Manchester United are genuine contenders for the Premier League title for the first time since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Jose Mourinho may have spent heavily on rebuilding the squad but the money has been used to good effect, with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku slotting straight in with ease. Victor Lindelof may not have settled yet but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his way back to full fitness, United fans are dreaming that the glory days could be on the way back – at long last.
Mourinho delivered a treble – of sorts – last season with United winning the EFL Cup, FA Community Shield and UEFA Europa League to secure a return to the Champions League. But the stakes are higher this season, with Mourinho’s old rival Pep Guardiola leading Manchester City to top spot in the Premier League at this stage of the campaign.
Guardiola and Mourinho are two of a select club of managers to have won a the treble at previous clubs – the Catalan at Barcelona and Mourinho at Inter in Italy.
But how does Mourinho’s current team match up to the side that won the treble under Ferguson? The odds of creating a team that can mirror such an achievement will be difficult. Let’s take a look and put together a combined XI across the two eras.
What a time it was!
Goalkeeper – Schmeichel v de Gea
The goalkeeper will be one of the hardest decisions we have to make here, with club legend Peter Schmeichel going head to head with David de Gea. In many ways Schmeichel revolutionised goalkeeping, with his incredible distribution giving United an extra dimension.
United had all kinds of problems replacing Schmeichel and the current incumbent is probably the first time they have had a goalkeeper of the highest level since the Dane. David de Gea has a genuine claim to be the best goalkeeper in the world right now, but his lack of major honours at United is a barrier that is impossible to ignore at this stage of his career.
True, it is not de Gea’s fault that for much of his time at the club he has been playing behind a very flawed defence, and winning the club’s player of the year award three times in a row in 2014, 2015 and 2016 is a clear sign of his importance.
De Gea frequently makes miraculous saves, particularly with his feet, and the way he put his head down and got on with the job after a move to Real Madrid was blocked is admirable. But Schmeichel was more than just a world-class goalkeeper, he was also a leader and that just about gives him the edge in a very tight battle for the gloves.
Winner: Peter Schmeichel
Defence – G Neville, Stam, Johnsen, Irwin v Valencia, Jones, Bailly, Blind
It says a lot about the genius of Ferguson that he won the treble with a defence that arguably only had one world-class defender: Jaap Stam.
The Dutchman would later fall foul of the Scot as a result of comments made in his autobiography, but he played a huge part in United’s treble success. Alongside him was a rotating cast led by Norwegians Ronny Johnsen and Henning Berg, neither of whom anyone would seriously describe as top-class, but Stam held the back line together.
The full-backs were solid and dependable rather than being particularly outstanding, although Gary Neville’s innate understanding with winger David Beckham was one of the key factors in the success of that team. On the left, Irwin was one of the last of the old breed of full-backs who were selected primarily for their defensive duties, but to carve out a career as successful as his while playing on the ‘wrong’ side of the defence was admirable.
Defence is still one of the issues causing a headache for Mourinho, although both Phil Jones and Eric Bailly have shown signs of developing into high-class players. Jones has always had plenty of potential, but too many injuries have stymied his progress.
A case can certainly be made for Bailly to partner Stam in the heart of the defence, however. The Ivorian is a pure defender, strong as an ox, and would complement the Dutchman nicely.
Although the conversion of Antonio Valencia from a flying winger into one of Europe’s most reliable full-backs has been a success, Neville in his prime would still beat him out, while left-back remains a problem for the current United side – so Irwin gets that spot.
Winner: Gary Neville, Jaap Stam, Eric Bailly, Denis Irwin
Midfield – Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs v Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Matic, Mata
The midfield quartet that saw United through to their treble is one of the greatest any European club has ever been able to field, with Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes coming through the ranks of the youth system together.
Supplemented by the canny addition of warrior Roy Keane, there was the perfect mix of brain and brawn in the middle of the park, while Beckham and Giggs were both world-class wingers.
As impressively varied as the well of talent in the current United squad is, it is hard to even find a place for Paul Pogba in the treble team. The Frenchman’s ability on the ball might add something extra, but could you swap out Keane’s leadership or Scholes’ goalscoring?
Traditional wingers have rather gone out of fashion over the last decade or so and United do not really have anyone who could be classed as a winger these days. Instead, their squad is full of tricky number 10s like Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, neither of which are quite good enough to force their way into this side.
Pogba or Scholes is almost an impossible decision, but the former’s power and athleticism might just add something different to the team, so he forces his way in by the slightest margin.
Winner: David Beckham, Paul Pogba, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs
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Attack: Cole and Yorke v Lukaku and Rashford
More difficult decisions have to be made in attack, with Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole’s telepathic understanding having helped United to win the treble.
But Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford make a strong case, with the Belgian having made a stunning start to his career at the club after a big-money move from Everton. Rashford, meanwhile, has already won the hearts of United fans thanks to his all-action style.
It is probably too early for Rashford to be ready to make a team like this, but Lukaku’s strength and knack of scoring plenty of goals means it is harder to ignore his claims for selection.
Yorke scored 29 goals in all competitions that season, with Cole only a few behind on 24, so it is the Trinidad and Tobago man who leads the line in our combined XI.
Lukaku has an indescribable star power that Cole, for all his abilities, just lacks a touch. Plus the combination between Pogba and Lukaku, so thrilling in the early weeks of the campaign, will be irresistible in this side.
A word too for the supersub to end all supersubs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who inspired that stunning end to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich. The baby-faced assassin struck 18 goals in all competitions in the treble season and will be a huge asset on the bench.
Winner: Dwight Yorke and Romelu Lukaku
In with the new.
Full Manchester United combined XI: Schmeichel; G Neville, Stam, Bailly, Irwin; Beckham, Pogba, Keane, Giggs; Yorke, Lukaku.
Subs: De Gea, Jones, P Neville, Scholes, Rashford, Cole, Solskjaer.