somewhere off their mesmeric best. Gary Neville diverted Roy Keane's freekick inside the near post after a foul that only the referee Mike Riley seemed to see. Then David James patted Andy Cole's centre into Teddy Sheringham's path and once again Eriksson must have found himself gazing longingly towards Barthez.
David Beckham and Mickael Silvestre were given the weekend off and United's resources are so bloated, their lead so awesome, that Ferguson can afford to rest others between now and the end of the season. Keane will be left out against Everton on Saturday week.
MANCHESTER UTD: Barthez, Gary Neville, Irwin, Stam, Butt, Phil Neville, Keane, Greening (Chadwick 62), Sheringham, Solskjaer (Cole 63), Giggs. Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, Brown, Yorke. Booked: Butt. Goals: Gary Neville 57, Sheringham 87.
ASTON VILLA: James, Wright, Staunton, Barry (Ginola 82), Alpay, Stone, Boateng, Hendrie, Dublin, Angel (Vassell 64), Merson. Subs not used: Standing, Samuel, Enckelman. Booked: Boateng, Stone.
Referee: M Riley (Leeds).
