From the Magnificent Magyars to Bob Paisley's Liverpool: the definitive Top 10 Golden Generations

By Richard Aikman in Mirror Football Blog

Published 22:45 06/01/10

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With Nicky Butt pondering retirement at the end of the season, is it the beginning of the end for Fergie's Fledglings - the famous team of 'kids' including David Beckham, Paul Scholes and the Neville brothers who came through the Manchester United academy together to reach the very top of the game.

There were indeed a top team, but where do they rank in MirrorFootball 's list of golden generations?

10) West Ham United (1998-2002)
If West Ham had managed to hold onto the youth team graduates that emerged at the turn of the century it's unlikely they would be languishing near the nether regions of the Premier League - and neither would Chelsea's blue flag be flying so high. Tony Carr's miracle work with the youth academy brought us Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe to name but six. On the plus side, at least England have benefited.

9) Portugal (2000-04)
Portugal first gave notice of being a promising side in the making when winning consecutive World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. Not since the days of Eusebio had the Iberian outfit shown a glimmer of golden promise but first Joao Pinto, Paolo Sousa and Fernando Couto, and then Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Abel Xavier emerged as stars of the future. These rising stars came of age at Euro 2000, Figo scoring a glorious long shot in the 3-2 comeback win over England before agonising defeat to France in the semi-final. Four years on and they got even closer - beating England on penalties on the way to losing the final on home soil to Greece. Deco, Figo, Rui Costa, Maniche and a 19-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo could only rue a glorious chance to make history.

8) Arsenal (1989-94)
Arsenal had not won the League Championship for 18 years before that goal by Michael Thomas clinched their dramatic title win in 1989. But while the Gunners did not boast the same depth of quality as the Liverpool side they beat on that memorable night at Anfield, theirs was a victory very much forged in the stables of north London. Defender David O'Leary, by now 31 years old, had risen through the Arsenal ranks but it was the new generation of younger pupils, initially blooded by Don Howe and then deployed by George Graham when winning the 1987 Littlewoods Cup, who graduated on that famous night. Tony Adams, at 22, was the club's youngest ever captain, David Rocastle, also 22, a tricky midfielder while forwards Paul Merson, 21, and Martin Hayes, 23, also came off the Highbury assembly line. Home-grown stars Paul Davis and Niall Quinn also contributed significantly to a season that paved the way for the 1991 title, the 1993 Cup double and 1994 Cup-Winners' Cup success.

7) Holland (1974-1978)
The Dutch side that won the 1988 European Championship was a remarkable collection of players but it is the 1970s vintage which is regarded with most fondness by followers of the beautiful game. Personified by Johan Cruyff , one of the most naturally gifted players to have ever laced on a pair of boots, the Oranje played what became known as Totaalvoetbal or Total Football - first devised at Ajax, under Rinus Michels. The Amsterdam side won three consecutive European Cups playing that way and their style translated perfectly to the international stage as Holland's Ajax academy of Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Ruudi Krol, Johnny Rep et al, under Michels, reached the 1974 World Cup final playing free-flowing, attacking football and bemusing opponents by interchanging positions. Even without Cruyff four years later Holland reached another World Cup final, only to lose controversially to Argentina. They were losers but - unlike the Argies - honourable, glorious losers.

6) Italy (1934-1938)
The Azzurri were world champions for 16 years after winning the Jules Rimet trophy  back to back in the 1930s. Much has been made of the fact that they won the first of their four titles on home soil at a time when fully-fledged dictator Benito Mussolini was running the country, but in fact it was Vittorio Pozzo's firm leadership and a side including Oriundi (naturalised South Americans) that reaped the rewards. Pozzo, who had learned his football while working in Manchester, axed two team captains in the build-up to the 1934 event before masterminding victories over Spain and a very strong Austria side. Legendary strikers Giuseppe Meazza and Angelo Schiavio were instrumental in the Azzurri's first success while Meazza also starred in the second, in France, scoring the winner in their surprise semi-final triumph over Brazil. Italy had to do it the hard way by defeating the hosts, Brazil and Hungary - but Silvio Piola established the Italians as the pre-war force in world football, scoring two of the 30 goals he managed in 34 appearances for his country - in the 4-2 win over the Magyars.

