It was good enough to top both Arsenal's invincible's and Liverpool the season after. I'd say the league was just shit back then, Chelsea really didn't have any competition which is one of the many problems City are going to have if they want to win the league - the premiership is a lot stronger now than it was back in Chelsea two seasons of fame
Shit team that was able to compete yes, but win the PL....? Not good enough.Not sure what it says about the PL or us
End of another Era?
- Thread starter charlenefan
- Start date
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
Add Carvalho (Gallas played left back mostly, not Bridge), J.Cole, Robben and Duff and that's a quality side they had.That team would struggle to finish forth now, bigat Bridge, Geremi, & Smertin
In their defence though they were without Duff & Robben for that game who were their best players that season
Oh how I loved that 2008 team. It was perfect in almost every way. 
Good to see 6 Englishmen in it as well ...
If not for the defensive injury crisis late in 2007, it's possible that 2006-07 would have been the greatest in club history.
And for all that 2007/08 achieved, the 2008/09 edition were penalty kicks away from an FA Cup final (using a reserve side at that) and that terrible performance in Rome away from winning a ridiculous quadruple.
Great thread.
I loved the 2007/2008 team and was a bit too young to really appreciate the 1999 team and wasnt that much into United back then than I am now.
Our current squad is surely a very good one. Especially compared with some others we had in the past.
Still there will be some changes in the summer.
Great times there were and great times ahead.
I loved the 2007/2008 team and was a bit too young to really appreciate the 1999 team and wasnt that much into United back then than I am now.
Our current squad is surely a very good one. Especially compared with some others we had in the past.
Still there will be some changes in the summer.
Great times there were and great times ahead.
as a first XI then I'd go for the 99 team over 94 and both better than 08 (close between 94 and 99 but the latter won the european cup and beckham - keane - scholes - giggs is probably my favourite sentence of all things united, for several seasons that just rolled off the tongue).
08 had a stronger squad in general i reckon but that's happened all across football, particularly in england.
if i had to pick a squad of 22 from the teams since 1990 it'd be :
Schmeichel
VDS
G Neville
D Irwin
P Evra
P Neville
Stam
Ferdinand
Vidic
Pallister
Keane
Scholes
Ince
Fletcher
Beckham
Giggs
Ronaldo
Kanchelskis
Cantona
Ruud
Rooney
Solskjaer
The strikers in particular are practically impossible to pick - I was tempted to just pick the four from 99 but in the end went with a variety, only changing rooney in place of andy cole at the last minute.
The above would suggest that the current squad, and that of 08, was probably greater than the sum of its parts (apart from in defence).
Robson would have been in instead of Ince had I been a bit older but the above is on what I've seen myself.
Still don't like having left Cole out though
08 had a stronger squad in general i reckon but that's happened all across football, particularly in england.
if i had to pick a squad of 22 from the teams since 1990 it'd be :
Schmeichel
VDS
G Neville
D Irwin
P Evra
P Neville
Stam
Ferdinand
Vidic
Pallister
Keane
Scholes
Ince
Fletcher
Beckham
Giggs
Ronaldo
Kanchelskis
Cantona
Ruud
Rooney
Solskjaer
The strikers in particular are practically impossible to pick - I was tempted to just pick the four from 99 but in the end went with a variety, only changing rooney in place of andy cole at the last minute.
The above would suggest that the current squad, and that of 08, was probably greater than the sum of its parts (apart from in defence).
Robson would have been in instead of Ince had I been a bit older but the above is on what I've seen myself.
Still don't like having left Cole out though
The 94 team is a hugely underrated side. Basically a 20 goals per season striker away from near perfection.
WTF is Fletcher doing in there ahead of even a pissed-up 37 year-old Robson, or even Carrick or Butt?
Hmm... how would the 1990s squad fare against the 2000s squad?
---------Schmeichel---------
Parker--Stam--Pallister--Irwin
Kanchelskis-Keane-Ince-Giggs
-----Cantona----Cole--------
Bench: van der Gouw, Bruce, P Neville, Beckham, Butt, Hughes, McClair
------------van der Sar--------
Neville--Ferdinand---Vidic--Evra
Ronaldo--Carrick--Scholes--Nani
--------Rooney----Ruud--------
Bench: Howard, Brown, O'Shea, Fletcher, Valencia, Saha, Solskjaer
Note 1: No player can appear in both sides.
Note 2: I added Stam because he was that good.
Note 3: Tevez can feck off.
Note 4: Toss up: Fletcher, Valencia or Veron - Veron would do well today IMO
---------Schmeichel---------
Parker--Stam--Pallister--Irwin
Kanchelskis-Keane-Ince-Giggs
-----Cantona----Cole--------
Bench: van der Gouw, Bruce, P Neville, Beckham, Butt, Hughes, McClair
------------van der Sar--------
Neville--Ferdinand---Vidic--Evra
Ronaldo--Carrick--Scholes--Nani
--------Rooney----Ruud--------
Bench: Howard, Brown, O'Shea, Fletcher, Valencia, Saha, Solskjaer
Note 1: No player can appear in both sides.
Note 2: I added Stam because he was that good.
Note 3: Tevez can feck off.
