So Manchester United’s route to repeating 1999 now includes Chelsea in the Cup, Real Madrid in Europe and Manchester City in the League. Winning will involve dispatching the Premier League and La Liga Champions and the European Champions, a pretty tough ask – on paper.

However on grass, which is where the games will be played especially as news arrived today that Old Trafford now contains some grass, the ask is much easier.

City are 12 points back with too few games to catch us, I see the League as a formality to be won in April. City are inconsistent and just not good enough to repeat last seasons fluke. That trophy is as good as in the bag.

Real Madrid are another matter altogether and at OT we will need to watch their speed on the counter and the danger is huge that we fall to over zealous attacking with Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo running at the heart of our rather slow central defenders.

I worry about conceding goals and applauding the slimmer Ronaldo off the field much as we did when his fat predecessor ripped us apart some years ago. I was there, and yes I applauded too, what a powerhouse he was.

But Chelsea are a conundrum.

Benitez snapped at the Roman Emperor today after his 13th win in 26 games secured his last chance at an interim trophy, a fitting reward for the fat interim manager who is so bitter and disliked that even their own fans want him out.

The rich owner keeps proving his lack of trust and patience by firing managers continually, despite a depleted squad and 23 players out on loan. It really is a crazy club when £60m of talent is loaned out while Fat Frank Lampard labours for a new contract and the squad is depleted to the extent that the red headed step child that is now Fernando Torres backs up the crocked nose job that is Demba Ba. What the hell is going on inside Chelsea, the book that follows the reign of Roman Ambramovich will be a hoot.

Chelsea are the biggest waste of money in the history of football.

The money is so badly spent that the owner simply proves he knows nothing about building a team by buying his show ponies and then finding they have no pattern of play and no blend of talent.

The Club should be called the Mercenaries and the team are just pulling wages with no concept of how to act as a unit.

In 1999 we had Arsenal in front of us, a Patric Vieria/Emmanuel Petit powered team of awesome control and a tight defence, but Peter Schmeichel and Ryan Giggs saved us.

This year Chelsea will be brushed aside by Sir Alex Ferguson’s inspired team that works its socks off, showing Chelsea that passion and team spirit will beat show offs every day.

I watched City beat an insipid Chelsea 2-0 last weekend and we are so much better than them that we should improve on that score.

This year the Spaniards are the biggest threat to a treble, and I’m confident we have little to fear as we stride to the double.

Sacking Benitez would also make me smile, and the demise of John Terry, Lampard and Ashley Cole adds more mirth to the comedy show that is Chelsea FC.

I do wonder what John Obi Mikel thinks because he could have had it all and yet he plays in a team in decline for a man who manages from the stands with his chequebook. If only he had made the right choice, he could have had a career to be proud of instead of just counting his money wondering why.

Chelsea are 4th and fading fast in the League, but that’s better than 6th from last year, so maybe they can claim to have improved ……ba boom, and I’m here all week!

By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve