Premier League - The five faces of Fergie's United

Eurosport - Mon, 18 May 19:45:00 2009

We look at five iconic teams from Sir Alex Ferguson's reign following Manchester United's record-equalling 18th league title.

1994 FA Cup final Manchester United Eric Cantona - 0

During his 23 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson has shown a remarkable ability to change his playing personnel without affecting the quality of the team.

These five teams chart the many faces of the Manchester United dressing room during the Ferguson era.

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1989/90 - FA Cup winners

Jim Leighton - Mike Phelan, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Lee Martin - Neil Webb, Paul Ince, