Ferguson Urges Team to Buck up for Treble Charge

Sir Alex Ferguson has asserted that he would need the backing of the whole squad if they have to win the treble this season. The Red Devils are currently 12 points clear at the top in the Premier League table and shall take on Real Madrid at Old Trafford In the second leg of the round of 16 tie to qualify to the quarter finals of the Champions League. Ferguson's side are also in the quarter finals of the FA Cup where they shall take on Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Manchester United had won the treble back in 1999. The Scotsman stressed on the importance of mental strength and believes that lack of opportunities on a regular basis should not have a detrimental effect on their mentality.

'In 1999, I left Paul Scholes out of the quarter-final against Inter Milan yet he was the one who scored the goal that got us through. I left him out of the semi-final because I couldn't risk him and Roy Keane together as they were both on yellow cards. He accepted it graciously, came on, got booked and missed the final anyway.What did he do? He didn't let it affect him. He went on to become one of the greatest players this club has ever had," he said.

The Red Devils have a lot of important games stacked up till the end of the season with one against Real Madrid and Chelsea in the offing after their match against Norwich City this weekend. The league leaders had relinquished an eight point lead at the top of the table last season at a similar point in the season, which led United to lose the title to City on goal difference, and Sir Alex Ferguson will be looking to make sure that a similar debacle does not befall them this season.

"It is very difficult to rotate the squad at the moment. They all wanted to play against Real Madrid and there were a lot of disappointed players. That was fantastic. It is a measure of their own confidence in themselves. But we had a chat and I said at this club, in this situation, anything can happen on the run-in. Players can all of a sudden find themselves playing in a final or an important league game," he said.