10 MAN UNITED ARE 90 MINUTES FROM THE TITLE

By ROB BEASLEY

FERGIE LAPS IT UP

MANCHESTER UNITED had 10 heroes and one nutter as they moved to within 90 minutes of retaining their Premier League title.

Nani was sent off for a first-half head-butt on West Ham skipper Lucas Neill but the 10-man champions, with the help of two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, still won 4-1 at Old Trafford.

That puts them three points clear of Chelsea with one game left. A win at Wigan next Sunday will clinch the first leg of a double and boss Alex Ferguson said: "It's been a great day for us."

Manchester United 4, West Ham 1: Click here for full match report and pictures

He is so convinced the Premier League title race is over he sent his double-chasing side on a lap of honour.



He is already in party mood and grabbed a microphone at the end of the match to address United's biggest crowd of the season, 76,013, in triumphant fashion.

Champions He roared: "The effort of our players this season has been absolutely fantastic.

"And Tuesday (the Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona) was one of my greatest experiences. So go and enjoy yourselves in Moscow — and hopefully next weekend!"

The United faithful roared their approval and saluted skipper Rio Ferdinand and his side as they lapped the pitch — reserving the biggest cheer for Cristiano Ronaldo.

His double against West Ham put the Portuguese winger on 40 goals for the season, with 30 of them coming in the league.

And bullish Ronaldo is determined that United do not blow the title now.

He said: "It has been a great season and we are in a good position — in the final of the Champions League and if we win one more game we are champions.

"So it is a spectacular season and we have to be champions."

And Fergie was quick to echo the adulation of the United fans.

He said: "Forty goals — not many players can do that today. He's had a fantastic season.

"The boy is improving all the time and he also shows his courage. There was a terrible tackle on him from behind today.

Wizard "But he keeps getting up and playing on and you have to applaud that."

A buoyant Fergie is also ready to congratulate the long-serving Ryan Giggs, 34, who is poised to overtake Sir Bobby Charlton's United appearances record

Giggs is now just one behind Sir Bobby's total of 758 games for United.

And the Welsh wing wizard could top it by playing in the Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow on May 21 and in United's last league outing at Wigan next Sunday.

Fergie gave the broadest of hints Giggs will feature at some stage at the JJB Stadium and in the Russian capital to achieve the landmark record.

Asked what were Giggs' prospects of beating Charlton's record, Fergie grinned: "Yes there's a good chance, a very good chance."

Giggs said: "I'm more concerned about winning the Premiership and then the Champions League.

"Personal achievements don't mean a lot to me while I'm still playing — they're something to look back on in the future.

"But obviously, if it does happen I will be very proud. It will be a great honour."

Amid the carnival atmosphere, though, there was one United player in the doghouse.

And that was Portuguese winger Nani, 21, who was sent off after head-butting West Ham captain Lucas Neill.

Retaliated Nani departed eight minutes before half-time with United 3-1 up after Ronaldo's double and Carlos Tevez's 30-yard rocket had preceded Dean Ashton's spectacular overhead kick.

He reacted wildly after Neill appeared to provoke him by sneakily pinching him.

But that will not save Nani from Fergie's infamous hairdryer treatment.

For once, the United boss had no complaints about the decision.

He said: "I don't think the referee had any option. The linesman gave it because Nani has retaliated.

"He showed his immaturity but he will learn from it. So no complaints. We will deal with it."

But West Ham totally failed to take advantage of the extra man.

In fact, 10-man United increased their lead to 4-1 after the interval as Hammers old boy Michael Carrick's deflected effort flew past Rob Green.

To ship another showed just how woeful the visitors were in a match that meant nothing to them. It all means United can now relax and watch how title rivals Chelsea respond at St James' Park tomorrow.

But Fergie is not bothered about the Blues any more.

He claimed: "I'm not interested in what Chelsea do now it's down to us. Chelsea have been talking as if it easier up there but we know that's not true.

"I have no fears about that and I'm sure Newcastle will do their job honestly — the same as West Ham did their job honestly."

That reference to West Ham, will prompt guffaws in many quarters with Hammers' resistance lasting just three minutes.

That's how long it took Ronaldo to expose some truly awful defending with the visitors only having themselves to blame for three of United's four goals.

Ducked The conspiracy theorists will certainly have a field day after West Ham boss Alan Curbishley's controversial comments about United and Ferguson which so angered Chelsea chief Avram Grant

Especially as Curbishley disappointingly ducked the opportunity to clarify his comments after the game — sending assistant Mervyn Day to the Press conference instead.



Day did his best to clear his boss of all charges but it would have been far better coming from the man himself.

He said: "Alan has tried to qualify his comments and if I can paraphrase slightly, he feels that Manchester United would feel they were unlucky if they didn't win the League given that they have been so dominant and so far in front for such a period of time

"I don't think he said he wanted them to win.

"He wasn't talking about raising a glass to United — the whole essence of that piece was about Alex Ferguson and what a good job he's done over a lengthy period of time.

"Alan thinks an awful lot of Sir Alex but we are all professionals — and all of that goes out of the window when you cross the white line."

A Chelsea defeat at Newcastle tomorrow or a United win at Steve Bruce's Wigan next week will seal United's 17th title - and few would back against that now.

Newcastle 0 Chelsea 2
Liverpool 1 Man City 0
Arsenal 1 Everton 0
Aston Villa 0 Wigan 2
Blackburn 3 Derby 1
Bolton 2 Sunderland 0
Fulham 2 Birmingham 0
Man Utd 4 West Ham 1
M'brough 2 Portsmouth 0
Reading 0 Tottenham 1
Chelsea 3 Liverpool 2
Man Utd 1 Barcelona 0