United are still in contention for all three this campaign but their manager is sceptical about a repeat performance.

“No-one talks about that. It is a possibility but more of an impossibility given the number of games we have,” he said.

“I think the competition in the Premier Division has got harder in the last few years and the standard is better in Europe.”

Ferguson felt the Premiership was now the best league in the world.

“The quality we have in the Premier League is the highest. I think we have overtaken Spain,” he told Sky Sports News.

“The excitement and entertainment in the Premier League is second to none.”