Solskjær retires

[Microdot]

Ole Solskjær retires:-


http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/premiership/article2901033.ece

a true legend and model professional.

[Numeric]

aye, United Legend...

one of my favourite players of all time, he will be missed...

just glad that he got chance to shine one last time last season, making a good contribution and winning another title...

you are my Solksjaer, my Ole Solksjaer
you make me happy, when skies are grey
and Alan Shearer, was f**kin dearer
so please don't take my Solksjaer away

[Esox Lucius]

legend.

[kai]

Very very very sad day - up there with when Keano and Eric left the club for me....

Apparently he's to be offered a posituon as a worldwide ambassador for the club which is good to hear - far as I'm concerned for his service to the club and commitment to United he deserves a job for life within OT.

[LittleMinx]

Awwww bless him, what a tough decision to make!!! But he couldnt go on with the way he's knee has been over the years!!!!

Such a class player!!!!

:whoops:

[Will]

I'll always remember how he stitched up Sol Campbell - scum bag.

[Numeric]

what when Sol elbowed him in the face...

[djfase]

what when Sol elbowed him in the face...

:laughing: So true

[Insomnia]

A Man Utd legend no doubt!

I wont forget that goal he scored in 99...

[Microdot]

I'll always remember how he stitched up Sol Campbell - scum bag.

lol, you're a bellend, wake up to yourself...
Ole's not just a Utd legend, but a true legend of the game.

anyway, heres a good write up from the guardian....

apparently, Ole is the greatset supersub ever....

http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,2157555,00.html

"His first goal for United, in August 1996, came six minutes after he was introduced in a home match against Blackburn in August 1996; spookily, his last goal for the club also came six minutes after he had come off the bench at home to Blackburn."

[Will]

Sol said Ole would tell them it was an accident - which he never denied - but didn't, scum bag and his knee injury was karma. So you're the bellend.

[basslinejunkie]

lol, you're a bellend, wake up to yourself...
Ole's not just a Utd legend, but a true legend of the game.

anyway, heres a good write up from the guardian....

apparently, Ole is the greatset supersub ever....

http://football.guardian.co.uk/theknowledge/story/0,,2157555,00.html

"His first goal for United, in August 1996, came six minutes after he was introduced in a home match against Blackburn in August 1996; spookily, his last goal for the club also came six minutes after he had come off the bench at home to Blackburn."

are you on crack?!?!?!? a legend of the game?!?!? go have a shower an wake yourself up m8....

he struggled to even get a game,he was a benchwarmer.lengend of the game thats actually made me chuckle

[kai]

He managed 336 games in 11 years - thats an average of 30ish a season. Which considering he missed best part of 3 years with injuries is a pretty damn high average number of games a season.

And before you say they were all as sub - only approx 1/3 of them were - so still started on average every other game - hardly struggling to get a game is it.


He's a legend for us in the same manner David Fairclough is for your scummy lot, but he means much more to the fans for taking a stance against the Glazers, for being patron of Shareholders United, for sitting with the fans while out injred in the family stand, for unswerving loyalty to the club, for that tackle on Rob Lee, for coming off the bench to grab us a Champions League, for being a model professional in a time of footballers egos, and for rescuing us on countless occasions. Ole Gunnar Soljskaer had the knack of coming off the bench and doing what you thought you'd do if the manager had run out of players and shouted you out from the stands, and thats something you can't replace in the hearts of supporters.


If a Liverpool player had done half those things he'd be worshipped at Anfield - like I say look to your own past and how revered David Fairclough is, and his relationship with the Pool fans doesn't even come close.




As copied from one blog I read on this subject - to me this gets to the essence of what it means to be a Red Legend and what makes Ole up there for ANY united supporter:



Every club has its legends. For United, the untouchables are George Best, Denis Law, Bryan Robson, Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. They aren't loved in spite of their faults, they're worshipped even more because of them. George punched Ron Yeats and knocked him out, Denis scored that goal, Robbo drank for England, Big Norm nailed McMahon (we hurt when he moved to Merseyside, but we got over it), Eric and Simmons, Keane and all kinds, even including Haaland in some people's eyes, but especially getting himself booked and suspended for the final.

The next level includes legends like Bobby Charlton (should be in the top level, but strangely isn't), Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilkins, Martin Buchan, Stevie Coppell, Sammy McIlroy, Kevin Moran, Lou Macari, all the 92 graduates and a lot of the big names of the 90's & since.

