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Manchester United are just a mere seven games away from a possible Barclays Premiership-Champions League Double. Can Sir Alex Ferguson's men go on to write another glorious chapter in the club's illustrious history?
Manchester United are now well placed to retain the Barclays Premier League title they won last season following their victory over Arsenal on Sunday and Chelsea's draw at home to Wigan the following day. And with a two-legged semi-final against Barcelona to come in the Champions League, the prospect of a glorious Double is moving sharply into focus for Sir Alex Ferguson's side. That dream is now just seven games from becoming reality, though fulfilling it will be a test of temperament and tenacity as well as talent.
In the Premier League, Monday night's dropped points by Chelsea mean the Blues, United's closest challengers, are now trailing the Red Devils by five points with four games remaining, and it would need a United collapse of major proportions for Chelsea to overhaul them. Indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson's side could be crowned champions at Stamford Bridge on April 26th when the two rivals meet.
The battle-hardened Ferguson remains cautious, aware that the race could yet involve further twists. "Wigan's draw with Chelsea puts us in a good position but in my experience in life you don't take things for granted," he said. "We've got some difficult games ahead - Blackburn, West Ham, Chelsea and Wigan."
In a message no doubt intended to snuff out any tendency towards complacency among his troops, Ferguson added: "We have three away games and one at home so we have to do a job. Because we have difficult games left there is still a lot to play for and it could still go down to the wire."
Indeed it could, but the momentum is certainly with United now. Chelsea not only need to beat the Red Devils and win their other remaining games - at Everton on Thursday, at Newcastle on 5th May and at home to Bolton on the final day of the season; they also need United to slip against one of their three other opponents - Rovers, West Ham or Wigan. It seems an unlikely scenario, though as Chelsea manager Avram Grant and several of his players have emphasised, it is still possible.
United's position is further strengthened by a goal difference that is superior to Chelsea's by a massive 19 - reflecting United's positive approach throughout the season. They boast the Premier League's tightest defence and its most prolific attack, and their goal difference of +54 is their reward for pursuing an expansive game built on a sound foundation at the back.
Their three main strikers alone - Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez - have scored 71 goals between them in all competitions, and 50 in the League, while their defence has conceded just 18 goals in 34 League games.
Chelsea are under great pressure now to beat Everton on Merseyside on Thursday night just to keep in touch with United. Victory for Grant's side at Goodison would cut the gap to two points but leave United with a game in hand, which they will play at Ewood Park on Saturday evening against a Blackburn Rovers side managed by one of Ferguson's protégés, Mark Hughes.
United and Chelsea have got arguably the strongest squads in the League, as reflected match by match in the depth of talent on their respective benches. Yet while Grant has been criticised for the way he has utilised his resources - in terms of team selection and the introduction of substitutes - Ferguson has rotated his players to good effect. And with a five-point cushion he is in a position to rest some of his stars for particular games to keep them fresh for others. That luxury has slipped away from Grant.
The significance of this is all the greater given that both managers have the additional challenge of trying to win the Champions League - with the first leg of the semi-finals looming next week and the second leg following a week later.
In between comes the potentially decisive Chelsea v United showdown.
In selecting his side to face Blackburn on Saturday, Ferguson could conceivably rest the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney, as he did against Roma recently, with an eye on Wednesday's assignment at Camp Nou. And depending on Chelsea's result at Goodison tomorrow and United's at Ewood, Ferguson could even afford to rest some big names at Stamford Bridge (where a draw would suit United but be of little use to the Blues) in order to optimise United's chances of getting past Barcelona and into May's Champions League final in Moscow.
Should they reach the final, United would meet either Chelsea again, or arch-rivals Liverpool. Barca, of course, will have plenty to say about that; but the point is that United's lead in the Premier League has offered Ferguson selection options which could give the Red Devils an edge in the Champions League. Although the Double is potentially on for United or Chelsea, Grant no longer has the same options as Ferguson.
The stakes over the next three weeks are massive. Ferguson has said that winning what would be his tenth Premiership title would be among the most satisfying of the lot because of the intensity of the competition this season from both Arsenal and Chelsea. And common sense suggests that defending champions United already have one hand on the Premier League trophy now.
That means their biggest challenge in winning the Double will be to overcome Barca and then whichever fellow English club gets through the other semi-final.
Winning the Spanish League title is still a possibility for Barcelona - but it is now a remote one as they trail leaders Real Madrid by nine points with six games to go, and their domestic form remains inconsistent. Barca's last four results in La Primera Liga were a victory over Valladolid, a defeat by Betis and draws against Getafe and Recreativo.
On Sunday they host Espanyol in the Barcelona city derby, before entertaining Manchester United on Wednesday. Before the return at Old Trafford the following Tuesday the Blaugrana are away to Deportivo La Coruna. After United they are at home to Valencia before going into El Classico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on May 7th.
Like United, Barca are undefeated in the Champions League this season, so this much-anticipated semi-final showdown is intriguingly poised. In their European campaign to date, Barca have scored in every one of their away games except the Group clash in Glasgow against Rangers, which finished goalless. In the away legs, the more open games that result when the onus is on the home side to attack, tend to suit Barca's style. So Frank Rijkaard's side will probably be confident of getting on the score-sheet at Old Trafford in the second leg.
Quite how valuable any away goals will prove to be for Barca will depend upon the score at Camp Nou in the first leg, and specifically on how many goals United manage to score there. Ferguson will be equally confident his side will get goals in Catalunya: so far in their unbeaten Champions League campaign they've scored one goal in Lisbon, four in Kiev, one in Rome, one in Lyon and two in Rome again.
The key to the semi-final could therefore be how many goals United take back from Camp Nou to Manchester for the second leg. United will go into the tie as favourites because of the respective recent form of both sides.
United may also have a couple of psychological advantages. Firstly, Camp Nou was the scene of their greatest triumph under Ferguson, when they turned round their Champions League final against Bayern Munich with two goals in the last couple of minutes to win the match 2-1, claim their second European crown and in doing so complete a unique treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
That year, each leg of the treble was achieved the hard way: United didn't clinch the Premiership until the final day of he season, their 2-1 win at home to Spurs giving them the title by one point over Arsenal, who also won on the last day but had fatally stumbled at Leeds earlier in the week to end a 19-match unbeaten run.
In the FA Cup, Peter Schmeichel saved Dennis Bergkamp's late penalty (the last the Dutchman ever took for Arsenal) to force extra-time in the last-ever semi-final replay, before Ryan Giggs scored THAT goal to take United through to Wembley, where they beat Newcastle.
And in the Champions League, United equalised in the last minute against Juventus to draw 1-1 in the first leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford, then found themselves 2-0 to the Old Lady in Turin before roaring back to win 3-2 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate. Then came the high drama of the final in Barcelona, when substitutes Teddy Sheringham (89th minute) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (90th) wiped out Bayern's sixth minute opener from Basler.
United's other potential psychological advantage is the emotive one that this is the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, when the Busby Babes looked on course to challenge Real Madrid for the third European Cup ever to be staged - until eight of the squad were killed on a snowy Bavarian runway after refuelling on the way back from a successful assignment in Belgrade.
Manchester United are just a mere seven games away from a possible Barclays Premiership-Champions League Double. Can Sir Alex Ferguson's men go on to write another glorious chapter in the club's illustrious history?
Manchester United are now well placed to retain the Barclays Premier League title they won last season following their victory over Arsenal on Sunday and Chelsea's draw at home to Wigan the following day. And with a two-legged semi-final against Barcelona to come in the Champions League, the prospect of a glorious Double is moving sharply into focus for Sir Alex Ferguson's side. That dream is now just seven games from becoming reality, though fulfilling it will be a test of temperament and tenacity as well as talent.
In the Premier League, Monday night's dropped points by Chelsea mean the Blues, United's closest challengers, are now trailing the Red Devils by five points with four games remaining, and it would need a United collapse of major proportions for Chelsea to overhaul them. Indeed, Sir Alex Ferguson's side could be crowned champions at Stamford Bridge on April 26th when the two rivals meet.
The battle-hardened Ferguson remains cautious, aware that the race could yet involve further twists. "Wigan's draw with Chelsea puts us in a good position but in my experience in life you don't take things for granted," he said. "We've got some difficult games ahead - Blackburn, West Ham, Chelsea and Wigan."
In a message no doubt intended to snuff out any tendency towards complacency among his troops, Ferguson added: "We have three away games and one at home so we have to do a job. Because we have difficult games left there is still a lot to play for and it could still go down to the wire."
Indeed it could, but the momentum is certainly with United now. Chelsea not only need to beat the Red Devils and win their other remaining games - at Everton on Thursday, at Newcastle on 5th May and at home to Bolton on the final day of the season; they also need United to slip against one of their three other opponents - Rovers, West Ham or Wigan. It seems an unlikely scenario, though as Chelsea manager Avram Grant and several of his players have emphasised, it is still possible.
United's position is further strengthened by a goal difference that is superior to Chelsea's by a massive 19 - reflecting United's positive approach throughout the season. They boast the Premier League's tightest defence and its most prolific attack, and their goal difference of +54 is their reward for pursuing an expansive game built on a sound foundation at the back.
Their three main strikers alone - Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez - have scored 71 goals between them in all competitions, and 50 in the League, while their defence has conceded just 18 goals in 34 League games.
Chelsea are under great pressure now to beat Everton on Merseyside on Thursday night just to keep in touch with United. Victory for Grant's side at Goodison would cut the gap to two points but leave United with a game in hand, which they will play at Ewood Park on Saturday evening against a Blackburn Rovers side managed by one of Ferguson's protégés, Mark Hughes.
