Cristiano Ronaldo’s ruminations about the current Manchester United team and their place in the pantheon of great sides have given food for thought. Are they really better than that all-conquering team of 1999? Should we really trust our judgment back in a year when B*witched had four No 1s and most of the country’s leading public figures celebrated New Year queuing to get out of North Greenwich tube station?
And how the hell do you measure these things? The United team of 1999 won the treble; Ronaldo’s current side will only be able to win the Premier League and the Champions League. Of course this current team is more expensive but that’s the natural inflation in transfer prices across the board. Signing the current day equivalent of Andy Cole in today’s money would cost a lot more than £7m, although at least the man who made the decision to sell Newcastle's best striker is still in a job – back in the same job no less – to show us that not everything changes.
The best way to compare like with like is the way most managers take stock of their teams: by age. The team of 1999 seem older in the memory, players like Peter Schmeichel, Denis Irwin and Ronny Johnsen were coming to the end of their careers. There was, unlike the current day, no player younger than 24 in the United team of 1999. Three years later, United reached the Champions League semi-finals again but that generation never got any closer.
The team that won the final in Barcelona in May 1999 was without Paul Scholes and Roy Keane – both suspended – but if we are judging this on the team of the year they have to be in at the expense of Nicky Butt and Jesper Blomqvist who played on the night. Likewise, the current first XI is difficult to judge. Luis Anderson or Scholes? Luis Nani or Ryan Giggs? Carlos Tevez in or out? I’ve gone for the two older players and Tevez out. The results are interesting: the 1999 team is, on average, a year younger.
1999 United team
Peter Schmeichel, aged 35
Gary Neville, 24
Ronny Johnsen, 29
Jaap Stam, 26
Denis Irwin, 33
David Beckham, 24
Paul Scholes, 24
Roy Keane, 27
Ryan Giggs, 25
Dwight Yorke, 27
Andy Cole, 27
Average age: 27.3
Average age of outfield players: 26.6
2008 United team
Edwin Van der Sar, 37
Wes Brown, 28
Rio Ferdinand, 29
Nemanja Vidic, 26
Patrice Evra, 26
Cristiano Ronaldo, 23
Paul Scholes, 33
Owen Hargreaves, 28
Michael Carrick, 27
Ryan Giggs, 34
Wayne Rooney, 22
Average age: 28.4
Average age of outfield players: 27.6
For the definitive 1968 v 1999 v 2008 account on United’s great teams we’ll have to consult my esteemed colleague James Lawton, The Independent’s chief sports writer, who watched every one of those teams and tends to have an opinion on these things.
Meanwhile, thanks to those of you have emailed me after reading the piece about Manchester United’s academy graduates. Unfortunately there is nothing The Independent can do about getting your child into United’s academy. If your son is 14 years old or under, unattached to an academy, lives within an hour of Manchester and is a promising player the chances are the club will know about him anyway.
Those who have emailed from Africa and South America the only advice is this. Your son will have to be better than just the best player in his town, or the best player in the region. Not even being the best player in his country is any guarantee of him being good enough for United. That’s the standard. And once again: they’ll find you.
(Pictures: Getty Images)
Well - if you choose the older players for the 2008 team, the average age will be older... But the true test will be perhaps next year. The 1999 team lasted one more year and was then dismantled.
Huge bids from Real aside, much of this team (minus Giggs, Scholes, VDS and Neville)would be replaced - but importantly would be replaced by people already in the squad most likely - apart from a new right back perhaps. The difference is that the evolution has already begun with Nani, Anderson, Foster and perhaps even Pique.
Posted by: Ashley Grimes | 22 April 2008 at 06:03 PM
it might help the comparision if you got the ages right. Carrick and Hargreaves are both a year younger than you give them credit for
Posted by: Ged Knowles | 23 April 2008 at 12:36 PM
my name is ali ahmed but i preferred being called ali i am a 14 yr old lad from somali and i have great potential in me waiting to be developed i am a passionate man united fan and would be very glad to be given the chance to be groomed in the united way, right now my life is all about football am very talented and willing to learn.it will be a dream come through to be given a trial in man utd soccer academy. thank you.in case of any news my contact mail is ba-ashe06@hotmail.co.uk pleas contact me
Posted by: ali | 30 April 2008 at 12:18 PM
I dont think 1999 United team will beat the today's team. The 2008 United team have a more attacking mentality, great individual skills and are playing in a league that is more competitive than ever. I dont think the premiership in 1999 was as competitive as it is now. Even though the 1999 squad won the champions league, you couldn't say that they were the greatest team in the world. This 2008 squad although there is a bit of room for improvements, is arguably the greatest team in the world.
Posted by: Manchester United Credit Card | 14 May 2008 at 09:22 PM
The difference between the two teamss is that the 1999 Team had a bench that could score goals. United need to buy a striker that can bag some goals. Rooney needs some bench time.
Posted by: Derek | 22 May 2008 at 02:34 PM
i suggest,for the interest of all the manchester united fans here in nigeria,please try as much as possible sign atleast one African player.Thanks.
Posted by: emmanuelkent | 25 August 2008 at 12:05 PM
THEY WERE BOTH WORLD CHAMPIONS. CONGRATS FOR 1999 AND 2008 SQUADS.
Posted by: Man Utd 4Ever | 21 December 2008 at 05:43 PM
WE WILL SEE BY THE END OF THE SEASON IF THE 2008/09 TEAM IS BETTER...THEY STILL HAVENT WON EVERYTHING YET
Posted by: MANUTD NUM 1 FAN | 18 February 2009 at 12:28 PM
2008 team has been performin really poorly this year!!lets c if anythin can chng by da end of the ssn!!
Posted by: sherry | 10 April 2009 at 04:54 PM
manchester united i chailange u to play a match with my team.definatly my team beat u.
Posted by: harry | 07 June 2009 at 11:39 AM