Ferguson enjoys sweet riposte

MANCHESTER, England: Sir Alex Ferguson will savor the riposte provided by his players to Rafael Benitez' criticism: a 3-0 win over Chelsea that puts Manchester United in the driving seat in the Premier League title battle could scarcely have been more sweetly timed.

But the Manchester United manager is far too wily an operator to celebrate victory over any adversary prematurely.

So it was not entirely surprising that last week's extraordinary outburst from Benitez was treated by Ferguson as if he were discussing the worryingly erratic behavior of a distant, elderly relative.