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Money talks in football, and no more so than in the English Premiership, awash with cash from attendances, merchandising, TV rights and impossibly-rich chairmen. The wealth (or not) of clubs has been a major factor for success on the field in recent years, and this season is no exception, Manchester United and Chelsea sprinting away from the pack with more than half the season over.

Manchester United, with an average gate of over 75,000 and millions from sponsorship contracts and kit sales, have established over time an all-round quality squad, from the safety of Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van de Saar, through the undoubtedly talented (if irregular) central defender Rio Ferdinand, to the re-born Paul Scholes in midfield and the brilliant match-winners Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo up front, not to mention the now veteran but always dangerous Ryan Giggs. It’s not just any club that could afford to attract such players, and it’s not just any that could afford to keep them.

While the northerners have built up their base over a number of years, Chelsea have been transformed almost overnight into a powerhouse in the English game; ever since, in fact, the arrival at Stamford Bridge in June 2003 of Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich (considered the richest Russian in the world in 2006) and super-coach José Mourinho, along with a bag-full of top-class, highly expensive players. There are those in England who are unhappy with clubs producing ‘instant’ teams in this way. They argue that it’s unfair competition for the lesser clubs in the league, and that flashing cheque-books does not allow young English players to come through the ranks. But there is no law against it (yet!), and at least Chelsea (and especially the influential Portuguese Mourinho) have been able to mould these players (the disappointing Shevchenko is the exception that proves the rule) into exceptional teams, unlike, for example, Spanish giants Real Madrid, whose pricey Galácticos have been able to produce anything but stellar football this season. Which just goes to show that money alone is not everything … although it can certainly help.

There is a side-bet rivalry between Manchester United and Chelsea, too: Which team is going to have the Player of the Year? There are two stand-out candidates so far: Chelsea’s Ivory Coast international striker Didier Drogba, the scorer of some absolutely sensational goals, and Manchester United’s incredibly versatile Portuguese winger/striker Cristiano Ronaldo. When the latter was involved in the sending-off of English international Wayne Rooney in the 2006 World Cup, the British tabloid press was out for his blood and warned that the player would be booed off the pitch in every game this season, and Cristiano Ronaldo himself seemed worried about the reception he would get, to the point of saying he wanted to leave Old Trafford. But he has silenced his critics with his stunning dribbling, shooting, headingand all-round form. He’s proved a constant headache for opponents … and he’s still only 21.

If the Premiership looks like being a two-horse race, the Scottish Premier League (SPL) has long since had just one pedigree pony trotting comfortably out in front: Gordon Strachan’s Celtic, who have built up a massive 17-point lead over ‘Old Firm’ rivals Rangers with just over half the season gone. In fact the most interesting contest north of the border will surely be for the runners-up place: Rangers, the resurgent Aberdeen and Hearts are on 39, 38 and 37 points respectively.

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