Ferguson can't wait for qualifiers to end

Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced the Barclays Premier League title race will really start to take shape once the battle to reach Euro 2008 is over.

The Manchester United boss has seen his team record six successive wins after an initially slow start to the season - a run which has sent them flying into second spot in the table, just behind early pace-setters Arsenal.

Ferguson is hoping the current two-week break does not halt United's momentum before their trip to Aston Villa on October 20.

But the Red Devils chief is also aware it will not be long before he is losing his players again for a November double-header, during which qualification places for next summer's European Championships in Austria and Switzerland will be confirmed.

Only after that does Ferguson really feel the championship battle will begin to take shape.

'Most clubs, not just United, are finding it difficult to keep the continuity going when you lose your players for two weeks at a time,' he said.

'It is important for the national teams, so you have to support it. But the advantage is that there is a clear run after November.'

England do have a confirmed friendly against France in March and are also expected to announce a February meeting with Switzerland in February, so the international diversions are not over for Ferguson just yet.

But non-competitive midweek internationals in the spring do not bring the same problems as the mass call-ups at present, which leave Ferguson with hardly any players to work with.

'There is a stupid friendly week in March, but I assume it will be limited teams because you are talking about a really important time of the season for league clubs,' added the United boss.

'Once this next international break is out of the road in November, there is a run to the end of the season. It will help with the consistency.'