Manchester United with a slight advantage over City. Winning successors at Manchester City 24 years later, the obvious question is: what was each club's best squad? Sir Alex Ferguson invented squad rotation. Pep Guardiola is operating in an era where first choice is almost obsolete, five substitutions are allowed and lineups are huge. City could field two XIs, which would be more than competitive in the Premier League.
The United team from 1999 below is the team most remember as the first team, although Ferguson only selected it twice during the 1998–99 season. Once against Coventry City in the league in February and then again in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan. In the final, he was left without two of his best players, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, who both received two warnings in the semi-finals against Juventus. This suspension rule has since been abolished by UEFA.
United played in a 4-4-2 formation, although from the start of the season Ferguson worried that he would be outnumbered in midfield in Europe. United were a force of nature – they relied on doing things better than their opponents and with an intensity few could live with. As his players of that era recall in their memoirs, they remember exactly how Ferguson made them feel, not his tactical innovations. He spurred them on with practices that could be more competitive than the games themselves and rallying speeches that referenced their parents' lives and Ferguson Govan's childhood. He obliged his players to seize the moment. They followed him in spectacular fashion.
This “City XI” was chosen by Guardiola only three times, but all in a big way. In the decisive race against Arsenal in April, a 4-1 victory, and then in both semi-final matches, a victory over Real Madrid.
For Guardiola, the picture is very different. His treble-winning team is training hard. The team's form has been improved in ways that are difficult to understand without detailed analysis, as well as in obvious ways, such as the role of John Stones at midfield. The arrival of Erling Haaland changed City again, and there were games where it looked like City were balancing his influence beforehand. For example, with four central defenders. Sometimes a tactical switch can seem like a thing in itself. Guardiola's way of reminding opponents that no matter what they think, his team and his approach will not—can't—foresee.
Which team has won the best treble? United or City? Sam Wallace compares the two Manchester United from 1998-99
Peter Schmeichel: Treble's season was to be his last at United, a decision he later regretted and hoped he could change when he returned 12 months later. A giant of United's history, game and position. He was the captain on the night of the final in Barcelona and took the armband from Keane, a man with whom he had a long-standing personal animosity. There were not many people in the locker room who really liked Schmeichel. During the treble year, Ferguson granted Schmeichel a mid-season vacation in Barbados to encourage him to relax. How would Schmeichel play as a playmaker-goalkeeper in the 2020s? His faith and his competitiveness make you feel like he could do anything. Until now, the greatest goalkeeper of our time, and maybe anyone. 1998-99 season rating: 9.5/10
Peter Schmeichel remains one of the greatest goalkeepers of the modern era. Photo: Getty Images/Clive Brunskill
Gary Neville: By the Treble season, he was already a seasoned United regular and an England international, although he was only 25 years old midway through the season. His current status as a ubiquitous media figure, garrulous entrepreneur, and outspoken voice in every aspect of the game was a far cry from Neville's in the late '90s. Back then, he was one of Ferguson's most dedicated and tenacious soldiers, adapting his career to his manager's beliefs and rules. Neville's partnership with his old friend David Beckham was a fundamental part of the team. By no means a spectacular attacking full-back, but a high-level defender whom Ferguson fully trusted to respond in difficult moments. His role as leader of the homegrown generation in the squad also made him invaluable. 8.75/10
Manchester United players Phil (left) and Gary Neville . Photo: EPA/Andreu Dahlmau
Jaap Stam: There is a tendency to judge his United career in terms of his disastrous departure – bad for both player and club, and later regret for Ferguson. However, when he signed from PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1998, Stam was a revelation. He was exactly what Ferguson wanted for his defense. In addition to his significant physical presence, Stam was fast, daring and had good ball control. His impact was immediate and with Schmeichel he was one of only two to play all 13 games in Europe that season. He forfeited a £1.65m PSV payment to make the transfer. His wife caused the birth of their first child so he could attend and then leave a few days later during United's pre-season. His commitment was not in doubt. 9.25/10