There are also those who are remembered fondly despite flitting relatively briefly across the Old Trafford scene such as Gordon Hill, Jaap Stam, Gerry Daly, Arthur Graham & Peter Barnes even, Arnold Muhren, Ralphie Milne (arf), Willie Morgan, Teddy Sheringham, Andrei Kanchelskis and many more.

Not a legend? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer? Not a fkn legend?? For me and for many others, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in the very top level. Unlike the other untouchables, he only ever did one thing 'wrong' and that was THAT tackle on Rob Lee - something that made United fans love him even more. I think of it as a noble act of self-sacrifice and his reaction to doing it has almost the same effect on me as watching Derek Redmond and his dad at the Olympics. His retirement has almost the same effect on me as Stevie Coppell's, although at least Ole's isn't too premature. Good stuff above, I think we got his best bits but there were so many. For the calm finishes and the smiles and the attitude and staying instead of going to Spurs, nobody deserved to score the European Cup winner for United more than Ole.

(The Babes didn't get a mention. They're a whole different level of legendary, because we'll never know...)

[kai]

Sol said Ole would tell them it was an accident - which he never denied - but didn't, scum bag and his knee injury was karma. So you're the bellend.



No your the bellend!

Sol whacked another player in the face with his elbow - blatantly a sending off offence. He then went onto whine in self pity to the press about it, and being a popular England player at the time they took his side and barracked Soljskaer for getting him sent off. However noone ever denied the elbow, and that it was a sending off offence so WTF???


Soljskaer kept a dignified silence while Campbell moaned like a bitch to the press - who's the one behaving like a pro there???


So f.u.c.k off karma - and your the bellend for coming out with such shit against someone who was a model professional.

[Microdot]

are you on crack?!?!?!? a legend of the game?!?!? go have a shower an wake yourself up m8....

he struggled to even get a game,he was a benchwarmer.lengend of the game thats actually made me chuckle

you obviously know fukk all about football son, and as a result I won't bother explaining it to you, I'll leave that to whoever looks after you while your mum and dad are out collecting hubcaps.

[Numeric]

are you on crack?!?!?!? a legend of the game?!?!? go have a shower an wake yourself up m8....

he struggled to even get a game,he was a benchwarmer.lengend of the game thats actually made me chuckle

:laughing:

you know you're talkin s**t man...

[Esox Lucius]

"and solskjaer has won it"

:cool: great moment that in 99

[Microdot]

"and solskjaer has won it"

:cool: great moment that in 99

no doubt, gives me goosebumps every time I think about it.

[Esox Lucius]

me too and im an evertonian :cheese: always had a soft spot for united though, probably because they hate kopites :laughing:

[Frank Dogshit]

a good player but certainly not a legend.....

he was always sodding injured...more sicknotes than shaggy anderton.

[basslinejunkie]

you obviously know fukk all about football son, and as a result I won't bother explaining it to you, I'll leave that to whoever looks after you while your mum and dad are out collecting hubcaps.

nah,know ****all me.....

and dont bother explaining,i rarely take advice from someone who doesnt know his arse from his elbow.

[kai]

a good player but certainly not a legend.....

he was always sodding injured...more sicknotes than shaggy anderton.

Only in recent years.


As for the legend thing - maybe not a legend to supporters of other teams - but in terms of what he means to United supporters he is and will always be remembered as one - and surely legend status is something that can only really be judged by the supporters of the team you play for as its what you mean to those supporters that makes you a 'terrace' legend. In that regard he's up there with any of the United players from the 90's.

Its certainly up there for how I feel with when Keane and Schmeichal went, and above when Eric left, so that says it all really.

[Numeric]

a good player but certainly not a legend.....

he was always sodding injured...more sicknotes than shaggy anderton.

could be wrong but i can't remember him being out for any long stretch before his major injury, by which point he'd already sealed his United Legend status, so you can't blame the club for keeping him on their books and showing hope and faith that he could return, if United would have tried to offload him there would have been an outcry from the fans anyway and rightly so...

Ole is a legend for all the reasons kai and microdot have already pointed out and many more also...

i hope the 20legend banner hangs from the Stretford End for all eternity...

[Numeric]

:laughing:

beat me to it kai...

[Microdot]

bottom line is Solskjær is a legend in the eyes of most true football fans (not just reds) not just because of his ability (possibly the best finisher the prem's ever seen), but because of his attitude to the game.

