Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted this will be a season tinged with regret for Manchester United, even if they go on to win the Premier League.
With a 15-point advantage over Monday's Old Trafford visitors Manchester City and only eight games of the campaign remaining, it seems only a matter of time before United are crowned champions for a record 20th time.
However, Monday's FA Cup defeat at Chelsea and the Champions League exit to Real Madrid has robbed United of a multi-silverware haul. "How do we analyse this season - is it one of regret or celebration?" he told United Review. "For me it is something of the proverbial curate's egg, part bad but with some great redeeming features."
Sir Alex added: "The biggest disappointment was failing to get past Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Normally if we fall behind we can find another gear and get back on track, but on this occasion we didn't manage it.
"That goes down as a great regret in my book, especially with such a great prize there for the taking with a semi-final against Manchester City beckoning.
"Some might think that going out of the Champions League would have been my biggest regret, but there was a reason, one that was out of our control and has to be put down to experience."
Even if City win on Monday, United would still need to lose another four games, which seems unlikely given they have only dropped points on five occasions in their first 30 matches, a top flight record.
Anything other than a City win could see United wrap the whole thing up within 10 days, completing a task they set themselves as the Blues were about to lift the trophy themselves last May.
"What you learn about this club is that you have to try and win every competition," Nani told MUTV. "The Premier League is the most important competition and what happened last year made us very focused on this one.
"We have done a very good job to be in this position. It is difficult to forget the size of our lead but we know every game is difficult in the Premier League because every team has something to fight for. That is why we are so concentrated on the games. We will only relax when we know it is not possible for anyone to come back at us."
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