After two years of supremacy it seems that Manchester United are now the kings of English football. Is this down simply to in fighting at Chelsea? Or has Sir Alex got the upper hand in the war of attrition in English football?

When the season kicked off last August there were few who predicted that Jose Mourinho’s men would relinquish their grasp on the Premiership trophy, especially given the excitement generated by the signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack (two players who have seen Chelsea take a big step back in the title race).

If you look at the teams on a head-to-head basis, I think that it is clear that United have bridged the gap. Chelsea’s purchases in the summer have not furthered their cause - more likely pegged them back.

In terms of the comings and goings at both clubs since Chelsea lifted the trophy last season, it is clear that the Blues have lost out big time. Out went Damien Duff, who could have come in handy when injuries restricted Jose’s options on the wings, and William Gallas, who would have filled in admirably when John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho were unavailable. Eidur Gudjohnsen's move to Barcelona is another that has hindered Chelsea this season - his goals would have taken the pressure off Didier Drogba, who has been under pressure to come up with all of Chelsea’s forward firepower (especially given Shevchenko’s paltry league return).

Those who arrived at Stamford Bridge were at best unnecessary and at worst destructive. Ashley Cole seems a shadow of his former self since his controversial move from Arsenal, while Khalid Boulahrouz seems to bumble through the games he has started (making Robert Huth look almost godlike in comparison).

I don't think there is a football fan on the planet who would say the signings of Ballack and Shevchenko have been anything less than disastrous. However, in saying that it is quite possible that these two will improve; they are, after all, world-class players. One capture has been nothing short of a total success is that of Soloman Kalou, who has impressed me greatly and I feel that in time his pairing with Drogba will reap rewards.

United, on the other hand, have had a much quieter time on the transfer front. When Ruud van Nistelrooy left for Real Madrid, I am sure that many Old Trafford fans felt the season would be a disaster; he was, after all, their bread-and-butter striker who guaranteed a wealth of goals every season. However, they have coped manfully without him and the adding of Michael Carrick to the team has helped plug the gap in the midfield. He has also grown into a quality player.

Now when you place the two best team-sheets side by side (invariably not the line-ups that will be on show in the Premiership battle, but more likely the sides that will fight it out for the FA Cup Final), I think that United win it by a nose (a red nose perhaps, given Sir Alex’s ever distinctive conk). If you were to make a composite team out of the bags of talent available from the two squads, more likely it would be filled with more Reds than Blues, although not so disproportionate as the PFA Team of the Year, which included eight Reds out of the final 11).

There is no doubting that Chelsea have a mass of world-class talent and that they have an inspirational manager. But maybe United have more of a ‘team’. This is the only conclusion one can make, given that the Premiership trophy is on its way up the M1 to Old Trafford.

Maybe Jose (or his successor) will have to dip ever deeper into Roman’s pockets in order to claw back the gap, or maybe more motivation is needed from all parts of the Chelsea team. And not just those who wear their hearts on their sleeves like Terry, Frank Lampard and Drogba.

Sir Alex, it seems, only needs to tweak his side, maybe adding a striker or an experienced centre back to his already dominant team.

Who do you think has the better chance of success next season? Has the pendulum really swung in favour of Man United, or have we just seen a Chelsea blip? Place a comment below or write an article.