Fantastic four back in action for season

Veterans Ferdinand, Giggs, Lampard and Terry are still vital to their teams.

The first heavyweight clash of the new Premier League season is likely to set the tone for the entire campaign.

Chelsea face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday evening after a close season in which the focus has been on the two managers.

Jose Mourinho, returning to Chelsea after his spells at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, set the cat among the pigeons with his audacious bid for star striker Wayne Rooney.

David Moyes, already facing a nigh-on impossible task in replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, has had his bedding-in period dominated by Rooney’s future.

There are those who say that Mourinho has been playing mind games, and that he would never have “tried it on” with Sir Alex.

But it’s what happens on the field that counts now.

And the result of Monday’s game will give the clearest indication yet whether Fergie’s retirement and the Special One’s return have shifted the balance of power.

Much is bound to change at any club with the appointment of a new manager.

But Moyes and Mourinho have one thing in common.

They’ll both be relying on their tried and trusted stalwarts this season.

For Moyes, that means placing his faith in Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand.

For Mourinho, it means that once again, he’ll turn to John Terry and Frank Lampard.

Between the four of them, they’ve won 25 Premier League titles along with 13 FA Cup, 10 League Cup and five Champions League medals.

Players come and go at huge global powerhouses like United and Chelsea. Others are flavour of the month at various times.

But the backbone of both clubs is the winning mentality and sheer consistency of this quartet, who are 141 years old between them.

Giggs, who’ll be 40 in November, has been given some coaching responsibilities under Moyes’s new regime, with a view to him moving into that side of the game when he finally hangs up his boots.

Moyes is keen to retain as much of the Ferguson-inspired winning mentality as possible and sees the Welshman’s contribution on and off the field as crucial this season.

Ferdinand has just had his testimonial to mark his 10 years at Old Trafford and, despite a well-publicised back condition, he was still United’s best defender last season and signed a new contract in May.

He has officially retired from England duty to help prolong his club career. While he may not always be able to play two games in quick succession, he’ll probably be first choice for the major matches.

At Chelsea, the long-running saga concerning Frank Lampard’s future was ended over the summer when he signed a new one-year deal.

Mourinho is said to have been desperate to keep the midfielder, who broke the club’s goalscoring record last season.

The manager will have been influential in persuading the club to keep Lampard and also in convincing the player himself not to take up offers from America.

Lampard’s scoring powers look undiminished with age and his reunion with the manager who did so much to bring out his talents promises a glorious swansong.

John Terry had an injury-interrupted season last time round and, like Ferdinand, needs careful management in terms of how often he plays.

But he’s still Chelsea’s most intelligent defender, his will to win is unquestionable and his leadership skills vital.

Some might consider the four to be dinosaurs of a Premier League populated by younger, speedier, “sexier” players, but it’s a good bet the medal total will have risen by May.