CRISTIANO Ronaldo has sent out a defiant message to champions Chelsea ahead of Sunday's showdown: "We can win the Treble this year!"
The Reds' Portuguese star feels Sir Alex Ferguson's maturing new team is capable of emulating the fabulous 1999 team by sweeping the board.
Ronaldo says that Chelsea have stood still despite the high-profile signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, while the Reds have moved on from the mistakes of last season.
And he says that, despite all of their success, United still do not see Chelsea as their main Premiership rivals - that honour is reserved for Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
"I think we're capable of winning everything - the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League," said the 21-year-old winger. "Man United are fighting, as always, to win every trophy.
"This weekend's game with Chelsea is very vital. We're neck-and-neck with Chelsea and this is a good sign because we can't allow them to go too far ahead like last year. We're in a better position to win the league.
Superiority
"Rivalry between us and Chelsea exists and I've experienced it in each match we've played. But there isn't the same passion as the Manchester derby or games against Arsenal or Liverpool. Perhaps it's because now they are doing well, whereas before it had always been United at the top. I think Chelsea are about the same as they were last year. The transfers of Shevchenko and Ballack haven't changed them too much in terms of their superiority to everybody else. They have to work harder to win games. They just do enough to win."
And Ronaldo further cranks up the pressure on Sunday's Old Trafford head-to-head by suggesting that Chelsea's brief reign in English football might just fall apart if his fellow countryman Jose Mourinho left.
"He's a great coach and Portuguese, so I can't speak badly of him. I'd like to see what would happen if he were to leave Chelsea. Perhaps they'd stop getting good results in England," he said.
Ronaldo has bounced back brilliantly from a summer of discontent, when it was feared that his World Cup bust-up with team-mate Wayne Rooney, and hints that he wanted to leave United to join Real Madrid, would put him under pressure from his own fans as well as opposition supporters.
Scintillating
But United fans have rallied behind him after a series of scintillating displays, and the jeers of the opposing fans have only served to inspire him.
Ronaldo reveals that when he does feel the heat getting to him, he has some bizarre ways of escaping the tension. When things are getting on top of him, he winds down by locking himself in his bedroom, boxing, drumming, darts - and has even been known to knock a television set out of a tree with a football!
He said: "Sometimes when I perform badly or when things don't go the way I want, I come straight home, go to the small bedroom in my house and lock the door. I just stay there.
"I also have boxing gloves to hit something - or someone - to relieve stress. And I like to play the jambe, which are bongo drums, because it feels good. And I have a dartboard where me and my friends have competitions.I play football in the garden, like loads of guys do.
"I even broke a window once. I made a pass to my cousin Nuno but the ball hit the glass and broke it.
"I have always been destructive! When I was mad once, I put a TV set in a tree and tried to take it down by kicking a football at it. And it worked!"
Read more of this interview in Zoo magazine, out now.
Do you think United can win the treble? Have your say.
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This is the least I expect to hear from a team which has been beaten by a pub side. All of them are supposed to be quite and training very hard for the Sunday game.
There's more chance of City winning the Premiership than there is of United winning the treble. The arrogance and supposed superiority of ManYoo and everybody connected with it knows no bounds.
Even if our players were blind there were still going to beat City at any day.I feel sorry for their supporters who have never and who will never taste the sweetness of victory.
He is right and we know he is lets face it nobody can play better football than us just stick to 442 with Giggs and Ronaldo out wide instead of trying to be to clever.
Bertie shouldn't you be sweeping up Beswick precinct? Good comments from Ronaldo & much better than wheeling out DF or OS. It will be a miracle to win the treble due to the scarce squad it's not feasible.
no i don't think ENGLAND can win anything. read the question again.
Farai, manyoo can beat city any day??? tell me the last time that happened then please???
Lets concentrate on the Premiership and worry about the cup competitions when they come along. We have to stick to 4-4-2.
we won the treble by playing attacking football home and away and especially so in europe they score 2 we will score three. its just a pity that fergie send the team out nowadays NOT TO LOSE. this tactic is crazy and results over the years prove it and until this is put right talk of a treble is crazy.LETS FACE IT IF WE CANT BEAT THE LIKES OF MACCABI ,LILLE,COPENHAGEN,VILLAREAL,CELTIC ANDERLECHt BENFICA . how are we going to cope when we face real quality opposition its time fergie ditched 4 5 1 and playing for a draw . we must be positive and go all out to win
No.
United wont win the treble with fergie still there. Sven for united!
Here we go again. All you man u big mouths are doing it again. You win a few matches and suddenly 'your going to win everything'. ridiculous. Chelsea will win the league and you'll have to settle for another minor trophy if your lucky. losers.
Farai, if the pub side you mention is Celtic then Benfica are a pub side as they were beaten by them as well. Also Celtic got to the final of the UEFA cup two years ago so I guess that must be a pub side competition. If you want to sound like Red Junior fair enough otherwise, be a little more sensible in your comments.
Manc: I fully agree with you. Winning the premiership is the main priority. Cups like Carling just bring unecessary injuries and the winner get forgotten seconds after lifting the trophy!!
Hirst: you stick to commenting on Devon County, and leave the real clubs - such as MU - to get on with dominating the premiership.
Yeah course you can Christine. There's more chance of you staying on your feet for an entire game.
The Treble will never be achieved again in our lifetimes. I like the positive thoughts though Ronnie!
In three words - Not a chance.
Not this season mate!
We have only just learned to walk - again - after the shackles of 4-5-1.
So let's say that PL is priority, with this squad we'll then have done well beyond bounds of expectancy!
No not this season CR.
We'll dream that for next one!
Come On You Reds
Now that he can kick a TV out of a tree, let him try putting the ball in an empty net. HAHAHA
Duncan: I've had a serious think, weighed everything up about Celtic, and yep - they're a good pub team. One-trick ponies in a two-horse race that is the SPL. They're going nae further son.
That would Be perfect i wish :)
Red Alert, first LOL, and second it is a one horse league or haven't you checked lately. But pub teams don't get 60,000 crowds last time I checked.
You're spot on, I and the rest of the world don't pay too much attention to third rate/world footie. Just appears when I'm watching Match of the Day. 60,000 eh? There's not much choice up there really, in a population of 5 million, and the other great clubs such as St. Mirren and Falkirk don't have large enough pub car parks to fit them all in. Still, there's a littel piece of London that's forever Scotland.
4-4-2 please then we can dream of all three. Ronaldo left Gigs right Rooney and upfront Saha just behind. Rest Ron against the botom clubs he looks tired.
Ah to be young again. Nice one, Ronnie! One of the few players who has gone out and played as if the treble depended on every match. A natural born winner who deserves all the support our present manager can give, which means ditching the dross and getting some real quality in!