Oldies have been golden for Fergie

TEAMtalk feels Sir Alex Ferguson may have been a little short-sighted by claiming Chelsea's squad is 'too old' to win the Premier League title.

The Manchester United boss has been well served by a string of players over the years, who many might have argued have long since passed their playing heyday.

Teddy Sheringham is the first player who comes to mind.

He is swiftly followed by Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar and Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes and Roy Keane.

And, well, lots more, in fact.

It is not difficult to come up with an entire team of Manchester United greats who arguably produced some of their best football when they had passed the grand old age of 30.

They would provide ammunition if Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to return some verbal bullets after Ferguson indulged in the first salvo of his usual pre-season mind games.

"They (Chelsea) are an experienced side," said Ferguson. "I'm not saying necessarily that they're old because with the modern-day training methods, you should be playing in your thirties.

"What I'm saying is that I don't see outstanding progress coming from a team that's in their thirties."

What he was really saying was that Chelsea go for quick-fix, ready-made, big-name, big-money solutions in their bid to deliver the ultimate prize for billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.

And United build dynasties with an emphasis on hunger, energy and the zest of youth.

That is true to a point, especially when teenage footballers with the talent of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, the Neville brothers and Nicky Butt were all tripping off the same academy conveyor belt.

But football is about balance. And some of Ferguson's most cherished moments have come courtesy of footballers who were well into their fourth decade.

Sheringham is the prime example.

Who could forget his contribution to the United cause in 1999, the year they won their famous treble?

Not only did Sheringham help the side win the Premier League trophy at the age of 33, he also scored one of United's two goals in their FA Cup final triumph.

And four days later the striker whose pace was all between his ears scored that dramatic stoppage-time equaliser against Bayern Munich in Barcelona which allowed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to grab the winner and deliver Ferguson's first Champions League trophy.

The fact is that under Ferguson's guidance Sheringham, at 30-plus, played some of the best football of his career, being voted Player of the Year by both the PFA and the Football Writers Association.

But Ferguson's preference for the last of the winter wine does not stop there.

He indulged Keane way past his 30th birthday, recognising the influence his enforcer in chief could have on the youngsters around him. Many would say Keane even outstayed his usefulness at Old Trafford.

But United's history under Ferguson is full of men whose maturity has been vital to the cause.

Denis Irwin was still going strong as an overlapping full-back at the age of 36. Gary Neville is still England's best full-back at 33 while you could argue the best central defensive partnership of Ferguson's reign was the mature Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister, who delivered the club's first Premier League title.

The list goes on. Giggs and Scholes have been told that they will be gently phased out over the next couple of seasons and it is true they can no longer surge forward with quite the exuberance of old.

Ferguson retains them, however, because he understands European football demands a wily, considered approach in contrast to the gung-ho frenzy of the Premier League.

And while goalkeepers do not operate under the same rules as outfield players, experience often outpointing youthful athleticism, Van der Sar is 38 in October and showing few signs of decline.

It is also easy to remember the dynamic qualities Bryan Robson took deep into his thirties and his influence on those around him was the equal of Keane's a decade down the line.

Ferguson was also happy to play Mark Hughes as his main striker at 32 while Eric Cantona was a week short of his 31st birthday before deciding he had tired of football.

The conclusion is obvious.

Whatever Ferguson says, age is no barrier. It is balance that counts.

My top United thirty-somethings XI under Ferguson (age at which last played for United in brackets): Peter Schmeichel (35), Denis Irwin (36), Steve Bruce (35), Gary Pallister (33), Gary Neville (33), Ryan Giggs (34), Paul Scholes (33), Bryan Robson (37), Roy Keane (34), Eric Cantona (30), Teddy Sheringham (35). Subs: Edwin van der Sar (37), Mark Hughes (32), Brian McClair (35), Viv Anderson (34).