No Gray Areas - Man Utd treble is unlikely
Manchester United are certainly capable of winning the treble but whether they will or not is a different matter. You need everything to go your way to pull off the feat that Sir Alex Ferguson's team of 1998-99 did and, for me, odds of [7.2] on the Red Devils winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League are way too short.
The real stumbling block is likely to come in Europe. Schalke were excellent in their quarter-final against Inter Milan and Manchester United fans will have vivid memories of going out against supposedly weak German opposition in the form of Bayer Leverkusen in 2001-02.
If they get past Schalke then they will come up against either Barcelona or Real Madrid - the Champions League favourites and a team led by last year's winning coach - in the final.
They are probably the best two sides in the world: against Arsenal, we saw how devastating Barcelona can be and Jose Mourinho has managed, in a relatively short period, to build a very strong team at the Bernabeu. They were excellent in both legs of their quarter-final against Tottenham.
The title, meanwhile, is not the done deal some think it is and Sir Alex Ferguson will regard their remaining fixtures as seven cup finals. However, this team has surprised many with its resilience and it is certainly the grittiest line-up they have had for many seasons.
They are adept at grinding out results, at being patient and offering stern resistance away from home, as demonstrated in the fine Champions League win at Stamford Bridge.
I said at the start of the season that Javier Hernandez was an exciting prospect and he certainly hasn't let me down. Sir Alex has put his faith in him for the big games recently and Chicharito has done brilliantly. There are some players who are cut out for scoring in big games - I was one myself and Hernandez undoubtedly is too.
We shouldn't be surprised by his success though, as he's been playing for Mexico for some time now. Wayne Rooney looks fully fit for the first time in a year and, while he could play well anywhere on the field, he is loving his role behind Hernandez.
Overall, I feel that it's going to be more difficult for Manchester United to pull off the treble this season than it was in 1998-99. At the current odds, I wouldn't back them but, if I could get around [11.0], I would be interested.
Andy Gray is now on Twitter so follow him for his exclusive tips and his take on the biggest stories in football each week.
Published: 14 Apr 2011
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