Note 4: Toss up: Fletcher, Valencia or Veron - Veron would do well today IMO
Maybe Butt should be in above him but I'd take fletch over carrick. I didn't see robbo in his prime really, he wasn't an integral part of our 93-94 team.
Tbh the more I think of it, I would put Butt in there. Ah well.
Rio Ferdinand won't be replaced by Smalling next season or even in the next couple seasons. As with Giggs and Scholes, there is a lot more football left in them boots even though many fans are already writing Rio's obituary. Smalling while talented is only 20 which means we should expect to see dips in form and a lack of consistency from him in the future. When Smalling has those dips in form, as he inevitably will, then we'll be glad that we have the finished article in Rio as our first choice in the defense.It seems though that by common consensus we need a creative midfielder which you would think will could put either Carrick or Fletchers spot in the team at risk. VDS is retiring, Giggs may only have one more season in him, with Rio's age and constant injuries how long before we stop looking at Smalling as his deputy and rather as his replacement? Lastly Berbatov is now in the so called dreaded thirties, even with his goal scoring form this season he's been left out of the big games will he play less next season? Those in bold are those I feel are in the biggest danger should SAF be on the verge of creating another great team. Will it be as early as next season where we start seeing the below implemented for the majority of games?
---------------New Keeper-------------
Rafael---Smalling---Vidic----Evra
---Fletcher---New Centre Midfielder---Anderson
Valencia---------------------------------------Nani
---------------------Rooney----------------------
We know in the summer VDS will retire, Neville has already done likewise, Scholes it's still unsure, Michael Owen's contract is up and with Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez & one of Welbeck, Macheda & Diouf you would think it wont be renewed. Owen Hargreaves will surely be leaving also.
Rooney, Vidic, Evra, Nani & Anderson have all recently signed new contracts so they wont be going anywhere one would think, Rafael & Smalling are surely what we will base our future on, Valencia is still really a new signing.
That then leaves Ferdinand, Fletcher, Carrick, Brown, Evans, O'Shea & Park that either make up the remainder of the first team squad or to be shipped out altogether to allow further opportunities for the likes of Fabio & Cleverly and any other possible summer signings.
Discuss
Fletcher, Park, O'shea, Evans, Ferdinand and Carrick will be going no where.Was just thinking last night whether or not we could be on the cusp of Fergie breaking up this current squad and starting to create his 5th team so to speak?
Not sure how many would agree with this but if you look at it like this;
1993 Team
-------------Schmeichel-------------
Parker---Bruce---Pallister----Irwin
Kanchelskis---Ince---Keane---Giggs
------------Cantona---Hughes-------
that over time evolved into the 1999 Team
-------------Schmeichel-------------
Neville---Stam---Johnsen----Irwin
Beckham---Keane---Scholes---Giggs
--------------Yorke---Cole-------
What followed was in hindsight the largely unsuccessful 2003 Team
--------------Barthez-------------
Neville---Ferdinand---Silvestre----O'Shea
Beckham---Keane---Veron---Giggs
---------------Scholes---------
-----------------Van Nistelrooy
Which eventually was more or less disbanded into the 2008 team
-------------Van Der Saar-------------
Brown---Ferdinand---Vidic----Evra
Ronaldo---Carrick---Scholes---Giggs
------------Rooney---Tevez-------
What we have at the moment is the startings of his 5th team;
-------------Van Der Saar-------------
Rafael---Ferdinand---Vidic----Evra
Nani----Carrick---Fletcher---Giggs
------------Rooney---Berbatov-------
It seems though that by common consensus we need a creative midfielder which you would think will could put either Carrick or Fletchers spot in the team at risk. VDS is retiring, Giggs may only have one more season in him, with Rio's age and constant injuries how long before we stop looking at Smalling as his deputy and rather as his replacement? Lastly Berbatov is now in the so called dreaded thirties, even with his goal scoring form this season he's been left out of the big games will he play less next season? Those in bold are those I feel are in the biggest danger should SAF be on the verge of creating another great team. Will it be as early as next season where we start seeing the below implemented for the majority of games?
---------------New Keeper-------------
Rafael---Smalling---Vidic----Evra
---Fletcher---New Centre Midfielder---Anderson
Valencia---------------------------------------Nani
---------------------Rooney----------------------
We know in the summer VDS will retire, Neville has already done likewise, Scholes it's still unsure, Michael Owen's contract is up and with Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez & one of Welbeck, Macheda & Diouf you would think it wont be renewed. Owen Hargreaves will surely be leaving also.
Rooney, Vidic, Evra, Nani & Anderson have all recently signed new contracts so they wont be going anywhere one would think, Rafael & Smalling are surely what we will base our future on, Valencia is still really a new signing.
That then leaves Ferdinand, Fletcher, Carrick, Brown, Evans, O'Shea & Park that either make up the remainder of the first team squad or to be shipped out altogether to allow further opportunities for the likes of Fabio & Cleverly and any other possible summer signings.
Discuss
It's Brown who should be worried.
We are 3 players away from being a dominant top of the pile type side again.
Ronaldo was the end of 'this' teams era for me
It's a rebuilding job since then. Quite a successful one too
It's a rebuilding job since then. Quite a successful one too