Ronnie Johnsen:Least recognizable from this starry firmament, Ferguson nonetheless learned a lot from Johnsen. He bought him for £1.2 million from Besiktas in 1996. With fellow Norwegian Henning Berg, who also played a key role as full-back and centre-back in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, Johnsen was a very experienced center. back. Johnsen could also play in midfield. He was part of a small Scandinavian-Dutch group at the club who seemed to share the pervasive British-Irish mentality that Ferguson cultivated. Johnsen was David May's central defensive partner in both the decisive game against Tottenham Hotspur and the FA Cup Final against Newcastle when Stam was out due to injury. 8.5/10
Denis Irwin: A great left-back who survived the United era. By the time he became the Treble's first player of the season, he was the club's longest-serving player. Irvin joined the team in the summer of 1990 after Ferguson won his first trophy at the club. He saw everything change. However, nearly a decade later, he was still a top player, embodying the calm and big-match mentality that Ferguson so prized. He was a brilliant penalty taker and scored three penalties that season. He only missed one game in the Champions League, in the group stage against Brøndby. As one of two corkmen on the team, along with Keane, this Southern Irish city was as well represented as any other in this great XI, including Manchester. September 10
Denis Irwin has seen it all and won it all under Alex Ferguson at United Credit: Getty Images/Shaun Botterill
David Beckham:As time went on, Beckham's perception changed outside of any of these players, and much of that was his own choice. But in 1999, his essence was completely different. He was already very famous and for some was divisive. However, most would agree that he was an outstanding player who would now thrive in any Premier League team, City included. The usual discussion about Beckham centers around his wonderful right foot and incredible physical tenacity. However, he was also a very intelligent footballer with a keen sense of what he could and could not do and was always looking for the perfect moment to release the ball. Selfless. Unless, of course, there was a free kick near the gate. 9.5/10
Roy Keane: Keane was one of only two great midfielders to miss the final. Keane's superb performance in the 1998-99 season culminated in the second leg of the semi-final in Turin. He managed the game against Zinedine Zidane, Edgar Davids and Didier Deschamps. At least at the time, he was the best midfielder in the world, with ability and strength of personality that no one else could match. His great unpredictability after the game seems to have been a problem for his managerial career, but made him a box office TV pundit. As a player, he would have excelled on any team and was more than just the great tackling warrior some remember him to be. Of course, he was, but he was as neat and shrewd as everyone else on the ball. Ferguson understood him and indulged him, and then, in the end, got rid of. It's incredible to think that they haven't spoken in almost 18 years. 9.75/10
Highlights: Roy Keane during a great performance away for Juventus Getty Images
Paul Scholes: Everyone but himself fondly remembered him as one of the greatest players in English football. Self-deprecating and dark, he became a dark television critic of the post-Ferguson years. He went on to play perhaps a bigger role in United's only other Champions League win nine years later. In 1999, he was not always the first choice, as Ferguson often preferred Scholes' friend Nicky Butt as Keane's partner. Scholes scored the decisive goal against Inter in the quarter-finals in Milan and then received a yellow card against Juventus in the second leg of the semi-finals with another of those disastrous fouls. Guardiola would certainly put him at the center of his City team if there really could ever be another Scholes. To that end, a technically advanced player that English football academies have spent years and millions of pounds trying to recreate. 9/10
Ryan Giggs:The greatest United career of any player in the club's 145-year history. Someone who will recreate himself for his 30s as effectively as he burst onto the scene as a flying striker in his teens and into his 20s. By 1999 he had been a United player for eight years. He lasted another 15, even ahead of Ferguson at the club, and ended his playing career as United's interim player-manager in 2014. An amazing football player who, even at 25, began to doubt the stability of his hamstrings. Ferguson would have had to remind Giggs to do what he and no one else could do – an early 1999 conversation that some say led to another goal in an FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal that is the greatest ever tournament. 9.75/10
