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The Best Of The Best
Good question Rob from Weymouth, that certainly got me thinking over lunch. A mix-up of the current Man Utd squad and the 99 Treble heroes with perhaps a smattering of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' from 03/04 would be tough to choose. What didn't help was that I couldn't really remember the Arsenal squad from just four years ago. After a little research, my task was made easier when I realised that Wiltord and Cygan were part of the self-proclaimed 'Best Side in the World...Ever!' so that narrowed it down a bit. Still, I begrudgingly included some north London favourites for the sake...
My team would be:
Schmeichel
Neville G (99)
Ferdinand
Campbell
Cole A
Keane
Vieira
Ronaldo
Scholes (probably 99)
Giggs (99)
Henry
The solid foundations are the English back four with the two talismen (can you have more than one?) sat in front setting up a great platform for attacking. I'd probably allow the trio behind Terry Henry to do as they please.
Bench: Van Der Sar, Stam, Pires, Rooney and of course Solskjaer.
Christ, that was difficult. I had to leave out some right gems like Blomqvist, Edu and Silva.
Tom (likes making up fantasy teams. Next please) Drew
...I have picked a team from the two great United teams (1999 and 2008) and from the Arsenal 2004 team. What is clear is that the 1999 team had the bigger name players than the current crop - it will be interesting to see how many of the current 2008 set-up achieve the status of, say, a Keane, Giggs or Schmeichel (three players who surely can't be left out!). I would suggest Vidic, Evra, Anderson and Rooney have a fabulous chance. What is also clear is that the 2004 Arsenal side were a supremely talented bunch, who, though I agree they are slightly behind the 1999 Manchester United side - and my favourite United team, the 1994 double team - were a memorably good side. The final conclusion is how much more rounded the current 2008 United team are than the others, with excellent players filling every position. Any of the current 1st XI, except Brown, could make the bench. The 1999 squad had Nicky Butt and Jesper Blomqvist playing 40 games each - neither would get near the 2008 side, and even the occasionally telepathic Yorke and Cole get nowhere near the bench in the combined XI. Likewise, players like Lauren and Edu would struggle to get near the current 2008 team. The 2008 team has the potential to go past any of the above, and is certainly stronger in depth than the others, but lacks the big hitters who so dominated the 1999 United and 2004 Arsenal team, listed below.
Formation 4-2-3-1
GK: Peter Schmeichel (UTD 1999: can't see anyone arguing with that! The best ever)
RB: Denis Irwin (UTD 1999: tough one between him and Neville, but a great pro for many years who scored the odd good goal)
CB: Rio Ferdinand (UTD 2008: a defining figure in the best defence of all three teams)
CB: Jaap Stam (UTD 1999: summed up the never-say-die attitude of the treble team)
LB: Ashley Cole (ARS 2004: hate to include him, especially with Evra so impressive, but he was seriously awesome that season. Still hate him though)
CM: Roy Keane (UTD 1999: a brilliant leader, renowned for his tenacity and shall we say 'edge', but hugely underrated as a footballer who drove from box to box and never wasted the ball)
CM: Patrick Vieira (ARS 2004: with respect to Paul Scholes, it is impossible to look beyond Vieira and Keane for these spots. A wonderful player and leader whose battles with Keane were the stuff of legends).
AMR: Cristiano Ronaldo (UTD 2008: Nothing really to add. Great player, automatic selection).
AMC: Ryan Giggs (UTD 1999: Thought long and hard about a 4-4-2 with Bergkamp, but just impossible to ignore Giggs after his contribution to the treble and to United in general. On the wane now, but one of the leading stars in the world over the past 20 years).
AML: Robert Pires (ARS 2004: His understanding with Henry was the key to Arsenal's season. A clever player and big goalscorer who demands selection)
CF: Thierry Henry (ARS 2004: Like Ronaldo, automatic selection, no need to embellish).
Substitutes:
Van der Sar (UTD 2008)
Neville (UTD 1999) - tough on Patrice Evra, but Irwin comfortable on the left.
Toure (ARS 2004)
Scholes (UTD 1999/2008)
Beckham (UTD 1999)
Bergkamp (ARS 2004)
Rooney (UTD 2008)
Finally, as I alluded to before, I believe that none of the three sides there is the best in the Premiership's history. Try this one for size - Man Utd 1994 double winners:
Schmeichel, Parker, Pallister, Bruce, Irwin; Kanchelskis, Ince, Keane/Robson, Giggs; Cantona, Hughes
Guy (Manchester)
...In response to a Man Utd 2008/treble winning hybrid team, I would have to go with:
Schmeichel, G Neville ('99 version), Ferdinand, Stam, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes ('99 version), Keane, Giggs ('99 version), Rooney, Tevez.
