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Manchester City: Better than 1998/99 United?

By Jason Bardwell

26 May 1999: The Manchester United team before the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona, Spain. Manchester United won 2 - 1 with both United goals scored during injury time, to secure the treble of League, FA Cup and European Cup. \ Mandatory Credit: Alex Livesey /Allsport
26 May 1999: The Manchester United team before the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp Stadium, Barcelona, Spain. Manchester United won 2 - 1 with both United goals scored during injury time, to secure the treble of League, FA Cup and European Cup. \ Mandatory Credit: Alex Livesey /Allsport /
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Squad:

20 Aug 1998: Dwight Yorke of Trinidad and Tobago receives his shirt from manager Alex Ferguson after completing his 12 million pound transfer to Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. \ Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /Allsport
20 Aug 1998: Dwight Yorke of Trinidad and Tobago receives his shirt from manager Alex Ferguson after completing his 12 million pound transfer to Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. \ Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /Allsport /

A lot is made about Pep Guardiola being a cheque book manager. While he does spend money, you only have to look across the City right now to see that doesn’t always work. Back in 1998/99 United were splashing the cash, and not much was said.

Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam and Jesper Blomqvist signed for a combined fee of £28 million.

Sheringham had joined the season before for a little under £4 million and Roy Keane for a British transfer record fee in 1993. Compare that to the spending of Arsenal, who finished one point behind United in the League, who spent a little over £4 million. Chelsea, who were third, spent a little over £10 million and were known as the ‘big spenders’.

Yes there was that core of ‘home-grown’ talent but don’t think the cheque book wasn’t open and lots of zeros written!

Alex Ferguson only won Manager of the month for two months, and only twice did a United player get named Player of the Month.

Pep has already been named manager of the month three times so far this season for September, October and November with Leroy Sane named player of the month for October.

Next: Manchester's City and United Given More Time

So, I think the 1998/99 Manchester United barely won the League, and FA Cup despite outspending their rivals 3/1. They fell in the League cup to a side finishing outside the top ten and coming back in stoppage time to secure the treble against Bayern.

I don’t believe any of the competitions were won convincingly or with the swagger we are currently seeing Manchester City play. They were however won and so, I agree, this Manchester City side needs to win trophies.

A win later today will bring us closer to the Premier League, and we have a very winnable Semi Final fixture (over two legs) against Bristol City. If we can win only these two, in the style we are playing, I think that would come close to eclipsing that treble winning side. Any more, and it’s not even a debate.

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