Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United stars take it easy as they aim for the flag in the title race

He thanked his wife for changing his mind, revealing with a wry smile that it was the only time he had been 'bullied' in his life.

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But it is moments like this that remind him how right Cathy was. Moments like this that, even at 66, give him the adrenaline rush he so craves.

God created Ferguson for the situation he faces as Manchester United manager over the next 12 days.

The closest end to a title race in years, followed by a Champions League Final with the same Chelsea side who have somehow taken United to the wire.

Was his bum squeaky ahead of tomorrow's trip to Wigan, someone dared ask.

'Me?' he replied incredulously. 'Does it look like it?'

He looked well in his shorts and flip-flops. Calm, confident and as cunning as ever, dropping his Bolton grenade during the televised section of his Press conference for maximum impact. It was classic Ferguson.

A premeditated attack from a man who employs just about every tactic to gain an advantage.

Not until he was reminded of the fact that he could have been sitting among the spectators at the JJB Stadium tomorrow did a slight crack appear in that Clydebridge Steel facade.

'Sometimes, when I think about that, it doesn't sit easy with me,' he said. 'I don't know how I would feel watching today, sat in the directors' box. It would have been difficult. This is a fantastic team. I like them.'

It was because he liked them so much, because he could see the potential in the precocious talent he had recruited, that any further thoughts of retirement were instantly expelled.

But back in January 2002 it was the woman behind the great man who had the vision and could see how unhappy her workaholic husband would be if he handed his team over to someone else. That someone else, remarkable as it now seems, being Sven Goran Eriksson.

'The decision was taken because my wife told me I wasn't resigning,' he said. 'It's the only time I've ever been bullied.'

Thanks to the bully in Mrs Ferguson, Mr Ferguson has the opportunity to take the second major step in what amounts to another golden era of his Old Trafford reign — a 10th Premier League title, after the ninth he won last season, and a second European Cup.

Given how much harder it now is to dominate English football, the Double would probably amount to his greatest achievement.

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Not least, as Ferguson acknowledged, because major trophies are so much more difficult to come by than they were in 1999.

'You won seven of the first nine Premier League titles but only two of the last six,' someone pointed out. 'Failure!' barked Ferguson.

There was a barren spell of three seasons that were memorable for Arsenal's 'invincibles' and Jose Mourinho's turbulent tenure at Chelsea.

But Ferguson knew his time would come again. He knew that in Ronaldo, Rooney and Ferdinand he had the makings of another championship winning team.

'The manager is the only one who has the patience,' he said. 'The supporters don't have it. You people don't have it. You have to have the conviction to make the decisions and stand easy.

'At this club you can't have doubts, because you know there's an expectation that you have to deliver. Managing change, whether it's in sport or business, is the most difficult thing to do. Some people become a huge part of your club, players like Butt, Neville, Keane. You wish they could play until they were 50 but time catches up with everyone.'

Except Ferguson, it would seem.

'There will never be another like him,' said Steve Bruce, the former United captain and now manager of the Wigan side that stand between Ferguson and that 10th title.

'You can't bottle it and you can't explain it. He is a magnificent leader of men, but there is more to him than even that. It is just something he was born with.'

That said, things do not always go exactly to plan, notably in 1995, when failure to win at West Ham allowed Blackburn to lose at Liverpool and still emerge as champions.

He must realise his team will need to win tomorrow as Chelsea should beat Bolton at Stamford Bridge.

'I told you all back in December that we should not dismiss them,' he said. 'But I trust my players and I'll let them get on with it.'

He then tried to make light of what, for his team far more so than for Chelsea, is an immense amount of pressure.

'I said at the beginning of the season that I thought it would go to the wire and I'm sorry I did,' he said. 'But it's glorious for Sky. I told David Gill (United's chief executive) he had sold the product too cheaply. This is the most exciting league in the world.'

Which is exactly why he is still here.