Yes, Cole and Yorke were awesome together but individually I do not rate them as in the same league as Rooney or Tevez.
Also, the only Arsenal invincible to get into that side would be Henry at the expense of Tevez.
And I support Newcastle so I hate Man Utd and Arsenal equally.
Tom Fitzgerald, London
...Thanks to Rob, Weymouth for setting an interesting lunchtime puzzler. A starting 11 consisting of the best of ManYoo 2008, The Arsenal Invincibles 2004, and the ManYoo treble winners 99 (complete with middle names - it's been a slow morning!). Here goes...
GK: Peter Boleslaw Schmeichel (99)
LB: Ashley Cole (Inv)
CB: Nemanja Vidic (2008)
CB: Rio Gavin Ferdinand (2008)
RB: Gary Neville (99)
LM: Ryan Joseph Giggs (99)
CM: Patrick Donale Viera (Inv)
CM: Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (2008)
RM: David Robert Joseph Beckham (99)
CF: Wayne Mark Rooney (2008)
CF: Thierry Daniel Henry (Inv)
I know some readers may not agree. The exclusion of Roy Keane for Vieira is bound to upset some, for example. But I do think all these players at the time concerned were rated as among the best in Europe (if not the World) in their position. Even that despicable to**er Cashley Cole was highly rated at left back once!.
I look forward to seeing the teams picked by other readers.
Pete 'definitely not Boleslaw' Magrath
...My combined team of Utd 99, Utd 08 and Arsenal's 'Invincibles' would be as follows;
Peter Schmeichel - One of best goalkeepers ever so that's an easy one.
Gary Neville - Always been overrated in my opinion but who else is there?
Jaap Stam - Just ahead of Vidic just because it was so funny when he scored.
Rio Ferdinand - Campbell may have been better during the unbeaten season but as a partner to Jaap, Rio would be better.
Patrice Evra - Pace sneaks him ahead of Irwin.
David Beckham - 99 was probably his best season so he has to be in.
Roy Keane - Close between him and Vieira but I think Keane was a better leader and example when the going got tough.
Paul Scholes - See Beckham plus the fact his partnership with Keane was probably the best in Europe.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Best in the world on current form.
Thiery Henry - Best player never to win the world player of the year award?
Dwight Yorke - Was the best finisher in Europe in 99 and gets in ahead of Rooney because of the amount of goals the Beckham - Yorke combo produced.
Subs: Pires, Vieira, Campbell, Van Der Sar, Ljungberg, Berkamp, Rooney.
Martyn, Loyal Royal (so none of business really I suppose but it passed some time)
...In response to Rob's e-mail here is my personal best Man U team from 99 and 08 combined:
GK - Schmeichel
RB - G Neville
LB - P Evra
CB - J Stam (Just edging it over Vidic)
CB - R Ferdinand
RW - C Ronaldo - Better than Beckham in his prime, hell better than most in their prime
CM - R Keane
CM - P Scholes
LW - R Giggs
ATT - D Yorke
ATT - A Cole
Most of this team picks itself really, however Stam v Vidic could go either way, and I selected Yorke and Cole because that season they were almost unplayable as a partnership (see game v Barca at the Nou Camp), although individually they are probably less talented than Rooney or Tevez.
In response to which of the invincibles would get into this team, then I'd say A Cole, Pires and Henry only (and it's probably my Arsenal bias suggesting Bobby gets picked ahead of the 99 vintage Giggs).
Ollie, Toronto
...In response to Rob, Weymouth's question re: 'Dream Teams' made up of 2008 and 1999 United teams, I spent some of my lunch hour thinking on it and came up with the following:-
GK: Shcmeichel
RB: G Neviller ('99)
LB: Irwin
CB: Vidic
CB: Ferdinand (Big decision here vs Stam, but Rio's pace gets him in.)
RW: Becks
LW: Ronaldo ("He plays on the left...")
CM: Keane
CM: Scholes ('99) (Again a big decision vs Anderson, but until 'Jimmy' starts scoring, Scholes gets the nod.)
CF: Yorke
CF: Rooney
And no, none of the Gooners' team would get in.
