Ferguson will come face-to-face with Villas-Boas on 18 September
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says he believes Chelsea will be challenging for honours next season under new coach Andre Villas-Boas.
Villas-Boas, 33, was appointed in June and Ferguson expects the Portuguese to fight United hard for the title.
“It is a big step for Chelsea and an enormous challenge,” said Ferguson. “But he knows the club and has been there before, that’s an advantage.
“We expect Chelsea to be challenging for honours again.”
Villas-Boas was a surprise appointment at Stamford Bridge in June, the former FC Porto coach taking over from Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked at the end of last season.
I was 32 when I started but I was managing a wee team in Scotland
Man Utd boss Sir Alex Ferguson
Villas-Boas, who led Porto to a league, cup and Europa League treble last season – his first campaign in charge at the Estadio do Dragao – was in Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff when the Real Madrid boss was in charge at Chelsea from 2004-07.
Ferguson, who led his team to yet another Premier League title in May, added: “He has a very experienced bunch of players there and for a young manager having to go to a club of that size, experienced players are a help to him.
“It is a strong possibility that he will have enough staff to overcome that type of move.”
Ferguson’s first job in management was at Scottish side East Stirling in the 1970s when he was the same age as Villas-Boas, the Glaswegian collecting only £40-per-week having been employed on a part-time basis.
But he said their careers were nothing like the same: “I was 32 when I started but I was managing a wee Second Division team in Scotland.
“All I had was a physio. I has no assistant manager or anything like that. He also has the advantage, irrespective of his age, of having the staff he wants to have.”
Chelsea meet Manchester United for the first time next season when they play in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Sunday 18 September.