Van Dijk, Mo Salah and 3 other Liverpool stars would stroll into United’s treble team
Five players from this current Liverpool side would conveniently play in the 1999 Manchester United treble winning team.
It is not a good thing comparing two eras as conditions of play and competitions at different eras are totally different.
But when push comes to shove we could employ the use of stats and other conditions to arrive at a conclusion.
Steve McClaren who was Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant in 1999 was quoted saying only Virgil van Dijk would make the treble winning side.
“Virgil van Dijk next to Jaap Stam, that would be invincible,” the 58-year-old told Sky Sports News. “Nobody would get past them.
“But for me, seriously, only Van Dijk would get into that team. When you look at that Manchester United team, that is leadership throughout the whole team, and leadership was the key. Liverpool are developing that now,” he said.
This position is filled with sentiments because four other Liverpool players would play in the 1999 Manchester United treble winning team.
While we deservedly talk about the best ever season by any English club, a peek into how this was achieved could help to a large extent.
Manchester United won the league with the worse defensive record of all the top four teams, conceding a total of 37 goals and only beating Arsenal to the title by just one point.
Their 1999 Champions League triumph is regarded as one of the worst in the history of the competition according to research from your promotion code.
To say just one player from this dominant Liverpool side would make the treble team is not accurate and couldn’t be backed up by fact but just sentiments.
Not taking anything away from the treble team but four other players from this almost perfect Liverpool side would make the 1999 squad.
It is just February and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are 22 points ahead of their closest rivals in the Premier League, they are still on course to defend their Champions League title also in the race for the FA Cup if they take it seriously.
In fact, they could be crowned Premier Champions this March, this squad too good to have just one player making the the 1999 treble winning team.
The starting XI at the time in United’s traditional 4-4-2 were:
GK Peter Schmeichel
RB Gary Neville
LB Dennis Irwin
CB Jaap Stam
CB Ronney Johnsen
MF Paul Scholes
MF Roy Keane
MF David Beckham
MF Ryan Giggs
FW Dwight Yorke
FW Andy Cole
While Liverpool’s starting XI in the usual 4-3-3 formation are:
GK Allison Becker
RB Trent Arnold
LB Andy Robertson
CB Joe Gomez
CB Virgil van Dijk
MF Jordan Henderson
MF Fabinho
MF Gergio Wijnaldum
MF Saido Mane
FW Mo Salah
FW Robert Firmino
Considering the above Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson, Alexander Trent-Arnold, Mo Salah and Saido Mane would stroll into that Manchester United squad.
GK Peter Schmeichel>Allison Becker
RB Gary Neville<Trent Arnold
LB Dennis Irwin<Andy Robertson
CB Jaap Stam>Joe Gomez
CB Ronney Johnsen< VVD
MF Paul Scholes>Jordan Henderson
MF Roy Keane>Fabinho
MF David Beckham>Gergio Wijnaldum
MF Ryan Giggs< Saido Mane
FW Dwight Yorke< Mo Salah
FW Andy Cole> Robert Firmino
Saido Mane over Ryan Giggs, Mo Salah over Dwight York should be easy picks for any one who realises these guys in the last two years have been amongst the top 5 world best footballers.
Andy Robertson and Alexander Trent-Arnold are amongst the best full backs in the world. Trent over Gary is tough choice but considering the young Liverpool’s contribution this is the right pick.