Andy G, Manchester, MUFC
...Not that anybody will care what I think, or actually they probably will, and probably send in loads of emails calling me a twunt or something as usual, but here's my ManYoo 11 taken from players from the class of 99 and 08 anyway:
GK. Peter Schmeichel (much better than Van Der Sar)
RB. Gary Neville (bit of an easy one as there's only been one right back since 99, and that's still him)
LB. Patrice Evra (bit more pace than Irwin, but I was torn on this one)
CB. Nemanja Vidic (easy)
CB. Jaap Stam (sorry but no place for Rio, imagine these two brick sh*thouses in your central defence, unbeatable I reckon)
LM. Ryan Giggs (again an easy one, Nani not quite ready for this crown just yet)
RM. Cristiano Ronaldo (sorry Beckham, but you were never that good)
CM. Paul Scholes (Still as good now as he was then)
CM. Roy Keane (no explanation needed methinks)
CF. Wayne Rooney (better than cole)
CF. Carlos Tevez (better than Yorke)
So there you have it, not much to choose between the two teams really, but as three of the players in the team played in 99 and 08, I think the current crop of players just about shades it, so absolute proof that this team is going to be better than the treble winners.
And no, no Gooner 'Invincibles' would get into either team, simply because I'm bitter and twisted, and hated their team of 2004 going unbeaten.
David Glen, Manchester
...To answer Rob, the best Manyoo XI from the players of '99 and '08 would be:
Schmeichel, Neville, Stam, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Keane, Scholes, Giggs, Cole and Yorke
Some would argue that Rooney should be in this team, but would you really want to break up THAT strike pair at their peak?
Assuming the 'Players at their peak' ideology (i.e. Giggs, Neville and Scholes counting as 'treble players'), that would make it a resounding 8-3 to the treble winners.
Sibman Rajab
Btw, I really can't find a place for any of the 'Invincibles' in the above team. Some would argue that Henry would make this team, but would you really want to break up THAT strike pair at their peak?
...Combining the 99 Utd with the 04 Arsenal and the 08 Utd I came up with this lot.
1. Schmeichel - Quite simply the greatest goalkeeper ever to grace the Premiership. His punditry was a verbal apocalypse though.
2. Irwin - The underrated Irishman was so underrated he was overrated. Or something like that.
3. Stam - To sell this rock and replace him with a 35-year-old with the pace of a 60-year-old would have to go down as Sir's biggest mistake. (after Kleberson)
4. Vidic - Does twice the work of Ferdinand for half his wages.
5. G. Neville - Consistently brilliant and annoying to boot for well over a decade.
6. Pires - He was scoring goals from the wing in the days when we knew Ronaldo to be a fat Brazilian.
7. Keane - Split a nation with his views and opposition players with his tackles.
8. Ronaldo - Destined to become the first £100 million footballer.
9. Bergkamp - Arguably the greatest footballing brain in this team. And easily the most likeable from that Arsenal lot.
10. Henry - Paved the way for the Ronaldos and Torres of today with his direct style of football. Crap actor mind.
11. Rooney - A glimpse of what Gazza could have achieved if he had of joined a proper club.
Robert Melia
And Some That Forgot The Gunners Altogether
My 1999/2008 team would be:
Schmeichel
G Neville (The 1999 version)
Ferdinand
Vidic
Evra
Beckham
Keane
Scholes (The 1999 version)
Ronaldo
Yorke
Cole
No Giggs purely because Beckham that year was truly amazing and Ronaldo has been amazing this year.
Yorke and Cole were an amazing partnership, Rooney may or may not be a better footballer but that partnership was pure class.
So it seems that 7 of the 11 players would be from the 1999 team which considering they won the treble is not really much of a surprise.
Gurmeet Sahni, MUFC
...Combining treble winning and current United squads, I have to say I'd go with most of the current squad. Wouldn't take any of the strikers over our current shape for the first team.
Schmeichel
Younger Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra
Nani, Beckham (in field), Keane, younger Scholes, Ronaldo
Rooney
Bench would be: younger Giggs, Anderson, Saha/Solskjaer, Hargreaves, Stam
Beckham crossballs over the defence to Ronaldo and Rooney x 15 please. Can't say fairer than that.
On the Henry vs Ronaldo debate, its easy to mark one star man out of the game. The same used to be the case with Beckham. The rest of the team need to take up the slack when that happens. At least Ronaldo doesn't usually go absolutely missing and stand on the left wing whining at his team mates when the chips are down.
Guy Shrimpton, Manchester United supporter
...Re: Rob, Weymouth's mail, here's my Man Utd '99/'08 XI, in a 4-4-2:
1. Schmeichel
2. Irwin (at right back to fit in Evra)
3. Evra
4. Ferdinand (unbelievable this season after years of unreliability/lack of concentration)
5. Vidic (better all round than Stam)
6. Keane
7. Beckham
8. Scholes
9. Ronaldo (playing as a striker with license to roam around [close to what he plays these days] but also get in the box for Beckham's crosses)
10. Rooney
11. Giggs
There's no need for this 4-3-3 business with Keane in midfield doing the work of two or three people. With Scholes, Giggs and Beckham when they were in their prime, all offering a different approach, the ultimate midfield. The '99 style could easily adapt to the neat build-up style of '08 with Ronaldo and Rooney up front and Scholes and Giggs supporting. What a team that would be.
