Manchester United 1999 vs Manchester United 2008 | Poll Added

[Deleted member 101472]

Arguably our two greatest sides ever. Sir Alex Ferguson manages them both and Giggs and Scholes can play on both teams.

I'd imagine the lineups to be something like;

Schmeichel

Neville
Stam
Johnsen
Irwin

Beckham
Keane
Scholes
Giggs

Yorke
Cole

Versus

Van Der sar

Brown
Ferdinand
Vidic
Evra

Carrick
Fletcher
Scholes

Tevez
Rooney
Ronaldo


If this starts a good discussion can you sort a poll please @Damien ?

 

[groovyalbert]

I'd go with the first, simply because their midfield comes out on top.

That said, the style of football played by the second would definitely prove difficult.

Probably comes down to whichever team refuses to know when they're beat. The first had this all day long.

 

[Sylar]

0-0 boredraw as neither team can escape the centre circle.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Ronny Johnsen sticks out like a sore thumb there, thank god for Stam.

 

[redchamp]

I would go with 2008. That trio of Rio, Vidic and VDS were just so strong as a defensive core.

Another thing to consider is that the SAF of 2008 was probably a bit more tactically astute than the SAF of 1999.

 

[adexkola]

1999 IMO. It would be a close one.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Thank you to whoever added the poll

 

[Siorac]

1999 first XI was better, 2008 squad had more depth.

Is the 1999 team managed by 1999 Alex Ferguson? Because I think 2008 SAF would come out on top then.

 

[pacifictheme]

A combined team anyone?

Schmeichel

Neville
Stam
Ferdinand
Irein

Scholes (99)
Keane
Beckham

Cole
Yorke
Ronaldo

Based on the 99 and 08 seasons rather than overall united careers as rooney and giggs would be hard to leave out then.

Also, hargreaves was first choice over fletcher in 08 wasn't he?

 

[Deleted member 101472]

1999 first XI was better, 2008 squad had more depth.

Is the 1999 team managed by 1999 Alex Ferguson? Because I think 2008 SAF would come out on top then.

Football itself was tactically different back then. Ferguson adapted when he had to.

 

[Siorac]

Also, Fletcher? He barely played in 07/08 (a total of 24 games). Hargreaves and Anderson both played a lot more in CM, Giggs played a lot more than him, too.

 

[Beagle]

Football itself was tactically different back then. Ferguson adapted when he had to.

Bit later than when he had to.

 

[Siorac]

Football itself was tactically different back then. Ferguson adapted when he had to.

That's true but it doesn't change my point. 2008 Sir Alex, obviously, had all the knowledge of 1999 Sir Alex and the added experience of nine years where football changed a lot.

 

[Beagle]

99 team had more matchwinners and was probably better.

 

[Andrew~]

Fletcher didn't start that much in 07-08 because Hargreaves was still in good form. I'd go for 07-08 personally.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

That's true but it doesn't change my point. 2008 Sir Alex, obviously, had all the knowledge of 1999 Sir Alex and the added experience of nine years where football changed a lot.

Yeah which gives an advantage to the 2008 side. Lets just assume 2003/2004 SAF is managing both

 

[Sassy Colin]

A combined team anyone?

Schmeichel

Neville
Stam
Ferdinand
Irein

Scholes (99)
Keane
Beckham

Cole
Yorke
Ronaldo

Based on the 99 and 08 seasons rather than overall united careers as rooney and giggs would be hard to leave out then.

Also, hargreaves was first choice over fletcher in 08 wasn't he?

Sorry, I'm not having Beckham over Giggs, not even close.

Also, Irein?

 

[tedketterman]

1999. 2008 wouldn't be able to cope with that midfield/defence, then 1999 would do them on the counter or from set pieces. That's not my opinion, it's the correct answer.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Combined team IMO

Schmeichel

Neville
Ferdinand
Stam
Evra

Keane
Carrick
Scholes

Ronaldo
Rooney
Giggs

 

[Siorac]

Yeah which gives an advantage to the 1999 side. Lets just assume 2003/2004 SAF is managing both

Why would it give an advantage to the 1999 side?

Let's assume both are managed by Mike Phelan, that's the fairest.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Why would it give an advantage to the 1999 side?

Let's assume both are managed by Mike Phelan, that's the fairest.

sorry, that should have said 2008

 

[Siorac]

A combined team anyone?

Schmeichel

Neville
Stam
Ferdinand
Irein

Scholes (99)
Keane
Beckham

Cole
Yorke
Ronaldo

Based on the 99 and 08 seasons rather than overall united careers as rooney and giggs would be hard to leave out then.

Also, hargreaves was first choice over fletcher in 08 wasn't he?

Beckham in a 4-3-3 like that? Can't really see that working. At the very least it won't get anywhere near his best out of him.

 

[TsuWave]

2008 team is one of the best club sides of all time. And is not heralded as such because it was second to THE goat club side of all time (Barcelona back then).

What was it, 3 CL finals in 4 years or something? 2008 team was a monstrous team

nostalgia will likely speak loud in this thread and poll though

 

[Red_Ramirez]

I would go with 2008. That trio of Rio, Vidic and VDS were just so strong as a defensive core.

Another thing to consider is that the SAF of 2008 was probably a bit more tactically astute than the SAF of 1999.

Agree 100%

90's Man United were quite naive and straightforward going forward. We often found it hard going when facing teams with a 5 man midfield in Europe

 

[pacifictheme]

Sorry, I'm not having Beckham over Giggs, not even close.