United and Chelsea have got arguably the strongest squads in the League, as reflected match by match in the depth of talent on their respective benches. Yet while Grant has been criticised for the way he has utilised his resources - in terms of team selection and the introduction of substitutes - Ferguson has rotated his players to good effect. And with a five-point cushion he is in a position to rest some of his stars for particular games to keep them fresh for others. That luxury has slipped away from Grant.
The significance of this is all the greater given that both managers have the additional challenge of trying to win the Champions League - with the first leg of the semi-finals looming next week and the second leg following a week later.
In between comes the potentially decisive Chelsea v United showdown.
In selecting his side to face Blackburn on Saturday, Ferguson could conceivably rest the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney, as he did against Roma recently, with an eye on Wednesday's assignment at Camp Nou. And depending on Chelsea's result at Goodison tomorrow and United's at Ewood, Ferguson could even afford to rest some big names at Stamford Bridge (where a draw would suit United but be of little use to the Blues) in order to optimise United's chances of getting past Barcelona and into May's Champions League final in Moscow.
Should they reach the final, United would meet either Chelsea again, or arch-rivals Liverpool. Barca, of course, will have plenty to say about that; but the point is that United's lead in the Premier League has offered Ferguson selection options which could give the Red Devils an edge in the Champions League. Although the Double is potentially on for United or Chelsea, Grant no longer has the same options as Ferguson.
The stakes over the next three weeks are massive. Ferguson has said that winning what would be his tenth Premiership title would be among the most satisfying of the lot because of the intensity of the competition this season from both Arsenal and Chelsea. And common sense suggests that defending champions United already have one hand on the Premier League trophy now.
That means their biggest challenge in winning the Double will be to overcome Barca and then whichever fellow English club gets through the other semi-final.
Winning the Spanish League title is still a possibility for Barcelona - but it is now a remote one as they trail leaders Real Madrid by nine points with six games to go, and their domestic form remains inconsistent. Barca's last four results in La Primera Liga were a victory over Valladolid, a defeat by Betis and draws against Getafe and Recreativo.
On Sunday they host Espanyol in the Barcelona city derby, before entertaining Manchester United on Wednesday. Before the return at Old Trafford the following Tuesday the Blaugrana are away to Deportivo La Coruna. After United they are at home to Valencia before going into El Classico against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on May 7th.
Like United, Barca are undefeated in the Champions League this season, so this much-anticipated semi-final showdown is intriguingly poised. In their European campaign to date, Barca have scored in every one of their away games except the Group clash in Glasgow against Rangers, which finished goalless. In the away legs, the more open games that result when the onus is on the home side to attack, tend to suit Barca's style. So Frank Rijkaard's side will probably be confident of getting on the score-sheet at Old Trafford in the second leg.
Quite how valuable any away goals will prove to be for Barca will depend upon the score at Camp Nou in the first leg, and specifically on how many goals United manage to score there. Ferguson will be equally confident his side will get goals in Catalunya: so far in their unbeaten Champions League campaign they've scored one goal in Lisbon, four in Kiev, one in Rome, one in Lyon and two in Rome again.
The key to the semi-final could therefore be how many goals United take back from Camp Nou to Manchester for the second leg. United will go into the tie as favourites because of the respective recent form of both sides.
United may also have a couple of psychological advantages. Firstly, Camp Nou was the scene of their greatest triumph under Ferguson, when they turned round their Champions League final against Bayern Munich with two goals in the last couple of minutes to win the match 2-1, claim their second European crown and in doing so complete a unique treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.
That year, each leg of the treble was achieved the hard way: United didn't clinch the Premiership until the final day of he season, their 2-1 win at home to Spurs giving them the title by one point over Arsenal, who also won on the last day but had fatally stumbled at Leeds earlier in the week to end a 19-match unbeaten run.
In the FA Cup, Peter Schmeichel saved Dennis Bergkamp's late penalty (the last the Dutchman ever took for Arsenal) to force extra-time in the last-ever semi-final replay, before Ryan Giggs scored THAT goal to take United through to Wembley, where they beat Newcastle.
And in the Champions League, United equalised in the last minute against Juventus to draw 1-1 in the first leg of their semi-final at Old Trafford, then found themselves 2-0 to the Old Lady in Turin before roaring back to win 3-2 on the night, 4-3 on aggregate. Then came the high drama of the final in Barcelona, when substitutes Teddy Sheringham (89th minute) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (90th) wiped out Bayern's sixth minute opener from Basler.
United's other potential psychological advantage is the emotive one that this is the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, when the Busby Babes looked on course to challenge Real Madrid for the third European Cup ever to be staged - until eight of the squad were killed on a snowy Bavarian runway after refuelling on the way back from a successful assignment in Belgrade.