Evin, Dublin
But ManYoo 1994 Was The Best
Just thought I'd join in the debate about the best Premier League team.
Without doubt, it is the Man United team from the 93/94 season.
At one point we were 16 points clear of Blackburn Rovers, eventually winning it by 8 points.
We also won the FA Cup by demolishing Chelsea 4-0 in the final.
If not for Aston Villa we would have become the first team to win the English Treble (a game in which we had Schmeichel suspended).
We had Schmeichel, Bruce, Pallister, Robson, Ince, Keane, Giggs, Sharpe, Kanchelskis, Hughes and Cantona all at the top of their game.
However, we did fail in the European Cup BUT the foreigner rule was still in force so we could not play our full team. Plus the trip to Istanbul to play Galatasaray didn't help.
So for me, there is no contest.
That team easily eclipses Mourinho's Chelsea and Arsene's Invincibles.
Robert Balboa
What About Chelski 2005?
Don't forget Jose's 2004/05 Chelski, who set many records that season including:
* Highest Premiership Points Total Ever - 95 (if this current ManYoo side win all their games, they will have 94 points).
* Fewest goals ever conceded in a English Football top flight season - 15.
* Most wins in a Premiership Season - 30.
* Longest period without conceding a Premiership goal - 1,019 minutes.
Also, the foundations were laid in this season for our current amazing 77 (or more) unbeaten home match record!
John 'Bring Back Mourinho' Lestourgeon
There Was Life Before The Premiership...
Man Utd 1999 vs 2008. Can I just say they are both sh*te and would get their asses whipped by Liverpool 1988 vintage.
Thank you.
Mark Robbo, LFC
...If Joe Alford thinks that Pet Sounds is overrated, he's clearly a cretin of the highest order.
On the subject of greatest team of modern times, can I throw in the Liverpool team of 1988? Unbeaten for the first 29 games of the season, only two defeats all year. Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge were an unstoppable attacking trident. When they demolished Forest 5-0 - not forgetting that Forest were their closest challengers at the time - Tom Finney was acting as pundit, and described it as the most complete performance he'd ever seen. Finney knows a thing or two about flair - google him, Chelsea fans. But, of course, that was pre-Premiership, and before John's 24/7 football insanity. So it doesn't count, does it?
Nathan
Dear Joe From Manchester...
1: The odds of you being a United fan from Manchester are the real statistical anomaly here.
2: Arsenal went unbeaten for an entire season FFS. If United managed that we would never, ever, ever hear the end of it. Prove positive that ye are the bestest team in the world ever etc...ad nauseum.
3: If you can't take of the blinkers then do not comment about someone else's team. If hate united yet can usually reserve my bile filled diatribes (spelling?) to myself. Please do us the same courtesy.
4: Arsenal going unbeaten was an amazing achievement. Live with it. Liverpool winning 5 EC/CL is an amazing achievement, live with it.
5: (Last one promise) I do not even support Arsenal but I can see they are a great team as are United and Chelsea. Why? Because they are up there towords the top of the league. United/Arsenal/Chelsea are not there by fluke, you can fluke a cup but not a 38-game season.
Steve, Limerick, Ireland (Everton and proud)
On ManYoo/The Beatles
To Joe Alford, the only thing ManYoo have in common with The Beatles is that they are both overated.
Yeah I said it.
Si (This isn't going to be printed is it? if so why not?)
...Your Manchester correspondent who rates Pet Sounds as overrated crap is clearly a cloth earred bint or whatever the male equivalent of bint is. The White Album and Sgt Pepper's aren't even the best Beatles albums.
I remain your humble servant.
Terry Malceo
We Were Just Trying To Help...
May I suggest that if your going to do a Missing Men in future, that perhaps you really shouldn't put the answer on your website also.
Andrew Williamson, Ireland (Utd to win 2-1 tonight)
Daring To Question Nostradamus
Whilst I fully agree with Mr Reep about 'EMO' indeed being traditionally goal-rusty after an injury and that he clearly is still England's best goal-scoring option (alright, I added that bit), I think his time ought to be spent looking after his newborn son rather than emailing football websites.
I should hate to have to inform Social Services of his negligence and force him to miss the Liverpool - Arsenal fixture.
