Sir Alex Is Cautious As Redknapp Predicts Manchester United Quintuple

Champions of the World, Champions of Europe, Champions of England, Carling Cup Winners and FA Cup winners, Manchester United have won them all. But never in one season, it's impossible right? Or is it?

Sir Alex Ferguson insists it will take a freakish run of good luck for it to happen and that's not an unreasonable statement to make. Harry Redknapp, however, is prepared to put his money on Manchester United ending the season with the quintuplet all done and dusted, five trophies safely locked away in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.

Sunday's penalty shoot-out win over Spurs in the League Cup final means United now have two of the five won, and three are left out there to win.

It's in the next ten days that things could happen to bring the quintuple to within grasping distance.

Since Rafa had his rant about Fergie back in December, Liverpool went pear shaped and self capitulated and are now down to third place after rolling over and dying against Middlesbrough on Saturday. That leaves United with a game in hand, again, which is to be played this Wednesday against Newcastle at St James' Park.

Next Saturday sees United travel south to Fulham to play in the quarter finals of the FA Cup and a win there will leave them just two games short of claiming that trophy too. Four days after that, Inter Milan come to Old Trafford and the prize for winning this game is a place in the last eight of the Champions League.

If Harry is going to have a bet on this quintuple I'd suggest to him he gets his cash on it now. Mainly because I don't see any mistakes coming from the next three games and by then the odds will have tumbled even lower than the current 10/1 on offer.

"Only you guys, the media, will get carried away with it," he said. "We'll keep our feet on the ground. My experience is we could go to Fulham this weekend in the FA Cup and the ball comes off somebody's backside and we are out of the cup. That is what cups can do to you. The best thing we can do is gather ourselves, energise ourselves for Newcastle on Wednesday, which will be a very difficult game for us, and go from there, taking it one step at a time."

Redknapp believes United's squad has sufficient depth of quality to make their own luck.

"They have got a big chance -- they are the team to beat for sure, they have a fantastic squad. They have one cup already, it looks as if the league is going their way for sure and you wouldn't bet against them in the Champions League and the FA Cup."

They said the Treble was impossible and Fergie won it. They said a quadruple is beyond any team, and yet here is Fergie again going for the impossible. A quintuple? Maybe, just maybe.....Back To Home Page...

Rooney Claiming Manchester United Can Win It All

Wayne Rooney seems to have a similar mind set as my good self. I have tried to work out reasons why Manchester United can't win every trophy this season. History tells us it is impossible, nobody believes it can be done, just like they said about the treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League but guess what......they did it, United actually did it.

Records and impossibilities are there to be broken, without challenges and targets that seem impossible there would be no point in going on.

Rooney, who came off the bench to score against Fulham last night believes Quadruple glory, in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup, is a real possibility. Yesterday, Sir Alex Ferguson wrote off Chelsea’s hopes of challenging them for the League, saying the sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari had played into United’s hands, and Rooney repeated the same bullish message after the 3-0 demolition of Fulham at Old Trafford.

United are about to move into a fixture pile-up of eight games in 25 days — including a Champions League tie next Tuesday against Inter Milan, the Carling Cup Final against Spurs, and the Premier League visit to Old Trafford of Liverpool — and prioritising their trophy targets might have been expected but Rooney, who returned to action after five weeks out with a hamstring injury to score United’s third goal against outclassed Fulham, said:

“We’re delighted we’re still in all these competitions. Our aim at the start of the season was to go as far as we can in all competitions, and to still be in them all in mid-February is great for the team. For me, I want to win all trophies. Everybody speaks about the Champions League and Premier League. But I’ve had some of my biggest heartaches in football in the FA Cup, and the Carling Cup is the first major trophy I ever won. For us to still be in all four competitions means there is a chance we can win them all.'

United’s 10th successive victory, and their 14th successive League clean sheet, leaves them five points above Liverpool at the top of the table. Their goal difference is also nine better than their closest title rivals.

Bookmaker Paddy Power is so convinced of United’s supremacy that it has already decided to pay out to customers who backed a United treble of League, FA Cup and Carling Cup.

Chelsea are now 10 points adrift having played the same number of games, but new manager Guus Hiddink will be determined to prove Ferguson wrong by reviving the Blues' challenge in his first game in charge against Aston Villa this weekend.......is it really all over for everyone but United this season ?.....Back To Home Page...

Vidic On Ryan Giggs And Derby County

Nemanja Vidic has been singing the praises of Ryan Giggs as did Dimitar Berbatov last week. Giggs has just signed a new one year deal which will take him to 19 years service at Old Trafford at the age of 35, mind boggling figures indeed.

Giggsy is already the most decorated player in English football history and given United's present dominance, the chances are Giggs will be adding to his collection over the next 18 months.

Vidic has been playing alongside Giggs for just three years of Giggs' near two-decade stint, yet the Serbia defender has been around long enough to be aware of the standards Giggs sets and, should any player ever ask Vidic for the finest example of a professional footballer, he would have no hesitation putting the Welshman's name forward.

"Young players need to look at Ryan," he said. "He is a complete professional and any young player can learn from him about how to develop themselves and how to have a big career and a long career. He has done very well this season and I am glad he has signed a new contract and will be part of this squad for another 18 months."

Cast your mind back about 6 weeks when Giggsy 'owned' Chelsea big time, or just to last week when he came in from the touchline and scored a magnificent gola, these are still the standards Giggs sets for himself.

"He has been at this level for 18 years," said Vidic. "To do that at Manchester United is not easy. In order to keep winning trophies for that long you don't just need football ability, you must be mentally tough as well."

Having failed to become the first player for well over a century to complete a fifth win in the FA Cup two years ago when United were beaten in the final at Wembley by Chelsea, victory over Derby at Pride Park today, would leave Giggs just three wins away from making amends.

United have already been to the Midlands outfit once this season, 24 hours after Nigel Clough had been installed as permanent successor to sacked Paul Jewell. They were beaten too as Kris Commons lashed home the winner.

But Vidic, knowing the stakes are high, is not expecting a repeat.

"We only have one game this time around and we know it will be hard, Derby will want to finish it as well. They don't want to come to Old Trafford because they know it will be more difficult for them there. They have a good team and the atmosphere will be quite intense. But we have the experience from last time and if we take our chances, I am sure we can do well.".....Back To Home Page...