While Aston Villa, Leeds United and Liverpool would like to believe they are capable of taking domestic football's blue riband, more and more the clues offered by the Premiership point to a reduced field of genuine contenders: United, Chelsea and Arsenal.
Perhaps it would not be a bad thing if United were to underscore again the north's general dominance for, rather improbably, it could just be that the nation is now finally ready to dispense with its crass and petty prejudices and draw heartily to its bosom a truly marvellous team.
Ferguson's team is mesmerising when in the mood - and so it should be. His greatest achievement has been to assemble a squad of rare quality, one which until the Bosman waves of discontent begin to wash around his feet, will be content to live with financial restraints which would prompt petulant foot-stamping at many other clubs.
United now play away much as they do at home, drawing strength from the vitriol of their detractors, revelling in the animosity stirred by their superior technique and then basking in the applause which is not quite so begrudgingly offered these days.
Leicester usually perform well against them but this time they were battered and then broken. Weakened fatally by the absence of Matt Elliott, Frank Sinclair and Emile Heskey, Martin O'Neill's side were overwhelmed even if their contribution should not be overlooked.
Having shipped four goals by the 65th minute they should really have given up, but they did not and after Steve Walsh had fortuitously deflected in their second goal, anything seemed possible in the game's dying moments.
Until, that was, Dwight Yorke completed the first hat-trick of his United career, volleying home gleefully after his partner Andy Cole had seen his shot come back into play off the bar.
It is the consistency of the Yorke-Cole axis which threatens to take United to even higher ground. They were superb, particularly in the second half, when Leicester's adventure constantly gnawed at their common sense.
Although Theo Zagorakis's magnificent drive had drawn Leicester level after Denis Irwin set up Yorke for the game's opener, United were only rarely troubled.
Two sublime finishes by Cole and Yorke's second strike, all in a breathtaking 14 minutes, curtailed the arguments and at the death there was even room for Jaap Stam's first goal for United.
Regulars at this quaint but ageing ground should savour days like this for, if those who suck on fat cigars in Leicester's boardroom believe O'Neill's continued presence can be taken for granted, then there is still room for romance and fantasy in British football.
He will not stay at Leicester forever and it will be heavy defeats like this which eventually convince him that, if he is to emulate the likes of Ferguson, he must endure the painful process of put ting himself, not others, first.
Leicester: Keller, Ullathorne, Walsh, Taggart, Kaamark (Campbell 71), Zagorakis, Lennon, Izzet, Guppy, Cottee (Fenton 89), Wilson (Parker 71). Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Oakes. Booked: Walsh, Lennon. Goals: Zagorakis 35, Walsh 73.
Manchester United: Schmeichel, Brown (Neville 45), Stam, Berg, Irwin, Blomqvist, Beckham, Keane, Giggs, Cole, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Johnsen, Scholes, Solskjaer. Booked: Keane, Blomqvist. Goals: Yorke 10, Cole 49, 61, Yorke 63, 84, Stam 90.
Referee: S Dunn (Bristol).