Also, Irein?

Like i said based on that season and beckham was voted second or third best player in the world and deserved it. He was immense that year. Most of them were, but he was brilliant.

And obvious typo is obvious.

 

[Red_Ramirez]

2008. Tactically more adaptable and defensively alot tighter. Also that team could win matches in a variety of ways.

The 1998-1999 Treble season as a whole was a lot more fun to follow though. I still remember the feeling quite vividly. It was a fecking exhilarating ride right up to the last minute. Savoured every match probably started from January '99 when we beat Liverpool in the FA Cup all the way to May. Just amazing. Best season EVER

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Are we using 2007/8 squad or 2008/9 squad?

Both squad is very different.

• GNev is totally out in 7/8 but played enough in 8/9.
• Hargreaves played a lot in 7/8 but out in 8/9.
• Brown played most games in 7/8 but few in 8/9.
• Saha only played in 7/8.
• Berbatov and Rafael only joined in 8/9 and played many games.
• Fletcher is awesome in 8/9, not so much in 7/8.

Would be unfair and one sided to combine the two squads for 2008 team.

The other team is clearly 1998/99 squad.

 

[Harry190]

Very surprised by the results. That 99 team is the best United team of all time, would beat anyone. Second half of the season was just an unstoppable force. A rocket helmed by fate and destiny.

Part of the top 3 of all time.

Milan early 90s
United 99
Barcelon 2008-2011

 

[el3mel]

1999.

That treble was one of the best historically and one of the hardest. Our routes in cup and CL weren't pushovers. We faced Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal in Fa Cup, and In Cl we were in one group with Barca and Bayern, then had to face Inter,Juve and Bayern in a row. Incredible we won all of of it out.

Not to mention the amount of great comebacks made and loads of epic moments in everyone of these comments.

Maybe 2008 was more of a complete team. It mostly was imo, and could win with almost any kind of style, either crushing the anime or counter attacking, with a great mix of youth and experience and that was probably the most complete side SAF had assembled.

Howevee, due to the more difficult routes 1999 took, and the amount of epicness in them, I'll always vote for them in any vote.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

i think the midfield of 1999 makes the game a non-contest personally, especially considering how much of that 1999 teams dominance was down collectively to the midfield.

 

[King7Eric]

2008 teamfor me. They were defensively more solid and I'd take Rio and Vida to keep Cole and Yorke quite. Also Rooney and Ronaldo in their primes ( as they were that year) would be too much for the 99 defense to handle imo. In a nutshell I don't think the 99 team would be able to keep a clean sheet while the 08 team could do it.

 

[Class of 63]

Would go to extra-time and penalties, with the 99 team just shading it as their are/were more players likely to hold their nerve from the spot, though i'd prefer a replay or two, or three.... to settle it.

 

[Glaswegian]

Sorry, I'm not having Beckham over Giggs, not even close.

Also, Irein?

Irein goodnight, goodnight Irein goodnight Irein, I'll see you in my dreams. What a player, loved when that got belted out.

 

[Peyroteo]

2007/08 was probably the peak for the Premier League. Arsenal, Chelsea and United made the CL semifinals. Liverpool lost in the quarters to Arsenal, could have easily been 4 english teams in the semis.

1999 team would win the midfield battle but Rooney/Ronaldo/Tevez vs that 1999 defense would cause all sorts of problems while VdS, Vidic and Ferdinand would have a much easier time keeping Yorke and Cole quiet.

 

[Pass and Move]

I think in a head to head it would be close, with perhaps a slight edge to the 2008 team with that firepower up front and forward passing ability of the midfield three, however over the course of a season against other clubs I'd give the edge to the '99 team. I think they offer more different ways to score, and ultimately win against different opposition. Crosses from wide, movement in the box, strikes from distance, tricky wing play, it just adds up to a greater attacking variation which is probably how they came to unlock defences late on in games one way or another.

Similar to Real of the last few years vs Pep's Barca. In head to heads Barca would dominate matches, but against other teams the Real squad offered so many different styles of goal threat that they could overcome opponents eventually.

 

[tonnas]

Hargreaves was the main man not Fletcher in the cl winning side. Hargo carrick scholes in cm.

 

[MoskvaRed]

99 is only stronger in midfield. O8 had better defence, better attack and (arguably, on Schmeichel 99 standards) a better keeper. Plus Carlos was a better assistant than Schteve.

 

[Eckers99]

The midfield of the 1999 team would totally bully the 08 side.

 

[frookydinho]

Incredible teams. 2008 had more talent, 1999 mentality was just incredible. Very fortunate to have witnessed both. Both are the perfect examples of what United are about.

Our current squad needs to watch full season videos of both teams

 

[frookydinho]

Btw no one has mentioned 1999's strike force. York/Cole - what a partnership. Teddy/Ole

 

[MrPooni]

99 is only stronger in midfield. O8 had better defence, better attack and (arguably, on Schmeichel 99 standards) a better keeper. Plus Carlos was a better assistant than Schteve.

Individually I'd rate Ronaldo and Rooney ahead of them but as a partnership Yorke and Cole were something else, especially with prime Beckham supplying them and Paul Scholes running in behind. There's also the small matter of Sheringham and Solskjaer being able to come off the bench and nick a goal at any time. The whole 99 squad felt like an unstoppable machine with a bunch of interchanging parts whereas 08 felt like relied on more moments of individual brilliance.