That's a big statement to make considering we haven't won a trophy with these players but i believe him when he said it, in terms of midfield you can say it's not the strongest but everywhere else is possible stronger. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/feb/15/manchester-united-reading-alex-ferguson?CMP=twt_gu
Schmiechel > De Gea Neville > Rafael Stam > Ferdinand Johnson < Vidic Irwin < Evra Beckham > Valencia Keane > Carrick Scholes > Cleverley Giggs > Young Cole < Rooney York < RVP 99 team edges it for me, though I do feel the 08 team was better than both, and had it not been for a dodgy referee in the cup semi final against Pompey we would of won another treble
Only because of that midfield though! Plus Fergie said the "squad" was stronger, not the firxt XI. You'd also have to take in partnerships, Yorke and Cole weren't nearly as skilled individually as RVP/Rooney, but they were immense up top together. Where as both Rio/Vidic are great players individually, but they were the best CB pairing in the world for a few years.
I rate the 99 team the best, ridiculously good midfield, Yorke and cole together worked so well and then teddy and super ole to come on.
For me, Fergie is right. He is not bullshitting or playing mind games. The strengths of the teams in the premiership have increased beyond recognition. Teams like spurs, city, Chelsea, are now much stronger than they were in 1999. And we are top of the league by some margin. Ok. We haven't won any trophies yet with this squad but in terms of overall strength this team and squad is better than 1999. My favourite team (is pre 1999) is the one with Cantona, kanchelskis, Hughes, Giggs. That was some team. In one season, the team had effectively won the title by December because every team was being crushed and I couldn't see any team challenging united for the title.
I think 99 was better.. More depth to the whole squad, up front we had four great players where as now we have two. The only area we are better is our CB options.
We have more players now in midfield but none of them come close to the starting midfield of the 99 team.
Accept that the 1999 mdfield edges it. But remember how close arsenal ran that team. Arsenal had a good team too and could themselves have had a double... In terms of options and attacking power, I think I would prefer the 2013 team if i had to claw back a deficit in the 2nd half.
Personally I think the opposite is true - 99 had a much stronger starting line up, but much weaker squad depth. After Keane, Scholes, Beckham and Giggs the only decent midfielder we had was Nicky Butt - Blomqvist and Cruyff were pretty average at best and after that it was Jonathan Greening. Right now with Valencia, Nani, Young, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Cleverley, Jones, Anderson, Kagawa and potentially Fletcher to come back we have twice as many good midfielders, even if none of them are of the quality of the 99 starting four. Similarly in defence - only Vidic or Ferdinand would get into the starting line up in 99, but Berg, May and Curtis wouldn't get in the squad nowadays, and Johnsen would probably be fourth choice CB. I think the stronger squad reflects the demands of this season versus ten or twelve years ago. More money spent by City and Chelsea means we can't afford to put everything into the first team and be left with poor quality backups who will mean we draw 13 games and lose at home to Boro. We need to have a more even balance across the team so we don't get screwed by a single injury or suspension. That was our big Achilles heel back in those days - trophyless in 95 due to the Cantona suspension, in 98 due to Keane's injury, almost won nothing in 04 due to Rio's suspension. Our squad back then would never have pushed City so close last season with the volume of injuries we had.
Schmiechel > De Gea Neville > Rafael Stam < Ferdinand Johnson < Vidic Irwin > Evra Beckham > Valencia Keane = Carrick Scholes > Cleverley/scholes Giggs > Young/giggs Cole = Rooney York < RVP solsjaer > hernandez sheringham > welbeck
Agreed. The 1999 team in the CL final was overpowered because the replacements for Keane and scholes were not to their standards. That City team last season was awesome and to have stayed with them during the first half of the season and to edge it later was confirmation of the strength of the squad. People keep saying that the premiership is rubbish. Most top clubs have one or two top drawer players and most have got much stronger squads that they have had 10 years ago.