Dwight York: Both he and Andy Cole were reminders of Ferguson's ruthlessness in the transfer market. It will go after the best British or Irish players as well as the best players from overseas who have established themselves in the top English division and York fell into that category. He was a terrific Aston Villa striker who arrived after United started the 1998-1999 season and immediately looked the part. He was a cold-blooded finisher, lightning fast and had a rebound that meant he could adjust quickly to hit the ball at any height. He was overshadowed in the final by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His contribution to the treble was undeniable: he was the top scorer of the season, as well as separately in all three tournaments that United won. In assists, he was second only to Beckham. Giant season. 9.75/10
Dwight Yorke (center) and Andy Cole (right) led the way all in the season that United won the treble. Photo: Getty Images/Ben Radford
Andy Cole:Incredible scorer, ranked fourth in Premier League history. York's arrival was not necessarily good news for him. Last year, Ferguson signed with Sheringham, whom Cole is known to have never spoken to. Then in the summer of 1998, the Scot followed Patrick Kluivert. When that move failed, Yorke showed up, and it wasn't until a victory over Southampton in October that the pair clicked. Cole and York were not just another amazingly helpful link in the team, they were generous to each other. When a couple of them broke through the gate at pace, they were electrified. The burden of scoring goals has weighed heavily on Cole since he arrived from Newcastle four years ago. Treble's season will be different and his goal won the title against the Spurs. He finished second in goals behind York. 9.25/10
Overall rating: 102
Manchester City 2022-23
Ederson: The goalkeeper that Guardiola settled on to build his team's backhand style. Five Premier League goalkeepers have saved more than Ederson's 11 clean sheets this season, but no club has conceded less in the league than the champions. The Brazilian matches Guardiola's approach that his goalkeeper is first and foremost a handy passer. The mistake against Spurs in January was the only big mistake. He is not tested as a net saver like many of his contemporaries due to the way City dominate games. Guardiola even kept his first number in the FA Cup. The season was Ederson's fifth Premier League title under Guardiola and few doubted his importance to the team. 8.75/10
Manuel Akanji: A relatively late signing last summer – Akanji arrived as City's roster planners realized they were weak defensively with seniors leaving. At £15 million, he was a great addition. A left back without the ball and a left center midfielder with the ball, Akanji faces off against Nathan Aka for this role. The departure of Joao Cancelo has opened a window of opportunity. Not only is Akanji a very silky and adaptable centre-back, he also has a gift for mental arithmetic – he can figure out big numbers, not just his 12 times table. He proved to be the right player at the right moment last summer, and his defensive versatility eased the burden on his teammates. 8.75/10
Ruben Diaz:No City player has had more Champions League minutes en route to the final. Dias has been a real eye-catcher since his arrival in the City three years ago. He won the FWA Footballer of the Year award in his first season, the first defensive player to do so in 32 years. A new breed of centre-backs who combine the traditional qualities of strength and air superiority with the usual ball-handling confidence. He is also a natural leader. He's adjusted to the changing demands placed on him in this three-and-four city defense, and he probably turned 26 last month, so he'll be playing for a long time to come. Diaz is capitalizing on the options that Guardiola has, which means Diaz isn't playing every game in the Premier League. 9.25/10
Rubén Diaz has played more minutes in the 2022–23 Champions League campaign than any other City player. Photo: Getty Images/Richard Sellers
Nathan Ake: It was his breakout season in his third year at the club and he was a model of consistency throughout. A laid-back, low-key character, Ake was chosen to play in the Champions League final ahead of one of the biggest players in City history, Guardiola, Kyle Walker. Ake has adapted to a system that requires him to be both a central midfielder and full back depending on whether City have the ball or not. It took him a long apprenticeship to get there from Chelsea, which he finally left six years ago for Bournemouth. Playing for Guardiola requires a lot of complex aspects from a player, but at 28, Ake has it all. He has played less in Europe this season, but got back in shape in time. 8.75/10
John Stones:He is now one of the greatest English defenders in the history of the game – for what he won and how he did it. Stones plays an integral role in the game of his club and country and is crucial to Guardiola's system. With possession of the ball, he moves into midfield. Receive the ball as often as he does under pressure and launch sequences of passes – not for the faint of heart – mistakes have big consequences and there have been times in his career when he has been caught. However, the scale of his progress has been enormous and now, as a regular central defender or one who also plays in midfield, he is one of the most accomplished players in the world. His career at City was at a crossroads three years ago when Guardiola seemed to cool off towards his Barnsley Beckenbauer. The stones returned with a roar. 9.5/10
