MANCHESTER, England (AFP) - Sir Alex Ferguson has urged his Manchester United players to hold their nerve as the race for the Premiership title hots up.
United face a tricky away game at Tottenham on Sunday by which time their lead at the top of the table could be reduced to just three points should second-placed Chelsea emerge triumphant from the London derby with struggling Charlton on Saturday.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is confident his reigning champions can overtake United in the closing weeks of the season and he has pointed to the return of influential England defender John Terry from injury this weekend as a key moment in the campaign.
Ferguson admits Chelsea still pose a big threat to his club winning the title for the first time in four years, but the United manager believes his players will cross the finishing line in pole position three months from now.
"We should expect a hard game every match we play now," the United boss said Friday at his weekly press briefing. "There´s no point thinking you´re going to get any easy points because we won´t get them. It´s as simple as that.
"We´ve got to be ready for the difficult tasks and the challenges. That´s what winning the championship is all about.
"We´re not looking for favours off anyone and we´re not expecting any easy games.
"The matter lies with us. The players are enjoying their football and I´m enjoying watching them. I think they want to continue playing that way. A challenge is a challenge and we´ve got to accept challenges at this football club.
"But there´s a general enthusiasm about the place and a team spirit which encourages me to think we can handle the situation."
Ferguson, who has reported no fresh injuries ahead of his side´s trip to White Hart Lane, has seen his side slip up in their last two away games in the Premiership. They lost at Arsenal after being held to a draw at mid-table Newcastle.
But the Scot is confident there will not be too many more setbacks as his players focus on the prize that is theirs for the taking.
"I think we´ve had our blip," he added. "West Ham away was our blip while losing at Arsenal after being 1-0 up with nine minutes to go was a blip.
"But if we can keep the level of consistency that we have shown then we have a good chance.
"It´s fair to say our away games are tough. We´ve probably got harder away games than Chelsea.
"But analysing all the away games is pointless really. We know we have a tough game on Sunday and if we get through that one then it´s one out of the way.
"Games against Tottenham over the years have normally been entertaining fixtures. There used to be some quite high scoring games. But the last two or three seasons have not been that way - they have been quite low-scoring."
Ferguson praised Michael Carrick´s contribution as the England midfielder prepares to make his first return to Tottenham since moving to Old Trafford in an 18-million-pound (35 million dollars) deal last summer.
United fans have only just begun to be convinced that Carrick was worth the money, but Ferguson has always offered the player strong backing.
"He´s improving. He´s strong too. We have seen that physical development in the lad. We´re seeing a player who is in his mid-twenties and is showing good maturity," said Ferguson.
"He´s an absolutely sensational passer of the ball. You should pick players for what they can do rather than what they can´t do. If they can create goalscoring opportunities then that´s a plus point for us and that´s why we bought him.
"He was absolutely brilliant against Arsenal - one of the best midfield displays of the season."