Best PL team

This always comes down to Arsenal fans clinging on to the invincible season.

The reality is that United lost less games in their treble winning season than the invincibles lost in their invincible season.

And United won two more trophies, one of which Arsenal have never won.

I know what a true Arsenal fan would prefer and it isn't a golden teapot.

The nostalgic me says our 99 team were the best and, if they would have had the tactical prowess of the 08 team (SAF matured) I think they'd have won more than one CL.
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Not sure about this myself. I actually think new blood was needed as well. I could understand Ferguson not strengthening the treble team immediately, but even the season after we were playing basically the same side. Things definitely got a bit stale by 2001 and I seem to remember Bayern brushing us aside fairly easily. Keane said it was “maybe the end of the road for this team in Europe” and I think he was right.

The question in the OP can’t really have a right answer. United 99, Arsenal 04 and City 18 all have obvious claims. However, I’m not convinced there has ever been a stronger XI + subs than United 08 and they did it at home and in Europe. Depends on which criteria you use but for a team that just filled you with confidence right the way through it, they’d probably be my shout.

^ And to complicate the above further, as a United fan I’d say the opposition I found most daunting was Mourinho’s first Chelsea side.

The invincible season is an incredible achievement, but I’d have to caveat that with the number of games they drew in relation to the quality of the opposition. There was no ‘big 6’ back then as such so I struggle to work out how they drew 12 league games that season. Did a few of them come after they’d won the title?

City might have lost twice last season but the fact they won by such a large margin and broke so many records is why they have to be in the discussion. Of course we can’t forget the style of play they achieved it with.

The treble is still the best achievement of the lot though, I don’t know how many players they had in their squad back then but I’d imagine it was smaller than the modern-day 25, so they didn’t have the luxury of fielding loads of reserves in the cups or certain league games ahead of European ties.

i like the invincibles players man for man the best but how can you argue with a treble winning team?

comment by Clockwork Red (U4892)
posted 1 hour, 28 minutes ago
The nostalgic me says our 99 team were the best and, if they would have had the tactical prowess of the 08 team (SAF matured) I think they'd have won more than one CL.
——————————

Not sure about this myself. I actually think new blood was needed as well. I could understand Ferguson not strengthening the treble team immediately, but even the season after we were playing basically the same side. Things definitely got a bit stale by 2001 and I seem to remember Bayern brushing us aside fairly easily. Keane said it was “maybe the end of the road for this team in Europe” and I think he was right.

The question in the OP can’t really have a right answer. United 99, Arsenal 04 and City 18 all have obvious claims. However, I’m not convinced there has ever been a stronger XI + subs than United 08 and they did it at home and in Europe. Depends on which criteria you use but for a team that just filled you with confidence right the way through it, they’d probably be my shout.
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I think the 99 team still had more than enough legs in it to win at least one more CL. After 99 we had Keane for 6 years, Beckham for 4, Giggs for 15 (!), Butt for 5, Neville for 8 etc.

I think we could probably have done with a Ronaldo type player up front (as Cole and Yorke never hit the 98/99 heights again) but I think it was our attacking tactics, and a bit of bad luck, that stopped us winning more.

That 08 side was formidable though with our best, IMO, CB partnership in the PL era, VDS, Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez up front, Scholes and Carrick in midfield and a prime Evra. We also had a great supporting cast that season as well.

99 will always be magical for me though for obvious reasons!

The invincibles were great, but points wise they've been bettered many times. They only achieved four more points than 16/17 Spurs.

Utd 99 win the vote.

United Treble - 30%
Invincibles - 29%
City centurions - 15%


Chelsea 04-05 was a popular choice on here, but only got 5%, behind even United 07-08.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
United Treble - 30%
Invincibles - 29%
City centurions - 15%


Chelsea 04-05 was a popular choice on here, but only got 5%, behind even United 07-08.
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But City got their 15 playing attractive football, and Arsenal’s is an unbeaten 29, so the vote is still wide open.