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SCMP Reporter

MANCHESTER United's Alex Ferguson is the third most successful manager in English soccer history after winning this year's Premier League title, the club's fourth in five seasons.

 Ferguson, 55, has won seven major titles - four league championships and three FA Cups.

 That total is bettered only by former Manchester United manager Matt Busby and Liverpool's Bob Paisley, who each won nine major trophies.

 Ferguson has won 13 pieces of silverware since his appointment by United in November 1986, including a League Cup, a Cup Winners' Cup, the Super Cup and three Charity Shields.

 His career total is now 23 trophies when his wins with Scottish side Aberdeen are added.

 That surpasses the 20 won by Paisley in a decade at Liverpool.

 Ferguson's only blemish is his failure to win the European Champions' Cup, won by both Busby and Paisley.

 A dark year was 1995 when they finished runners-up to Blackburn in the league and to Everton in the FA Cup final.

 History, however, points to other facts.

 At the dawn of the century, with the Football League still in its infancy, Aston Villa were the team to beat.

 In 1900 Villa won their fourth title in five seasons, and their fifth in seven, with a record points score.

 Yet in 86 seasons since they have won just two further titles.

 So there is hope yet for the challengers to Manchester United. Nothing, in this game, is permanent.

 United do, however, seem likely to maintain their hegemony longer than Villa managed.

 Graeme Souness, who won five championship medals in six years with Liverpool, said: 'To win four out of five is an incredible achievement.

 'The frightening thing is that given their youth and their economic power things are going to be their way for the foreseeable future.'  Maybe, but United have been resilient but not invincible - their 6-3 defeat to Souness' Southampton side was probably the nadir of a season in which they also lost 5-0 to Newcastle and slipped out of the top five for the first time since 1992.

 Nor can it be said that they have bought the title.

 United are one of only two Premier League clubs not to buy during the season - Wimbledon are the other - and of their five summer signings for GBP6.7 million only the two Norwegians, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ronny Johnsen, have made significant contributions.

 Both are young, in keeping with Ferguson's policy of long-term team-building.

 Brothers Gary and Philip Neville in defence, midfielders David Beckham and Nicky Butt and forward Paul Scholes have weaved into the team along with established stars such as Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Gary Pallister, Dennis Irwin, Eric Cantona, Andy Cole and standout goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel  But, perhaps the biggest contribution this season has come from Solskjaer, who was expected to be a bit-part player.

 He was hired for a modest GBP1.5 million from the Norwegian club Molde in one of the quietest transfers in a pre-season of intense activity by managers.

 The 23-year-old striker scored five goals in his first eight games and took his total to 17 with two on Saturday in a 2-2 draw at Leicester and the final goal in a 3-3 draw with Middlesbrough on Monday.



Fergie the fabulous