Alex Swift, York Mag (and it's worth pointing out that Mr Reep declared that if Liverpool won from here [3-0 down to Milan in the CL final] that he would take all his clothes off and run down the street, so take his National tip with caution)
Nice To See April Fools' Day Still Going
I wondered today whether the tradition of April Fool had slowly died away, now that we're so used to seeing slack-jawed idiots ritually humiliated in weekly rejections, occasionally complete with baying mobs like in days of yore. Maybe, I thought, cling film on the bog or tales about spaghetti growing on trees are just too tame for a society that delights in cellulite, panzer commander and the milkmaid headlines and Britney's barely pixellated minge (at least, I hope it was pixellated).
But my heart has been gladdened to see the 'news' of Coke's imminent sponsorship of Man United on the UWS Rivals site - it's worth checking out (once you've finished here, of course), and a long piece in today's Telegraph in which Henry Winter, musing on the BBC's lack of live football, describes Gary Lineker as "an outstanding presenter, witty, articulate" and goes on to say "and Jamie Redknapp, among others, is invariably thoughtful".
I tell you, I fair misted up at the thought that today's crass commercial world still has room for some old-fashioned japery.
(Allan) trying something different (Hobbs)
The Answer: Very Short
Assuming Diouf leaves Bolton, would I get good odds on West Ham being his preferred destination?
Arron (Assuming Diouf leaves Bolton, would I get good odds on West Ham being his preferred destination?) Putting nearly all my mail in brackets is that a first) Dublin
Sticking Up For Granny
I would like to complain about the unfair and ill-informed comments made today on your site regarding granny's nether regions. I am well experienced in this matter, and whilst it is true to say they are often dry, I can safely assure you that they are most definately penetrable.
Wayne, Manchester
Today's 'I'm Never Coming Back Again' Mail From A Scouser
I'm not going to rant and rave about the Liverpool bashing that you gang of fat geeks set about on an almost hourly basis now - that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. However, as football is basically a religion, your comments and attempts to turn other people against Liverpool supporters on your site are akin to racism and are really starting to annoy me. If this 'bashing' was based on a recognised religion or the colour of our skin, your pathetic (and ever more boring, might I add) website would have been closed down a long time ago. Rest assured that, even if you DO print this letter, I won't read it anyway as I will not be visiting your biased website again - And neither will any of my friends or family. I will make it my aim to stop people visiting your website if I can ever be bothered.
Anyway, regarding my point: I just wanted to say that your biased views have sunk to a new low with the 'History Tell Us To Assume Nothing...' article by Philip Cornwall. Specifically this paragraph:
'It has become fashionable to belittle Italian football after the failures of Inter and Milan against Premier League opposition in the last 16. But that is to ignore how much Liverpool's tie turned on red cards, injury and the two late goals at Anfield, and how Milan - though European champions - are struggling generally.'
Liverpool's tie TURNED on red cards and injury??!!! Is this idiot for real???!!! Let's pretend that neither of the red cards were correct (within the rules of the game, they were in fact correct...if not a little harsh in Materazzi's case as the referee followed the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law)...Would the so-called professional journalist care to quote the statistics of possession and attempts at goal for each team BEFORE the sendings off and injury in order to prove his point that our tie 'TURNED' on these factors? Or do his journalistic musings only stretch to the depths of his biased blinkered racist mindset where research doesn't count as long as there's a chance to belittle Liverpool?
Inter Milan themselves admitted that they were totally outplayed in both ties and their manager even resigned after the second leg. Patrick Vieira handballed in the area but we did not get the penalty that we deserved. Of course, none of this would matter to your 'fantastic' (ahem) journalist Philip Cornwall. He doesn't need to look at any quotes or stats - He can make them up himself to support his racist arguments you see...
I was actually going to put post-match quotes on from other 'unbiased' (ever heard that word?) websites but I've wasted enough time on you idiots already. I've made my point.
As I say: Print this or not - I couldn't care less as I will not be visiting your site again.
Stephen 'Insert racist dated gag against scousers here even though Liverpool has not been in the UK top 10 for burglaries or car thefts for the past 6 years - There's a statistic for you to check' Ullathorne
And Just Making The Cut By A Matter Of Seconds...
Where's the Mailbox today? Is there no-one writing in? I might have a chance to get published then, now if only I could come up with something funny and amusing to say...Newcastle are po...oh erm...Liverpool are rubi...Is it any coincidence that the Mailbox has become rubish since these teams started playing again? On another note, what the fuzz are sky going to do on the last couple of weeks when Man Utd are Champions, the top 4 are sorted, and Derby, Fulham and Bolton are down?? D'you reckon they'll play re-runs of other seasons' final day dramas like the Beeb do when it rains at Wimbledon?
Euros Rees
