[Guest]

Great Reds debate - Manchester United - Football - Sport - Manchester Evening News

Just read this on the M.E.N website and it was quite interesting. They make a good point that Ronaldo wouldn't be assured of a starting place ahead of Beckham in 1999. At first it seems silly, but when you think that all four of our strikers were good in the air back then, we were reliant on Beckham pinging his crosses into the box for them to get on the end of. Ronaldo rarely crosses the ball and prefers to cut inside so he probably wouldn't have been as effective in that team.

I disagree with the point they make about Berbatov not being as inspirational as Cantona. Of course I agree that Canona was way more inspirational, but the real comparison they should be making is between Cantona and Rooney, because Roo is the heartbeat of our team these days, not Berbatov.

It's tough seperating a few of the others as well. Evra or Irwin? Brown or Neville? And the midfield is the hardest to pick.


If I had to choose a team out of the three teams Fergie has built it would be something like this:

----------Schmeichel

Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra

Beckham, Keane, Scholes, Giggs

----------Yorke, Cole

Subs: Ronaldo, Carrick, Cantona, Rooney, Irwin, Bruce, Van der Sar

You could ask me to pick a team on ten different days and I would probably give you ten different answers. We've had so many great players over the last 15years it's hard to leave them out of the team.

I honestly think the team we have now is the best we've ever had, not just because of the first XI but because of the strength of the squad overall. We have over 20 players who can come into the team and not have an adverse affect on the way we play.

So who would make your team?

And which was the best? 1994, 1999 or 2009?

 

[PeeJay]

Out of the three the 08 squad is
probably the strongest and the
94 team is probably the weakest.

The comparison is between 99
and 08 but we had such different
playing styles. Would Beckham be
as effective today? Cole? Would
Ronaldo have been as effective?
Evra?

 

[Richie]

After much thinking, I think I've come to this conclusion, and it was difficult to not use the Yorke-Cole partnership:

----------------------Schmeichel

Neville--------Ferdinand---------Vidic--------Evra

Beckham-------Keane----------Scholes------Giggs

------------------------------Cantona
----------------Ronaldo

Subs: Van Der Sar, Stam, Ince, Carrick, Rooney, Sheringham, Solskjaer

 

[PeeJay]

After much thinking, I think I've come to this conclusion, and it was difficult to not use the Yorke-Cole partnership:

----------------------Schmeichel

Neville--------Ferdinand---------Vidic--------Evra

Beckham-------Keane----------Scholes------Giggs

------------------------------Cantona
----------------Ronaldo

Subs: Van Der Sar, Stam, Ince, Carrick, Rooney, Sheringham, Solskjaer

Erm...don't know what Ronaldo's doing there.

 

[TheManc]

Somewat OT but I feel sorry for RVN. He was one our best players but unfortunately played in between the 99 and 08 sides.

For the the 99 team was the best. It had the best team balance.

I watched the Inter home match from 99 earlier - Becks crossing was incredible. I think people underestimate just how good he was due to his popstar status.

My team is the same as the one in the 1st post.

 

[Guest]

Somewat OT but I feel sorry for RVN. He was one our best players but unfortunately played in between the 99 and 08 sides.

For the the 99 team was the best. It had the best team balance.

I watched the Inter home match from 99 earlier - Becks crossing was incredible. I think people underestimate just how good he was due to his popstar status.

My team is the same as the one in the 1st post.

I picked well then

I know what you mean about Beckham. I watched the 99 season review a couple of weeks ago and it's easy to forget just how good he was. None of his crosses were just hopeful balls into the box, they were served on a plate for the strikers. He scored some important goals too. The first against Arsenal in THAT game stands out for me, plus one I think on the last day of the season when we needed a win to secure the title and went a goal down. Can't remember who it was against

Under rated player though, some people who didn't watch him play think he got where he is due to his popstar status as you say, but he was also one of the most hardworking players in the team.

 

[Boomhauer50]

09 for me. i think our current squad is the best overall, theres class all over the pitch and we play some quality football even tho the goals aren't flowing too much of late but still creating chances.
i couldn't go about doing out my favorite ever team tho as id probably change it 100 times, will give it a go later maybe.

