Chelsea have pulled a masterstroke by replacing Steve Clarke with Ray Wilkins. To have an assistant manager with ties to a club is very important in today's game, especially for the top teams.

Just look at the other big three. Pat Rice is at Arsenal; Sammy Lee's at Liverpool and with all the candidates on offer for Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson decided to plump for Mike Phelan after losing Carlos Queiroz.

In the same way that it's important to have an English spine to the team, it's also key to have someone in the coaching department who has ties to the club.

Ray has just that. Not only was he a Chelsea legend as a player, but he has also filled the assistant manager's role before with Gianluca Vialli so he knows what the club is all about. It has not quite happened for him as a manager. But I believe he is an excellent coach and will have instant respect from the players in much the same way as Clarkey' had.

His knowledge of the game will mean he can have a real input into tactics and help Luiz Felipe Scolari adjust to life in the Premier League. The season has started extremely well for the Chelsea boss and there is no doubt that he has made a real impact on the whole club.

But there will be some tough times ahead and with Ray's knowledge of how the English media works, he will be able to help Scolari avoid the pitfalls that lie in wait.

Ray couldn't have chosen a better first game as Scolari's assistant than United at home this Sunday. This is the perfect time to face the champions as they are not playing well. Last season was no different and yet they still ended up with the two most important trophies.

But Chelsea were in turmoil with Jose Mourinho leaving early on and were unable to capitalise on it. This time around the Blues are a different animal. Thanks to Scolari, the team unity is there. With Frank Lampard signing his contract and in great form and Didier Drogba also staying for another season, they have kept hold of their best players.

On top of that, the acquisitions of Jose Bosingwa and Deco have improved the team even more. Bosingwa has impressed me already and looks to have filled the problem right-back spot.
But all the plaudits have gone to Deco and rightly so. Eyebrows were raised when he was signed amid worries that his hunger may have gone and age wasn't on his side. But no one can argue that he's been the best performer in the Premier League so far and rightly won the player of the month for August.

He and Lampard will be key for the Blues on Sunday. With Michael Carrick out injured, Cristiano Ronaldo only just coming back from his ankle operation, Dimitar Berbatov finding his feet and Nemanja Vidic suspended, Chelsea have a great chance to land a big blow.

I still believe the winners of this season's title will be one of these two teams and having watched their last two games, Chelsea are on a different level at the moment. Against Liverpool and Villarreal, United looked sluggish and bereft of ideas. Chelsea, on the other hand, have been very impressive.

Coming back from a goal down at Manchester City, they looked as if they could have scored four or five if they had needed to. And on Tuesday, they played against a Bordeaux side that had looked as if it had been on the wine.

It was the perfect match. Four goals scored, none conceded and no one having to really play at 100 per cent. It will be interesting to see if Drogba will start now he is fit. Nicolas Anelka has scored three goals so far this season but doesn't carry the same physical threat as the Ivorian. My bet is that Drogba will start on the bench, though.

The match is, of course, not a title decider but if Chelsea win and go nine points ahead, even with United having a game in hand, Sir Alex Ferguson's team will not be able to afford to drop many more points, especially with the Blues in such fine form.

Chelsea should be positive and go all out for the win and I believe they will do so because United are there for the taking.