Ole is a legend in the same way Gary Speed, Alasandro Del Piero, Paul Scholes etc are legends. they've never fukked around, holding their clubs to ransom over wages (like Gerrard, Ferdinand, Keane (though still a legend for other reasons), Lampard etc) or done anything off the pitch to embarrass themselves, their clubs or their fans.

Basically, Ole is a rarity in the modern game. An honest footballer.
That alone doesn't make him a legend, but combined with some historical football moments (4 goals in 10 minutes off the bench vs Forest, last minute winners vs Munich and the vermin in 99), all add up to tick all the boxes necessary to give a player legendary status.

anyone who doesn't acknowlege Ole as a bonafide legend is a know nothing fukkwit, end of.

[Will]

No your the bellend!

Sol whacked another player in the face with his elbow - blatantly a sending off offence. He then went onto whine in self pity to the press about it, and being a popular England player at the time they took his side and barracked Soljskaer for getting him sent off. However noone ever denied the elbow, and that it was a sending off offence so WTF???


Soljskaer kept a dignified silence while Campbell moaned like a bitch to the press - who's the one behaving like a pro there???


So f.u.c.k off karma - and your the bellend for coming out with such shit against someone who was a model professional.

Nope, you're a bellend too. It was clearly an accident and so not a sending off. If Ole hadn't said to Sol it was an accident and he'd say so then he surely would have denied saying so - but he didn't! So clearly Ole knew it was an accident, but didn't try to clear Sol's name because he's a chicken shit scum bag with no moral's. And if Sol had proper caught him with an elbow the baby faced ****er would have had a big bruise to show for it, but he didn't.

I mean there was even a camera angle that showed clear air between elbow and face.

[Microdot]

Nope, you're a bellend too. It was clearly an accident and so not a sending off. If Ole hadn't said to Sol it was an accident and he'd say so then he surely would have denied saying so - but he didn't! So clearly Ole knew it was an accident, but didn't try to clear Sol's name because he's a chicken shit scum bag with no moral's. And if Sol had proper caught him with an elbow the baby faced ****er would have had a big bruise to show for it, but he didn't.

I mean there was even a camera angle that showed clear air between elbow and face.

so, was it an accident or did he not connect with Solskjær's face at all. which is it to be?

I don't know where you saw this replay showing "clear day light", but you're the first person I know of to ever mention it and I know plenty of gooners who've never mentioned such a thing.

BGS's sending off was possibly a bit harsh, but how the **** do you make it out to be Ole's fault? dude got smacked in the face with an elbow (FACT), whether it was intentional or not (not sure how the fukk Ole's supposed to know this btw), it will have hurt.

nothing Ole could have said or done would have stopped BGS getting a red card in any case, so why bother (can't recall any other footballers ever bothering to do such a thing).

tbh, until I posted this on here, not a single person I know has failed to acknowledge Solskjær's status as a true footballing legend. that includes fans of Leeds, Man City, Everton, Spurs, Hudds, Oldham, even the rent boys and the vermin!

if I were you I'd let it drop son, as you are making a bigger fool of yourself with every new post you make.....

[Frank Dogshit]

(possibly the best finisher the prem's ever seen), .


turn it in mate....theres about 10 other strikers off the top of my head that are in a different league to him when it comes to putting the ball in the net.

[Microdot]

turn it in mate....theres about 10 other strikers off the top of my head that are in a different league to him when it comes to putting the ball in the net.

just saying his finishing is up there with the very best...... Klinsman, Shearer, Fowler Owen, RVN etc

[Esox Lucius]

there's no doubting ole's talent, united fans dont just hold anyone in legendary status, imo he IS up there with cantona, keane and the like, a true united legend.

what's more legendary than winning them the CL in the dying mins?

i wish him great luck in whatever he does in the future, seems a genuine nice bloke, even though he only looks 14 :cheese:

[Richierush]

if i had to name some legends from premiership years he would'nt be in it,he may well be one of the best super subs,an for winnin the CL for united no wonder he is a legend for them

[Will]

so, was it an accident or did he not connect with Solskjær's face at all. which is it to be?

I don't know where you saw this replay showing "clear day light", but you're the first person I know of to ever mention it and I know plenty of gooners who've never mentioned such a thing.

