2001 Ford Ranger-hard start

My 2001 Ranger has 140K miles, Fuel Injection 3.0 Liter V6. It won't start unless it is cranked for about 7 or 8 seconds. I can turn the ignition to start w/o pushing in the clutch about three times then push in the clutch. It starts reliably after this ritual. My automotive technician said it was the fuel filter. It was time to change it and so I agreed, however this did not resolve the problem. There are no other problems with the operation of the engine. Your help would be greatly appreciated.