Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes winning the treble this season will be much harder than 1999 because of all the injuries his squad are attempting to cope with. United have seven players out injured, as well as Paul Scholes and Jonny Evans suspended, going into today’s Premier League clash with West Ham at Upton Park.
Fergie reckons this handicap could ultimately prevent a repeat of their 1999 Treble, when they won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in stunning fashion. “It’s bad luck, with all the injuries we’ve got,” said Fergie. “It’s more difficult now than it was in 1999 because we didn’t have an injury back then.
"We went through the last three months of the season without one injury. It was amazing. “That kind of luck has deserted us at the moment because we have so many injuries, particularly to defenders, which makes it more difficult.
“But there’s a great desire to do it [the Treble]. Anyone given the opportunity to achieve that type of target will always try to take it. “You see the character of our players and I’m happy with that. We never give in. We have a chance but it’s more difficult than ever. “The next couple of weeks are crucial because if we can get players back then that enhances our chances.
“The kind of games we’re playing today are far more competitive than they were in 1999. The speed of the game has increased, there’s more sports science involved and the standard of training and pitches has improved.
“The main difference from 1999 is our pitch. It was shocking at times back then, particularly around January and February. But now it’s fantastic. “The games are fast because you can pass the ball with accuracy, you can have more penetration, the game is quicker and you run the risk of injury because of that.”
Ferguson has talked of the importance of the game at West Ham, and although winning the treble would be a great feat with all the injuries at hand, he also insists United have not won anything this season thus far.
“But there’s no achievement yet, I’m sorry to say," he admitted. "I wish I could say there has been, but we’re still involved in three competitions and that’s as much as I can say about it. “It would be a great achievement to get through this spell with the injury situation we’ve had. We’ve got the ability, attitude and character to do that, so we’ll just carry on.”
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