It would be an affront to everything uplifting in football if Chelsea stole the Premier League title from Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson's side score more goals, stir more souls, and parade the Player of the Year in Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese flier has a busy weekend in London. Kings Road, 12.45pm today, to face Petr Cech and 10 men in blue. Park Lane, 6.45pm tomorrow, to face Gordon Taylor and 1,000 men in black-tie as he collects the PFA Player of the Year honours. Not one Chelsea icon made the six-strong shortlist, although Cech and Joe Cole deserved a nod. Ronaldo will win by a landslide. His midweek penalty miss at Barcelona had some critics merrily uncorking bottles of schadenfreude. What myopic nonsense. The wearer of United's magical No 7 shirt has brought such joy to the season that he fully merits all the champagne corks fizzing towards the ceiling of the Grosvenor House ballroom.
The one hope at lunchtime today is that Ronaldo finds a touch of space, a yard on Ashley Cole, to showcase his talent. The world is watching: 203 countries tune in and 611 million homes across the globe enjoy access to live coverage. Industry insiders predict the numbers could soar close to the 1 billion viewer mark because of a kick-off time delighting the Far-East market (accidentally, the Premier League insisted yesterday).
So, as midnight looms in Tokyo, a hush will descend on football-obsessed drinking holes like Castillo, Gaspanic and Geronimo's as ex-pats and locals focus on Ronaldo's joust with Cech and the Coles. Similar scenes will be played out in South Korea and India. The afternoon entertainment is also sorted in South Africa, where Ronaldo's club are deified, where even a former United goalkeeper, Gary Bailey, presents coverage.
United seize the imagination of so many hundreds of millions, from Salford to Soweto and Seoul, because of stars like Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. When asked this week to name the planet's most accomplished performers, Fabio Capello placed Ronaldo and Rooney on a par with Lionel Messi, Kaka, Alexandre Pato and Cesc Fabregas. The Italian's loyalty to AC Milan partly explains mention of San Siro's promising Pato and the slightly out-of-sorts Kaka. Fabregas has lent real creativity to Arsenal's season, while Messi, for all his injury travails, will worry United when Barcelona visit Old Trafford on Tuesday. With a respectful glance towards Rooney and the rest, Ronaldo warrants top billing on Capello's list of luminaries.
Today's collision with Chelsea may highlight one flaw in United's shining armour. Ronaldo, prolific and impressive, and Rooney, particularly, need an attacking accomplice to make their match-day fun complete. The word from within Old Trafford is that substantial transfer funds will be available to Ferguson this summer, although the United manager will be expected to generate some of the revenue by selling. If Ferguson cuts his losses on Louis Saha, everyone on the Stretford End will pray for investment in a fit, hungry, line-leading centre-forward to be supported by Rooney through the middle and Ronaldo from the flanks. The obvious contender is Karim Benzema, the dynamic Lyon striker who terrorised Ferguson's old club, Rangers, in the Champions League. Benzema, though, is expected to end up at Real Madrid, and United cannot compete with Castile's spending power.
If Lyon were to conduct business with anyone in the Premier League it would be with Chelsea, who possess the wealth and the relationship, having done past deals for the likes of Michael Essien, a real threat to United today. Chelsea already boast two out-and-out centre-forwards in Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, although Drogba should move in the summer.
If Drogba puts in a real marauding shift in Chelsea's attack this lunchtime, those United fans who returned from Barcelona in midweek moaning about the lack of a top-class target man will wince again. Ferguson used a winger, Ronaldo, as the forward outlet. Rooney voiced sympathy for the isolated Portuguese, saying: "It was difficult up front on his own." Rooney was positioned out wide - hardly ideal for an attacker who does his best work in the hole.
Someone not a million miles from the England dressing room remarked: "If Fabio played Rooney on the wing, you would slaughter him." With Carlos Tevez dropping deep, Ferguson's defensive system was designed to frustrate Barcelona. The strategy brought a decent 0-0 scoreline. Job done.
United will put on a more assertive face at the Bridge today, and when Barcelona glide into town on Tuesday. Scoring has not been a problem this season, but United are over-reliant on 38-goal Ronaldo, who inflicts most damage from deep. United require someone like Fernando Torres, wedded to Liverpool, or Emmanuel Adebayor, welded to Arsenal. Their rivals have target men, so why not United?
Over the past four years, Ferguson's policy has been to purchase tyros like Ronaldo, Anderson and Nani, but the time may come when he needs an established performer. Dimitar Berbatov's agent keeps indicating his client may leave Tottenham, and the striker could form an advanced station for United attacks, bringing Rooney and Ronaldo into play. Whatever decision Ferguson makes, stick or cash-splashing twist, his emphasis will be on entertainment, and that is why United should be champions, and should be cherished.
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