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Daily Mail : Gary Neville has warned Treble-chasing Manchester United that they could still end up with nothing this season.
United captain Neville, eyeing a return from a month-long ankle injury lay-off in time for the Champions League clash with AC
Milan next Wednesday, helped Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to Treble glory in 1999.
But with Chelsea also chasing League, FA Cup and Champions League glory to complete a unique Quadruple, 32-year-old Neville admits that United still have everything to do if they are to pull off another trophy hat-trick this term.
He said: “Of course there are similarities to 1999 - we are still in three competitions and it’s an incredible achievement to be in those competitions, not just for us but also for Chelsea.
“But there is a long way to go and we haven’t won anything yet.
“I don’t have any medals around my neck and neither do any of the Chelsea players, so the hardest work is still to come.
“A lot of good work has gone on at both teams in the first months of the season, but this final month is the all-important one.
“And whoever wins in those crucial moments will obviously go on and finish the season the happiest.” United and Chelsea are already set to battle out the Premiership and FA Cup with a possible title decider between the clubs at Stamford Bridge just ten days before a Cup Final clash at Wembley.
But Neville insists that Champions League rivals AC Milan and Liverpool are both capable of wrecking the chances of a third Chelsea-United meeting in the final in Athens on May 23.
He said: “We both have very difficult semi-finals and it would be naive of either of us to think at this stage that we could meet in the final of the European Cup with the games that we still have to play.
“But it’s a great prospect for all of our players to be going into the last month of the season with possibilities of winning all three major trophies.
“It’s where we have wanted to be for the last three seasons and now we are here, we want to enjoy it.
“The Treble wouldn’t be just a special feat. I described it in 1999 as almost a miracle to win all three trophies.
“For it to happen again would be absolutely incredible, but it is still there for a couple of teams to do it and we are going to give it our best shot.
“We have a great belief in the team, the football we are playing and the resilience we are showing, that we can win every game and that’s what we are intending to do.”
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Sky: Sir Alex Ferguson plans to make two additions to his Manchester United squad in the summer.
Though United are chasing a second Treble this season, Ferguson already has designs on the 2007/08 campaign.
Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves remains a long-term target for the Premiership leaders, while Southampton full-back Gareth Bale has been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
Outlining his summer transfer plans, Ferguson admits he is likely to follow last year’s policy when Michael Carrick and Tomasz Kuszczak were brought to the club.
“I would hope to add a couple of players in the summer who will improve us,” Ferguson told The Scotsman.
“We are talking about that now. There won’t be sweeping changes, maybe just one or two coming in who would have the talent to make a difference.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson also revealed that the Glazers have not interfered with his management since the family bought United.
The Glazers took over The Red Devils in 2005 and Ferguson insists he has received nothing but support from the club’s owners.
He added: “The Glazers have been fine since they took over. They haven’t interfered with anything we do.
“I have had a couple of meetings with them, although David Gill obviously deals with them more regularly.
“Any time I have been with them, they have simply said to let them know if there is anything I need.”
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Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea will be back on Saturday to ease the defensive crisis threatening to wreck Manchester United’s season.
Already without five senior defenders, plus goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was sidelined with a combination of back and facial injuries, United then lost Patrice Evra 20 minutes into the 2-0 win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford.
Evra will be sent for a scan on the injury he suffered as a result of Colin Kazim-Richards’ ugly lunge but it already appears certain the Frenchman will miss Saturday’s home encounter with Middlesbrough.
However, at least Ferdinand and O’Shea should be fit to face Boro as the Red Devils seek a win which will leave them requiring a minimum of nine points to seal the championship.
“Rio and John will be back on Saturday, so that should give us a bit more strength and experience in the back line,” said boss Alex Ferguson.
“We ended up with two full-backs (Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson) who are midfield players. It was a great challenge for them but they came through it well.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson is confident his “special” Manchester United players have “the temperament” to prise the Premiership title from Chelsea.
Tuesday’s 2-0 win against Sheffield United allowed the Red Devils to extend their lead at the top to six points, with attention now switching to Upton Park, where West Ham look to cause another mini-sensation by adding Chelsea’s scalp to the one they claimed from United in Alan Curbishley’s first game in charge.
