4. The Events Of Last Season
There's no denying it. The events of last season will have cut Sir Alex Ferguson through to the bone. Not only did he watch his side get battered by Man City 6-1 at Old Trafford, but he also faced the ignominy of seeing his side exit at the group stages of the Champions League for only the third time in his two decade reign. A season that also ended without a single trophy was capped off by a last-gasp Sergio Aguero goal against QPR that saw the title head to the Blue, not Red half of Manchester. There's no questioning that he will be determined not to let that happen to his side again, and that has been reflected in his approach this season. He took the Champions League Group Stages a lot more seriously this term, instead of playing experimental starting XI's as he did when his team were knocked out in 2011, and when he has sniffed blood in the water, like a predatory shark he has gobbled up his prey. When Man City were shockingly defeated 3-1 by Southampton,
Ferguson admitted he took the opportunity to play a stronger side against Everton in his game-in-hand than he would have done had City won, with a Champions League tie against Real Madrid on the horizon. It paid off as well as United prevailed 2-0 to move 12 points clear of City at the top of the table, capitalising fully on their slip up. Ferguson hasn't let any opportunities pass him by this season and that's just one of the reasons why his side are top.