MARTIN OâNEILL can see Alex Ferguson still prowling the touchline at the ripe old age of 98! http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...ll-still-be-Manchester-United-boss-at-98.html Sunderlandâs boss bristles at suggestions that Fergieâs managerial hunger has been dented by Manchester Cityâs title charge. OâNeill knows the fire still burns deep in the Scotâs psyche â even if arch-rivals City dethrone the Red Devils today. It will hurt the United boss big-time to see Roberto Manciniâs men prancing around with the trophy this afternoon. But, typically, it will just make him even more determined to hit back â and hit back hard. Irishman OâNeill will aim to make it one hell of an unhappy end to the season for 70-year-old Ferguson when Sunderland face United on Wearside today. And the Black Cats boss said: âSir Alex will leave Manchester United when he feels itâs right. It wonât be because of a setback. âTo accuse him of lacking hunger, ambition and determination would be tantamount to heresy. YOU'RE THE BOSS ... O'Neill has hailed Fergie âHe will have that until heâs 98 â and he may still be manager when heâs 98 with five European Cups on top of that. âThose are things the man certainly does not lack. Those setbacks will only serve to make him madder. âWill I still be going at 70? Well, Iâm very fresh for my age. I need to win a couple of matches between now and then, though.â OâNeill knows where it went wrong for United this season as they blew an eight-point lead over their rivals. He added: âSir Alex will be really disappointed by the home draw with Everton. The Wigan game would have been bad enough to lose but to lose a 4-2 advantage against Everton, that would have hurt really badly. âThat result gave City a glimmer of hope and had they closed it out as they would normally, the result at the Etihad wouldnât have mattered that much. Instead, it was a major blow. âEvra hit a post to make it 5-2 and within 90 seconds it was 4-3. That game would have really irritated him.â How the Sunderland chief would love to be lavished with the riches at Manciniâs disposal. Owner Ellis Short is not short of a few bob. But Cityâs billions blow away the American, and pretty much everyone else. Certainly, the thought of Cityâs massive spending in the pursuit of glory makes OâNeill realise what he did as a player with Brian Clough and Nottingham Forest in the 1970âs and 80âs will never be repeated. No team will come up to the top-flight and win the European Cup, like Forest did. OâNeill conceded: âIt would be great if we were to ever be in a position to be real challengers. âThe league itself is harder than ever before. âWho five years ago would have thought that Manchester City would have come from nowhere to be contesting the title on the final day of the season? I donât think any of us did. âWhoâs to say that someone else with very rich owners wonât come in again? âThere might be a levelling out with financial fair play. But if one club averages 75,000 crowds and another 30,000, thereâs still going to be a disparity. âWhether we are capable of challenging, it looks a long way off at the moment. âI think you can argue the case either way as to whether what City have done is good for football but it is what it is. âItâs the way itâs going. Just look at Real Madrid a couple of years ago, £300million in debt until suddenly the council decided to buy the training ground and kept them going. âAnd they have won the championship this year. âI played in the 70s and loved it. Maybe the 60s were the best, it doesnât matter. Those days are gone and they donât look like returning for some time. âThat said, Sunderland have to come to terms with that and try to beat the odds. âThatâs why I talk about hope and ambition because without that you might as well pack in.â What OâNeill needs to do right now is to discover just why his spluttering Mackems have not won since beating QPR on March 24. Big changes are expected this summer and the Stadium of Light boss said: âThe first thing is to speak to the owner within the next couple of weeks. âI think he genuinely sees the potential of the club. âI didnât take the job on any promises of phenomenal backing, I wanted to do the job. But we definitely need to freshen things up.â