Rio Ferdinand insists his dominant Man United team of 2008 would have BEAT the famous team of 1999… as he reveals how Sir Alex Ferguson orchestrated the Invincibles’ demise by urging his side to ‘get in the face’
- Rio Ferdinand was a vital part of Man United’s successful 2008 squad
- United have won the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup
- Ferdinand believes 2008 side would have beaten 1999 three-time winners
- The United legend also recalled beating Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ to end their run
Rio Ferdinand insists Manchester United’s 2008 side were the club’s best and would have beaten the famous three-time winners of 1999.
United won the Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup in 2008 with a squad featuring Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez.
The Red Devils were seen as the dominant force in European football at the time, but they were unable to match the Treble winners’ achievement.
Rio Ferdinand said the United squad he was part of was the greatest in the club’s history
Ferdinand was a key member of the United squad who were the dominant force in 2008
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were beaten in the 2008 FA Cup quarter-final by Portsmouth, a game which denied them the chance to emulate the success of the 1999 side.
In 1999, the team completed a historic treble in spectacular fashion as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored a stoppage-time winner in a 2-1 Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
When asked if the 2008 squad was the best in United history, Ferdinand, speaking on the Filthy Fellas Youtube show, replied: “Yeah.”
United were crowned world champions after winning the Premier League and Champions League in 2008
Ferdinand believes 2008 side would have beaten 1999 treble winners
‘I think if we played them [the 1999 team] it would be a tight game but… I think our team would beat them,” Ferdinand said.
‘I do. It’s all hypothetical, but I really think we would.
Ferdinand also recalled that United ended Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ unbeaten streak in October 2004.
Then champions Arsenal arrived at Old Trafford needing to avoid defeat to extend their streak to 50 matches, but lost 2-0 in a fiery contest that was littered with controversy.
United beat Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in October 2004 to end the Gunners’ 49-match unbeaten streak
The match at Old Trafford was a moody affair which United eventually won 2-0
With just 17 minutes remaining, United were awarded a penalty which Ruud van Nistelrooy converted – banishing his demons from the same game the previous season, where he hit the bar from the point at the last minute – before Rooney added one second late.
United legend Ferdinand said Ferguson had warned his players that Arsenal’s dominance would continue if they took the three points, and told his proteges to “get in front” of Arsene Wenger’s men.
“I remember the manager saying, ‘You can’t keep doing so much on this race. You can’t let these guys continue… If they beat you, they’re going to keep beating you and dominating,’ that was part of the team talk,” Ferdinand said.
“Also, that particular game and ever since that game we played with Alex Ferguson, the talk was, ‘Get in their face. These people don’t like it. They won’t want to fight. You go in there and get in their face, don’t give them time and see how they react. This has always been the case.
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