5) Hungary (1950-1956)
Known in their homeland as Aranycsapat - 'the Golden Team' - Hungary captured the imagination of the football world as they went unbeaten, with the exception of the 1954 World Cup final, for 50 matches during the 1950s. Their 43 wins were based on the dynamic and potent quartet of strikers Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Kocsis, attacking half-back Jozsef Bozsik and withdrawn striker Nandor Hidegkuti. The Hungarians' 3–2 loss to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final was particularly galling considering they had beaten them 8–3 earlier in the competition. They threw away a 2-0 lead in Berne, had Puskas' 89th-minute equaliser ruled out and were denied a last-minute penalty. The Magnificent Magyars did win Olympic gold in 1952 but the fact is they were world beaters in all but name.

4) Manchester United (1999)
Sir Alex would have been plain old Mr Ferguson had he not benefited from the blind faith of the Manchester United board in the late 1980s, but the Old Trafford suits' patience was rewarded in the late 1990s - not least in 1999 when the Red Devils pulled off an unprecedented Treble of League, FA Cup and European Cup . Ferguson bought wisely when drafting in tough customers such as Jaap Stam, Peter Schmeichel and Roy Keane but these signings complemented a raft of young players who had worked their way through the academy together. Paul Scholes missed the final but had been a major influence in United's Premier League dominance while Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Gary and Phil Neville all helped transform Fergie's Fledglings into major players.

3) Brazil (1970)
The Selecao have had countless sides to purr over, but Mario Zagallo's men were a sight to behold in Mexico. Zagallo, who had won two World Cups as a player, in 1958 and 1962, became the first coach to win the Jules Rimet trophy as both coach and player. But to be honest, you or MirrorFootball could have coached this side. Pele was the inspiration, but this team was not about Viagara's most renowned ambassador alone. Rivelino, Tostao and Gerson were a wonderful breed and it is often overlooked that Jairzinho scored in every match, including the final, when Italy were dismembered to the tune of four goals to one. Football has never looked so effortless or teamwork so seamless as when Carlos Alberto famously rifled in the last goal past Enrico Albertosi four minutes from time.

2) France (1998-2000)
Many Premier League observers believed that Aime Jacquet was mad not to recall Eric Cantona to the France side once he had served his nine-month ban for playing football with a Crystal Palace fan's head. But when France stormed to victory at both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 it seemed Mr Jacquet didn't need to get his coat after all. The team that triumphed at France 98 was built around the genius of Zinedine Zidane, the peerless defending of Marcel Desailly and Lilian Thuram and the water-carrying efficiency of Didier Deschamps. Two years on and Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and David Trezeguet emerged to add pace, strength, firepower and the Henri Delaunay Trophy to their armoury.

1) Liverpool (1980-1985)
Bob Paisley's side of the 1970s was a force to be reckoned with, winning the league four times in five years at the end of the decade and clinching their first two European Cups in 1977 and 1978. But the Reds' side that won five titles and two European crowns in six years at the start of the 1980s was arguably the better team. Terry McDermott (1980), Kenny Dalglish (1983) and Ian Rush (1984) were each voted Footballer of the Year as Paisley and then Joe Fagan, continued to build on the foundations laid down by Bill Shankly. With the experienced, tenacious Graeme Souness in the engine room, Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson at the heart of defence, and Dalglish and Rush up front, this was a side that could play football from the back, score goals from anywhere and win trophies galore - which they did .

Were Fergie's Fledglings the best ever golden generation of footballers? David Anderson thinks so, do you?

Which teams do you think could fit the Golden Generation bill? Log-in and post your views.