Why Man United's 1999 Treble winners are the best team of the past 30 years

By David Anderson

Published 08:00 10/03/10

• 

There's more than just a whiff of mediocrity about the Premier League this season.

So much so that it's made me nostalgic for the good old days - everyone's good old days. So I've put together a dream top tier from the best teams of the last 30 or so years.

Imagine a league where Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira squared up to each other, or where you could see the sublime skills of Kenny Dalglish, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo or Ryan Giggs?

Champions: Manchester United's 1999 Treble winners : Still the only English team to conquer football's Mount Everest. They had everything - balance, pace, power, skill, goals and experience.

Runners-up: Liverpool's 1984 Treble winners: No player could combine silk and steel like Souness could, and up front they had the dream pairing of Dalglish and Rush.

Third: Arsenal's 2003-04 Invincbles: Arsene Wenger's side made history by becoming the first side in modern times to go through the season unbeaten.

Fourth: Manchester United's 1993-94 Double winners: If you wanted a fight, Keane, Ince, Cantona, Hughes and Bruce were more than up for it and if you tried to beat them at football, they could also murder you.

Fifth: Chelsea's 2005 Champions: Jose Mourinho's side of Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and John Terry romped to the title with 95 points - 12 more than second-placed Arsenal.

Sixth: Manchester United's 2008 Champions League winners and Premier League champions: This was the season Cristiano Ronaldo proved he is the best player in the world as United trampled all in front of them.

Seventh: Liverpool's 1977 European Cup and League champions: Came within a game of the Treble and Bob Paisley's side of Tommy Smith, Kevin Keegan, Emlyn Hughes and Terry McDermott were a wonderful mix.

Eighth: Leeds' 1974 Champions: Leeds' greatest side of Bremner, Clarke, Hunter, Gray and Lorimer went 29 league games before losing and were a great blend of aggression and skill.

Ninth: Everton's 1985 League Champions and European Cup Winners' Cup winners: Howard Kendall's legendary side had perfect balance with Steven and Sheedy on the wings, Peter Reid in midfield, Big Nev in goal, Ratcliffe at centre-half and Gray and Sharp up front.

10th: Liverpool's 1987-88 league champions: Perhaps the Reds' finest footballing side and some of the stuff played by Barnes, Aldridge, Beardsley and Co was breathtaking.

11th: Arsenal's 1997-98 Double winners: Wenger won the title and FA Cup in his first full season and Vieira, Overmars, Anelka, Bergkamp and Petit were sensational.

12th: Manchester United's 1995-96 Double winners: Beckham, Neville, Scholes, Giggs and Butt proved you could win plenty with kids.

13th: Nottingham Forest's 1979 European Cup and League Cup winners: Brian Clough's achievements at the City Ground with a provincial club like Forest look better and better with age.

14th: Bobby Robson's Ipswich: Won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 and should also have won the title in 1981.

15th: Aston Villa's 1981 league champions and 1982 European Cup winners: With Trevor Morley, Dennis Mortimer and Gary Shaw, they were a wonderful side.

16th: Liverpool's 2001 Treble winners: Only side to win the FA Cup, UEFA Cup and Carling Cup in same season and Owen, Heskey, Berger and Gerrard played some great football.

17th: Blackburn's 1994-95 league champions: Easy to dismiss them as a one-man team in goal machine Alan Shearer, but Sutton, Ripley, Sherwood and Flowers all played their part.

18th: Leeds' 1992 league champions: Boasted one of the best midfield quartets ever of Gary McAllister, Gary Speed, David Batty and Gordon Strachan.

19th: Tottenham's 1981 and 1982 FA Cup winners: With Hoddle pulling the strings, Keith Burkinshaw's side were a joy to behold.

20th: Newcastle 1995-96: OK, they never won anything, but weren't they fun to watch?

Fancy winning £3,000 for FREE this month? Play Mirror Football Streak for your chance to win cash prizes! Start predicting now!