By Tom Gard

BARELY half way through the season and the race for the Premiership is already a procession with, surprise surprise, Manchester United at its head.

Season after season the pundits talk up the chances of a handful of challengers, only for Alex Ferguson's men to go from strength to strength. Is it already time for Arsenal, Leeds, Chelsea and Liverpool to throw in the towel and concentrate on breaking United's monopoly next season?

Of course, it is only January and of course miracles do occasionally happen, but the gulf between the best and the rest seems to have widened rather than narrowed this time round.

Depressing though it is, especially if you're a Leeds or Liverpool fan, it's hard not to watch in wonder when United are in full flow. The job for any pretenders to the crown is to emulate United's consistency, something others all failed to do so far.

Arsenal are still best placed to halt the United bandwagon should it slow down, but they will not do it unless they transform their away form. They have won just twice on their travels.

There is no doubt Leeds are building a very exciting side. However, European heroics asides, they have been frustratingly inconsistent this season as they have struggled to accommodate key players returning from injury and new arrivals Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Keane.

Liverpool look to be getting close to a squad that can match United's though their form is still inconsistent - brilliant one week, indifferent the next. 

Chelsea's foreign experiment continues, although it's interesting that Ranieri says he wants his side to have a British spine, just like United. However, without a single win away, their spine seems a little exposed, when not at the Bridge.

United's class is not really due to their fat cheque book. Moreover it comes from team spirit, an insatiable appetite to win, world class players and most importantly a brilliant manager.

Alex Ferguson steps down at the end of next season. Could this be the chink in the Old Trafford armour the challengers have been waiting for?

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