Alex Ferguson insists retirement is the last thing on his mind as he savors his 10th Premier League title at the helm of Manchester United. Pushed to the wire by Chelsea, United were crowned champions of England for the 17th time in the club's history after a 2-0 win over Wigan and few would bet against them drawing level with Liverpool's 18 titles at the end of next season.
Ferguson turns 67 on December 31 and there has been speculation he could opt to go out on a high if his players beat Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow on May 21.
But as Ferguson celebrated victory, the Scot insisted nothing could be further from his mind.
"Retire? That wife of mine just bullies me, so she'd throw me out of the door at seven o'clock in the morning! So that's a definite no," he said.
"I am proud to have survived for so long, but it is easier for me than the rest because I am at such a great club. How would I be without this? Please tell me."
Ferguson believes the euphoria of the league triumph can carry his side to glory in Moscow. "The great thing is we are bouncing into the final," he said.
"If we had lost the title at Wigan, it would have been difficult because when we lost the title at West Ham in 1995, we went into the FA Cup final and we were dead.
"The team was flat the following Saturday and we lost 1-0 against Everton. But we are not dead this time - we are alive.
"But we are relaxed about it now. Cup finals are supposed to be difficult an
yway and it won't be easy, but there is a good feel about this team." Chelsea boss Avram Grant paid generous tribute to Ferguson's achievement. "He is a great manager and a great person," the Israeli said. "It is amazing what he did."
But the man who succeeded Jose Mourinho in the Chelsea hotseat last September insisted his players could bounce back in time for the showdown in Russia. "It is a game we have been dreaming about being in," he said. "When you come to the final you want to win."
Cristiano Ronaldo, with a first-half penalty, and Ryan Giggs, on the day he equalled Bobby Charlton's record of 758 United appearances, were United's match-winners.
Even if they had beaten Bolton, Chelsea would have lost out to United on goal difference.
As it turned out, Kevin Davies' last- minute equalizer earned Bolton a draw at Stamford Bridge after Andriy Shevchenko had kept Chelsea hopes alive with his first goal since December 26.
At the other end of the table, Danny Murphy's 75th-minute strike gave Fulham a 1-0 win at Portsmouth that secured the club's top-flight status.
Fulham's survival came at the expense of Birmingham , Reading and Derby. Birmingham and Reading went down fighting, beating Blackburn 4-1 and Derby 4-0, respectively. Reading finished level with Fulham on points but were condemned by an inferior goal difference while Birmingham finished a point further back.
Reading boss Steve Coppell admitted he would consider whether he should continue as manager while Birmingham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan are also considering their future after being abused by fans.
Arsenal, who won 1-0 at Sunderland thanks to a Theo Walcott strike, and Liverpool, 2-0 winners at Tottenham, finished third and fourth, respectively, ensuring they will enter the final qualifying round for next season's Champions League.
Everton claimed fifth place and a Uefa Cup spot by beating Newcastle 3-1, thanks to a double from Aiyegbeni Yakubu and a Joleon Lescott strike. Michael Owen scored for Newcastle.
What was almost certainly Sven- Goran Eriksson's last competitive match in charge of Manchester City ended in an ignominious 8-1 thrashing at Middlesbrough. A hat-trick for Brazilian Afonso Alves, two Stewart Downing goals and strikes from Adam Johnson, Fabio Rochemback and Jeremie Aliadiere enabled Boro to finish their season on a high.
Gareth Barry was on the scoresheet in a 2-2 draw at West Ham which ensured that Aston Villa finished sixth.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