Rhodri: A master of defensive position in midfield, but also capable of delivering stunning shots on goal. Rodri's physical presence has a significant impact in itself: tall, strong, and always tucked into his T-shirt. Guardiola rarely chooses a team without Rodri. He moves easily in midfield and rarely finds himself in a dominating situation. Plays the ball very effectively and keeps City moving forward. He is also dangerous if left unattended in the opponent's penalty area, where his hammer can hit the corner of the goal. The only opponent this season that made him lose his usual sense of control? Scotland. 9.5/10
Rhodri completed his remarkable journey to redemption when he scored the winning goal to secure the European Cup for City. Photo: Shutterstock/Martin Divisek
Bernardo Silva: A unique talent that Guardiola sees as a natural solution to problems on the pitch. His coach trusts him in both attack and defence, which is why he is ahead of Riyad Mahrez, another mesmerizing talent who often fails to get into Guardiola's team. Small and lean, Bernardo doesn't have the natural physical ability of his teammates, but he plays up and out of the most dead-end situations with the ball at his feet, more often than not culturally. He played over 50 games in five of his six seasons with City. Another archetypal Guardiola player who understands the difficult things his manager demands of him and is one of the few who can. 9.5/10
Kevin De Bruyne: The greatest linebacker of his generation. Has Guardiola decided this season that his Belgian has started to slow down? However, it would be inconceivable that City would go into any big game without De Bruyne. His eighth season at the City and he's still the man for the big event. It was his goal at the Bernabéu that brought City back to the semi-finals. On the rare occasions when Guardiola's team is under pressure to score a goal to save the game, there is no more likely candidate to create him than De Bruyne. His right-foot cross or pass through midfield is just part of his repertoire. He can still push past opponents to break the line if he sees a gap. A wonderful footballer. 9.25/10
Ilkay Gundogan: This seventh season at City was supposed to be his last, but he's just played so well that one wonders why he shouldn't stay another year past his 33rd birthday. A flurry of goals at the end of the season, including two in the FA Cup final, showed just how effective a player he is in every way. An extremely gifted midfielder, capable of handling the ball in all situations and keeping Guardiola's team moving, he also finishes games brilliantly in all positions, both in and out of the box. Another player who came to City as a big talent but got even better under Guardiola. He has played more games this season, including 11 starts in 12 Champions League games before the final. It won't be easy to replace him. 9.75/10
Ilkay Gundogan (left) receives the European Cup from Alexander Ceferin. Photo: Getty Images/Marco Bertorello
Jack Grealish: The most prominent hooligan of modern Midlands football has finally embraced Guardiola's plan and adapted with astonishing efficiency. An insanely talented winger with a velvety touch on the ball and feet as hard as Doric columns, Grealish is now a full start at City. It is almost impossible for him to get away from the ball without a foul, and he puts his team ahead in attacking positions. He took Phil Foden's place on the team thanks to his consistency in the game, which he would not have been capable of before moving to City. He still plays with the kind of joy you would expect from such an upbeat man, despite the pressure of playing for City and Guardiola. The goals may not have been scored yet, but he has played all 12 games en route to the Champions League final. 9/10
Erling Haaland: The most wonderful debut season in English football today. A huge number of goals suggests unmatched dexterity at the right time, the right decision that only the greatest have. He scores all kinds of goals from penalties and his deadpan personality when he misses speaks volumes about his mentality built for the elite game. He was clearly born for this. He is very different from his fellow top-six, so much so that he does not touch the ball the same way on every contact. However, he offers this city team a different quality. Willingness and strength every time to go straight to the gate, as well as the ability to realize their chances again and again. 9.75/10
Overall score: 101.75
Overall? This is Manchester United in 1999 by a quarter of a point. But which side do you think is better – express your opinion in the comments below.
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