As the landscape for the coming Premier League season begins to take shape, it is notable that a shift in the balance of power appears nigh. At the end of last season it appeared that the near future of Manchester United was clearly mapped out. Having just secured the title, they triumphed over rivals Chelsea in Moscow and all appeared rosy in the Old Trafford garden. 

However, it appears that the most significant occurrence in the Luhzniki Stadium that night was not Sir Alex Ferguson holding the magnificent old trophy aloft for the second time. It was Cristiano Ronaldo’s insistence that all speculation on his future could wait until after Euro 2008. Hindsight is a wonderful tool, but surely if Ronaldo had any designs on staying in Manchester, he would have unequivocally said so and thus consigned the current circus of speculation to the dustbin.  

It seems almost certain now that Ronaldo, by hook or by crook, will be playing his football at the Bernabeu next season. Zinedine Zidane is not wrong when he asserted that when it comes to transfers, the nine-time European champions are rarely left disappointed. He himself is testament to that. 

It will be nigh on impossible to replace the 42-goal Ronaldo short term. Portuguese youngster Nani showed flashes of promise but he, as Ronaldo once was, is more of an uncut diamond. Speculation has linked Manchester United heavily with Dimitar Berbatov, but the hot and cold nature of the Bulgarian’s performances would leave even the most optimistic observers doubting if he could plug the goals gap United will have next season.  

An equally significant departure from Old Trafford may be Ronaldo’s compatriot Carlos Queiroz. With Luiz Felipe Scolari about to take up his post at Chelsea, the Portuguese national side are on the hunt for a replacement. Queiroz would appear to be high on the list, and if approached the lure of leading his country may be too much for him. This would be a bitter blow to Ferguson’s back-room staff. It is significant that in Queiroz’s one-year sabbatical at Real Madrid in 2003-4 United finished third. Ferguson has often gone on record as saying that Queiroz’s coaching skills are of the highest standard.
 
While the current Manchester United position would appear to be weakening, one other club will move heaven and earth to ensure they are strong challengers next season and that club is, of course, Chelsea. Fans have been used to a summer spent stockpiling high-profile additions to the playing staff. Surely, with the appointment of Scolari, little will change on that front. Indeed in securing the services of the mercurial Brazilian, Chelsea now have a world-class manager with dressing-room presence.

Critics of the move will point to Scolari’s lack of experience of the European club scene. But while coaching Portugal he will have scouted many sides and be as well versed as anyone as to the relative merits of the continent’s top players. He will also come with a strong appetite that can only really be satisfied by the involvement of day-to-day management.
 
The early indicators would appear to show the pendulum of Premier League power is swinging ever so slightly back towards west London. At the end of the day, only two points and a penalty separated them from Manchester United.