ALEX FERGUSON is approaching the climax of what could well be his greatest season at Old Trafford.

Victory over Manchester City at Wembley tomorrow and another Double looks on the cards.

And a record-breaking 19th Manchester United title to finally overhaul Liverpool.

Should he then guide United past Schalke and into the Champions League Final few will argue that this season's achievements have been his finest in all his 25 years at Old Trafford.

Yes, surpassing even the Treble of 1999. Even if United fail to beat Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Of course, he has been aided and abetted by the failure of his rivals.

And yet for Ferguson to have taken this current United team to the fringe of such success is a triumph in itself.

For he has done it despite everything.

Despite the club selling Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.

Despite United being hamstrung by massive debts.

Despite Rio Ferdinand missing so many games.

Despite Wayne Rooney's transfer request destabilising the club in the middle of a run that saw the out-of-form England striker score just five goals in 17 league games.

Despite United's poor away form.

Despite Antonio Valencia missing five months of the season.

Despite the millions spent by the noisy neighbours.

And despite his continued run-ins with the FA.

The most outstanding aspect to his managerial ability is the way he keeps rejuvinating the club.

Nothing stagnates (unlike Chelsea). It's always being freshened up.

Take Javier Hernandez.

Eyebrows were raised - nowhere more than in Mexico - when United paid £6million for him.

Just 22, he was almost as unheard-of as his club Chivas, who sounded more like a brand of whisky.

He has already scored 18 goals, more than the combined total of City's Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, who cost £51m between them. Hernandez has even relegated Dimitar Berbatov to the bench.

Yet even here Ferguson has worked some sort of magic, with Berbatov still scoring the goals that makes him United's leading scorer and playing the sort of pivotal role that saw him come on and change the game as United trailed West Ham 2-0.

Similarly, Ferguson has not only retained but continues to get the best out of veterans Edwin van der Sar, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

Even more miraculous, he has maintained faith in Michael Carrick who, while United fans had all but given up on him, had his best game for several seasons in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.

On paper, this United team should stand no comparison with Ferguson's previous sides.

Certainly not the Treble-winners who had Keane, Scholes and Giggs in their prime, Beckham, Schmeichel, Yorke, Cole, the Nevilles, Irwin and Stam.

And the glorious attacking ensemble of Cantona, Hughes, Kanchelskis and a young Giggs in the mid-90s.

Ferguson has wrung every last drop out of the present crop. And, like all the other teams, they are coming to the boil at just the right time.

And still he builds for the future.

With Gary Neville retired and Giggs and Scholes heading over the horizon, in have come Hernandez, Valencia, Fabio and Rafael da Silva and Chris Smalling.

While Nani is still only 24.

There is much talk again of how long Ferguson will remain at the helm with his 70th birthday due on the last day of the year.

How it might be best to get out at the top (again).

But something tells me he will continue to press on.

If Ferguson can get so much out of a squad that played so indifferently for so long this season, he will surely want to be around when they finally start playing!