United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen last week branded Chelsea’s squad as ‘too old’ to win the Premier League title.
“They have tremendous experience with the likes of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, John Terry, Alex, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres – there aren’t any young kids in that team,” Ferguson told Inside United.
“But they don’t have 36 or 37-year-olds like Ryan Giggs. Lampard and Drogba are 33, Anelka is 32 – not dissimilar to (Michael) Carrick and Rio Ferdinand, and we wouldn’t be saying they are dead and buried, would we? So why should they be?
“They’ll still be a big threat and we expect them to challenge.”
United face Chelsea later this month for the first time since Andre Villas-Boas became boss at Stamford Bridge.
“He has a different set-up there to me, but I’m sure he’ll get plenty of advice from others and he’ll do fine. I don’t know much about him,” added Ferguson.
“He’s a young man and it’s a big step coming into the Premier League from the Portuguese championship, but given time and support anything is possible.”