 

[haggler]

Some of the play in 94 was simply breath taking but the side had too many weaknesses .

99 side has gone down in folklore --- never knew when they were beaten .

08 side has got same sort of vibe

smikes has to be in goal --vds may have clean sheet record but he is not fit to clean the big danes boots for me . He was the best keeper i have seen next to shilton .

gary neville has to be right back
rio and nemanja have to be centre halfs
dennis the menace irwin gets left back for me as he was so good with dead ball he gave us viable options
Beckham Scholes Keane and Giggs has to be the midfield
van nistelrooy and Cantona would be my forward two

vds- sub keeper .evra and stam -sub defenders .robbo and ronaldo- sub mids. ole and rooney sub forwards

 

[MsUnited]

1999`s had something special no other squad will have.
Can`t say much about the 94`s tbh, don`t remember any of it.
As of the squad we have now, i believe tremendously in the potential the whole squad carries, and with the way things are going we can go on and on for years and be successful till then.

 

[christianoharleiro]

Our current squad is the best we've ever had. Our 99 first team were the best out of the 3 first XI's.

It depends if you're talking sheer individual ability, or team work etc. Like for example, I'd have Beckham instead of Ronaldo, but if we're picking the best individual for each position then Ronaldo would take it.

Teamwork/Partnerships:

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Irwin
Beckham Scholes Keane Giggs
Cole Yorke

Individuals:

Schmeichel
Neville Stam Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs
Solskjaer Cantona

Cantona would be in the 'teamwork' category no doubt but I couldn't fit him in instead of the Cole-Yorke partnership.

 

[Dazza]

Schmeichel

Neville Vidic Rio Evra

Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs

Cole Cantona

Subs: VDS, Bruce, Irwin, Beckham, Carrick, Rooney, Yorke

Why is everyone so anti Ronaldo still? He won the Ballon ******* D'Or , he's the most naturally gifted player we have ever had... How can you pick anyone bar Giggs or Keane ahead of hi, that's just crazy....

 

[TheManc]

I picked well then

I know what you mean about Beckham. I watched the 99 season review a couple of weeks ago and it's easy to forget just how good he was. None of his crosses were just hopeful balls into the box, they were served on a plate for the strikers. He scored some important goals too. The first against Arsenal in THAT game stands out for me, plus one I think on the last day of the season when we needed a win to secure the title and went a goal down. Can't remember who it was against

Under rated player though, some people who didn't watch him play think he got where he is due to his popstar status as you say, but he was also one of the most hardworking players in the team.

Spurs at home. Typical Becham goal. Hit the ball hard, with tons of curl, right into the top corner.

His goal vs Arsenal gets overlook because of the Giggs goal. Kinda similar to Teddy's goal in the final in that it gets overshadowed.

 

[sweet fa]

Out of the three the 08 squad is
probably the strongest and the
94 team is probably the weakest.

The comparison is between 99
and 08 but we had such different
playing styles. Would Beckham be
as effective today? Cole? Would
Ronaldo have been as effective?
Evra?

what you say about the squads is correct but if you picked the strongest 11 it would be the 94 TEAM by a distance they were totally brilliant and tough ,they were unable to play the best line up in europe because of the rules at the time.nistelrooy has been utds ultimate striker but he was in none of the teams.

 

[piazza]

-----Schmeichel
Neville---Vidic--Stam---Irwin
Ronaldo----Scholes---Keane(C)---Giggs
--------Cole----Yorke

Subs: Van Der Sar, Cantona, Ole, Rio, Bruce, Becks, Ince

 

[CROoney]

another debate ?!

no way im' in

 

[MsUnited]

another debate ?!

no way im' in

Then what are you doing here hun?

 

[CROoney]

Then what are you doing here hun?

being sarcastic babe

 

[MsUnited]

being sarcastic babe

If you say so

 

[CROoney]

If you say so

i do

 

[yangch0000]

94-99-09
the playing style just keep evolving.
94, we have a very england, english style team.
99, the english roots are still very strong, and we are still a typical england team, with fair shares of high balls and crosses, but we try to keep the ball on the ground as well.
now, we are an european team, with english fighting spirit, and maybe fair bit brazillian flair.

they are just 3 great teams. a joy to watch.