BGS's sending off was possibly a bit harsh, but how the **** do you make it out to be Ole's fault? dude got smacked in the face with an elbow (FACT), whether it was intentional or not (not sure how the fukk Ole's supposed to know this btw), it will have hurt.

nothing Ole could have said or done would have stopped BGS getting a red card in any case, so why bother (can't recall any other footballers ever bothering to do such a thing).

tbh, until I posted this on here, not a single person I know has failed to acknowledge Solskjær's status as a true footballing legend. that includes fans of Leeds, Man City, Everton, Spurs, Hudds, Oldham, even the rent boys and the vermin!

if I were you I'd let it drop son, as you are making a bigger fool of yourself with every new post you make.....

Yeah right, it's not like I've said he's a bad player or anything, just think he's a scum bag after what happened there. It's the 4 match ban Sol got that irks me, not the sending off and Ole said he'd do something about that and didn't.

[Microdot]

Yeah right, it's not like I've said he's a bad player or anything, just think he's a scum bag after what happened there. It's the 4 match ban Sol got that irks me, not the sending off and Ole said he'd do something about that and didn't.

how do you know he did nothing? maybe he did mention something to someone, but it made no diffference.

one thing you're way off the mark with son, is calling Ole Solskjær a scumbag.
can't think of a single player in English football who is less of a scumbag since I began watching the game nearly 30 years ago. maybe Gary Speed or Paul Scholes as I mentioned earlier.

[Frank Dogshit]

big deal......toe bopped home a 2 yarder in the CL final.

hes a legend in united eyes,noone elses.

steve ogrizovic was more of a legend than he'll ever be!

[Microdot]

steve ogrizovic was more of a legend than he'll ever be!

lol, YCNMIU...


ps, who are these 10 better finishers then? even I've named more possible contenders than you.

[Numeric]

yeah who are these ten 'off the top of your head' :laughing:

[Eddowion]

Alan Shearer
Ian Wright
Michael Owen
Thierry Henry
Andy Cole
Ruud Van Nistleroy
Nicholas Anelka
Dwight Yorke
Robbie Fowler
Teddy Sheringham
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
Les Ferdinand
Jurgen Klinsmann
Kevin Phillips
Chris Sutton
Dion Dublin
Didier Drogba
to name a few

[judas_beast]

Anelka is amazing, but he blows hot and cold too much. No, thats not a euphemism. Drogba has had ONE good season. People like Sheringham, Yorke, Van Nistleroy yeah, I can agree, brilliant FINISHERS, but Henry? Great footballer, yes, better finiser than OGS?

Anyway, it's all a moot point as Man U are shit and that we can all agree on.

[Microdot]

Alan Shearer
Ian Wright
Michael Owen
Thierry Henry-------no way

Ruud Van Nistleroy


Robbie Fowler

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink-------- maybe

Jurgen Klinsmann




to name a few

This list is nearer the mark mate. not sayin all these are better finishers than Ole, just these are the ones who are in the same class (of finishing).

[Eddowion]

Got a lot of respect for Ole, yes he was a great finisher.
I also have a lot of respect for Sir Al, his record speaks for itself.
The question one has to ask.......In all those years, why was Ole never Sir Al's first choice?

[Microdot]

The question one has to ask.......In all those years, why was Ole never Sir Al's first choice?

one answer could be that during much of that time, Utd had the best pairing up front the premiership has ever seen (please lets not get the numpties trying to argue this aint true) in Yorke and Cole.
after this, Utd signed the most prolific striker in prem history. then Ole got injured a few months later (after securing Beckham's place in the team).
given the competition for places at Utd before, during and after this time, and almost 2 full seasons out through injury. I think he played alot of games.
SAF always said Ole had a unique gift of being able to know what to do to effect a game after watching it from the bench, given the results Ole used to get, I think few would disagree.

and I never said he was the best striker to have played in the prem, I said possibly the best finisher. and I'll stand by that.

anyway, at least we're actually getting some intelligent discussion about the great man now, though I bet we've not seen the last of the ABU numpties in this thread.

[Eddowion]

one answer could be that during much of that time, Utd had the best pairing up front the premiership has ever seen (please lets not get the numpties trying to argue this aint true) in Yorke and Cole.
I agree completely........but.........Yorke & Cole are two of the names you removed from my list???????
Anelka, Klinsmann and Drogba aside.......all the names in my list were taken from the Premier League hall of fame of top goalscorers.

What's an ABU numpty?

[Numeric]

What's an ABU numpty?

ABU stands for Anyone But United

[Numeric]

ABU's are the bitter b**stards that can't stand United because they are jealous of their success...

[Microdot]

I agree completely........but.........Yorke & Cole are two of the names you removed from my list???????


Yorke and Cole together were greater than the sum of their parts and had other things going for them that kept them in the team...Cole's pace, work rate and ability to get into scoring positions, and Yorke's overall contribution to the team and particularly to Andy Cole's play. I reckon Cole often got the nod over Ole because he linked up so well with Yorke. Yorke was chosen over Ole because he was pretty much the best player in Europe that season (possible exception of Keane).
Ole was a better finisher than both Yorke and Cole imo.

[Eddowion]

Yorke and Cole together were greater than the sum of their parts and had other things going for them that kept them in the team...Cole's pace, work rate and ability to get into scoring positions, and Yorke's overall contribution to the team and particularly to Andy Cole's play. I reckon Cole often got the nod over Ole because he linked up so well with Yorke. Yorke was chosen over Ole because he was pretty much the best player in Europe that season (possible exception of Keane).
Ole was a better finisher than both Yorke and Cole imo.
Makes sense, I'll go along with that.

[Eddowion]

ABU's are the bitter b**stards that can't stand United because they are jealous of their success...
Then they're not football fans, they're just a fan of their own club.

[Microdot]

dude who wrote this article appears to understand the point I've been trying to make:-

http://www.sportingo.com/football/does_everyone_even_liverpool_fans/1001,4742

esp. this bit:-

"There will be many players who come and go in the top leagues all around the world who have as much ability as the baby-faced assassin, but there will be few to match his professionalism, dogged determination, his finishing touch and perhaps most of all, his unmatched passion for the game, a passion that he shares with each and every football fan."

[french_og]

What was his goals to games started ratio like??

[Microdot]

What was his goals to games started ratio like??

In The Prem, Ole started 151 games and scored 92 goals.


comparitive stats:-
RVN - 137 prem starts, 95 goals.
Shearer - 427 prem starts, 270 goals.
Owen - 208 prem starts, 127 goals (so far)
Henry - 235 prem starts, 174 goals.

slightly misleading as Ole made so many appearances from the bench (though most of those will have been for 20 mins at the most as SAF rarely makes a sub before the 70min mark).

I reckon if you could find the stats for the ratio of minutes on the pitch against goals scored, Ole would probably be about 2nd or 3rd best.
I'm pretty certain RVN would be 1st whichever way you spin it.

the stat that would tell the real story (tried finding it but no joy) would be the chance conversion ratio.
my guess is Ole would 1st or thereabouts.

[Insomnia]

In The Prem, Ole started 151 games and scored 92 goals.


comparitive stats:-
RVN - 137 prem starts, 95 goals.
Shearer - 427 prem starts, 270 goals.
Owen - 208 prem starts, 127 goals (so far)
Henry - 235 prem starts, 174 goals.

.

Intresting stats there, hopefully Van Persie will challenge Henry's goals/per starts at Arsenal...

Will be very hard to beat anyway, reminds me of just how good the guy was for us...

[Microdot]

Intresting stats there, hopefully Van Persie will challenge Henry's goals/per starts at Arsenal...

Will be very hard to beat anyway, reminds me of just how good the guy was for us...

no doubt. VP's deffo good enough to match him though imo.

[Insomnia]

no doubt. VP's deffo good enough to match him though imo.

He's got 36 goals in 113 appearances but not sure if they've all been from the start of the matches but still he's class no doubt about that...

[Microdot]

He's got 36 goals in 113 appearances but not sure if they've all been from the start of the matches but still he's class no doubt about that...

shit, thought he'd have better stats than that, like you say though, alot of those apps might be off the bench.
goals per min (on the pitch) would prolly make for much more telling stats.

[phantomdj]

Robbie Fowler was the most natural goalscorer the premiership ever saw. Those seasons before he broke his leg were truly unbelievable.

Ole was great. definitely a super sub. clearly had no ambition when he was willing to sit on the bench for so long, year after year. Liverpool were close to buying him at one point and he scared a lot of defenders.

he is a legend for utd winning them the CL when they were crap against bayern who clearly deserved to win it after knocking out Kiev who were flying that year and the fact that they were all over utd in that final.

i respect ole for his talent and not running to the media about not getting games - whether this is because he lacked ambition or he was justy a gentleman professional i don't know.

[Microdot]

he is a legend for utd winning them the CL when they were crap against bayern who clearly deserved to win it after knocking out Kiev who were flying that year and the fact that they were all over utd in that final.


over the 90 minutes, Bayern were the better team, no doubt.
Over the entire tournament, Utd were clearly the best team and fully deserved to win it. They were unbeaten throughout the tournament and knocked out Barcelona, Inter Milan and Juventus on their way to the final.
and don't forget Munich were only kept in the tournament by some last minute crowd surfing from Schmeichel in the group stage.

[kai]

Deffo - and final would have been a very different game if Keane and Scholes hadn't been suspended - dont think the Germans would have bossed midfield anywhere nr the same way they did in that game.

[phantomdj]

Deffo - and final would have been a very different game if Keane and Scholes hadn't been suspended - dont think the Germans would have bossed midfield anywhere nr the same way they did in that game.


kiev were the ultimate team that year.....

drawing 3-3 with them at their ground was a massive achievement... and bayern had their usual home hoodoo for other teams and got through....

how many games did man utd actually win? not many... draws and winning on goal difference if i remember rightly....

the two teams of the tournament were bayern and kiev no doubt.

to say keano and scholes would have changed it for the better is no certainty at all.

anyway history shows you won it, so that counts, but i dont agree you 'deserved' it.

[phantomdj]

BAYERN KNOCKED OUT BARCA BEATING THEM TWICE, NOT YOU! YOU ONLY BEAT MIGHTY BRONDY TWICE!


1. FC Bayern Munich 11 6
2. Manchester United F.C. 10 6
3. FC Barcelona 8 6
4. Brøndby IF 3 6

Matchday One
Brøndby IF 2–1 Bayern Munich
Manchester United 3–3 Barcelona
Matchday Two
Bayern Munich 2–2 Manchester United
Barcelona 2–0 Brøndby IF
Matchday Three
Bayern Munich 1–0 Barcelona
Brøndby IF 2–6 Manchester United
Matchday Four
Barcelona 1–2 Bayern Munich
Manchester United 5–0 Brøndby IF
Matchday Five
Bayern Munich 2–0 Brøndby IF
Barcelona 3–3 Manchester United
Matchday Six
Brøndby IF 0–2 Barcelona
Manchester United 1–1 Bayern Munich

QUARTERS!
Real Madrid 1-3 FC Dynamo Kyiv 1-1 0-2
Manchester United F.C. 3-1 Internazionale Milano F.C. 2-0 1-1
Juventus F.C. 3-2 Olympiacos 2-1 1-1
FC Bayern Munich 6-0 1. FC Kaiserslautern 2-0 4-0

SEMI!
Manchester United F.C. 4-3 Juventus F.C. 1-1 3-2
FC Dynamo Kyiv 3-4 FC Bayern Munich 3-3 0-1



SO THEN YOU DESERVED IT AND WERE THE BETTER TEAM? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!

YOU BEAT BRONDBY TWICE - WOOHOO.
HOME GAME VIA INTER (NOTHING SPECIAL)
BEAT JUVE (GREAT COME BACK)
BEAT BAYERN - VERY VERY LUCKY.


Bayern had a great tournament and to knock out Kiev who were flying (they beat Real also) was awesome....

Take off your man utd gigs and admit it is a strange tournament when you can draw more games than win, yet get a trophy after playing crap.

[kai]

Course - the other way to look at it is we played ATTACKING football throughout and managed to go unbeaten despite playing Munich 3 times, Barcelona twice Inter Milan twice and Juventus twice, and managed to put out the top two Italian teams of the time in the Quarters and Semis. The only side we faced that wasn't one of Europes elite clubs was Brondby and yet we went unbeaten.

Not many teams that win the Champions League can say that.


Admittedly saying the final would have been different with Keano and Scholes is hypothetical - but in the group games we outplayed Munich in both games and they were lucky to get draws, as I remember it anyway, so there is some supporting evidence there. Actually, I tell a lie - we outplayed them at home, and the game in Germany was very even - regardless, they didn't outplay us like they did in the final when we were at full strength in midfield.

And anyway - f*ck it - glad we did get outplayed in the final - was worth suffering for 90 minutes for the elation of those last two!



Agree the '99 Kiev team was an outstanding team though.