Manchester United on Breaking the Trend: Another Treble in Sight?

Can United break the trend?

Manchester United are the most successful football team in English football history, that’s a fact that was confirmed last year when they won their 19th league title, and their 12th since the inception of the Premier League.

They have been made favourites for the trophy again this year, but just how likely is it that the red half of Manchester will celebrate a title win yet again?

United are the only team to have won the Premier League three times in a row and have achieved this incredible feat not once, but twice, winning the 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons, and then again the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. However, here comes the Martin Tyler-esque statistical analysis that can read quite alarmingly for Red Devils fans.

After the first run of three titles, United finished second to Arsenal in the 2001-02 season, only then to regain the championship with the help of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 25 goal league haul—made all the more astonishing by the fact he scored 44 in all competitions.

But—and this is a  big but—Fergie’s men then went on a three year drought, trailing behind Arsenal, then Chelsea twice.

In that time they signed relatively unknown players in Kleberson, David Bellion and Eric Djemba-Djemba, as well as some expensive flops in Diego Forlán and Louis Saha—hardly Ferguson’s most astute signings.

Now, has history begun to repeat itself?

Another Manchester United triple treble of titles followed, but was then halted by Chelsea in the 2009-10 season. The season after, the Red Devils regained the Premier League, and in the process achieved that incredible feat of shattering Liverpool’s long-standing record and reaching a record 20th league title. But, does history dictate that United will now enter a fruitless period?

Some early indications were there. Major players like Scholes, van der Sar and ‘Mr. Man Utd’ himself, Gary Neville, retired and would need replaced. This seemed to mirror the trend, as after the 2002-03 season we saw David Beckham depart for Real Madrid, as well as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer make his last major contribution to a season until 2006 through several serious knee injuries.

And they were hardly replaced.

But for United fans, the future this time around looks much brighter. Phil Jones, the 18-year-old, £17 million summer signing from Blackburn has notched up some extremely promising performances, showcasing not only his uncompromising defensive capabilities, a la Nemanja Vidic, but a penchant for explosive forward runs that leave opposition defences in tatters.

Lucio, anyone?

Add to this the brilliant form of Ashley Young, who has long been a good player, but under the tutelage of the United coaching team is at long last appearing to fulfill his potential of being a brilliant winger.

David de Gea has perhaps been the only scuff on the paintwork after a couple of shaky early performances, but his ability should never be in question: His handling is excellent, his distribution extremely assured and his reflexes are catlike.

Therefore, should Manchester United fans be worried about a repeat of history?

It’s looking already like this season could become a two-horse race between the two halves of Manchester, and the red half appears the stronger.

They have the potent mix of youth and experience, with the pace and decisiveness of Hernandez, Nani and Young—a perfect complement to the know-how and assurance of Ferdinand, Giggs and Vidic.

Oh, and the small fact they have the best player outside Barcelona and Madrid in one Wayne Rooney, complete footballer extraordinaire.

Don’t be surprised to see United buck the trend and romp to a 20th domestic league title because they never seem to lose that desire to win—a quality that seems so inherent in United players that it appears like it’s innate.

It seems as if you’re born a winner, you're born a Manchester United player.