“West Ham are fighting for their lives and they will be doing that against Chelsea,” observed Ferguson, who revealed Rio Ferdinand and John O’Shea will be back for Saturday’s clash with Middlesbrough.
“But that is another game out of the way for us now. We’ve had injuries and I’ve had to change the team quite a bit but the spirit of the players has been fantastic.
“These boys are special and they have the temperament to do it.”
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Gerard Pique’s agent will be in England on Friday for talks with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Spanish defender has been outstanding on-loan at Real Zaragoza this season and Arturo Canales says they’re seeking a definitive answer from Ferguson about next term.
Until I speak with Ferguson I cannot anticipate anything. Sincerely, I do not know what is going to happen. Zaragoza very much want Gerard to continue and the player is very happy with the team and the city.
“For that reason I have come this week to England, to listen to Ferguson and to consider every possibility with him. But the decision is with Manchester. Just as last summer. Then, Zaragoza wanted to have a purchase option and Manchester said ‘no’. They accepted a year’s loan. Hopefully the operation can be repeated.”
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Sky: Kaka insists Manchester United’s seven-goal salvo against Roma has not put the frighteners on Milan.
United thrashed Roma 7-1 last week to set up a UEFA Champions League semi-final clash with the Rossoneri. The first leg takes place at Old Trafford next week, with Milan aiming to repeat their 1-0 success of two years ago.
And Brazilian schemer Kaka admits the Italian giants are not worried by the attacking threat of the Premiership leaders, and is predicting an entertaining encounter.
“Manchester United are a great team, but Milan are not afraid of any side in the world,” Kaka is quoted in the Daily Star. “We respect them yes, but we are not afraid.
“I’m sure they will be two fantastic games. We have a tremendous record. We have played 10 finals and won six. Our semi-finals with United will be as good as any knockout games you could wish to see.”
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Sir Alex reckons his Treble trail has been helped by the Glazers taking a back seat.The Manchester United boss hailed the club’s owners for staying out of footballing matters — unlike Roman Abramovich with Jose Mourinho at title rivals Chelsea.
United fans furiously opposed the Glazers’ £800million takeover in 2005.
But Fergie insisted: “The Glazers have been fine — they haven’t interfered with anything we do.
“I have had a couple of meetings with them, although chief executive David Gill deals with them more regularly.
“Any time I’ve been with them, they have simply said to let them know if there is anything I need.”
The Glazers have backed Ferguson with funds.
They pledged £18m for midfielder Michael Carrick, who is proving a hit in the second half of this season.
The American owners are also ready to match that figure to land Bayern Munich’s Owen Hargreaves this summer.
Last week, the Glazers made available £31.2m over five years to keep Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese winger signed the biggest deal for a United player, worth £120,000 a week.
But there are still large sections of United fans against the Glazers.
Malcolm Glazer leaves the running of the club to his three sons Joel, Avram and Bryan — but the trio have not been seen at a United game for a while.
There is still confusion as to how the massive interests on debts of around £500m as part of the takeover are being paid by the family.
The Glazers’ holding company for their dealings with United, Red Football, has just posted a loss of £137.7m.
A spokesman for the family said they will stand firm in supporting the club and the manager.
And he stressed their commitment to keeping United at the summit both domestically and in the Champions League.
The spokesman said: “The Glazers continue to invest for the long-term — as demonstrated by the contract extension of Cristiano Ronaldo.”
Ferguson has admitted the contract was a biggie — but convinced the Glazers it was worth it.
The United boss said: “Of course it was costly.
“But I told our people ‘Look, two or three years down the line we could be playing Real Madrid and thinking to ourselves we had the best player in the world and let him go’. Nobody would want that.”
As well as England midfield man Hargreaves, Ferguson also has his sights on landing another striker this summer.
He said: “I would hope to add a couple of players in the summer who will improve us.
“We are talking about that now.
“There will not be sweeping changes — maybe just one or two coming in with the talent to make a difference.”
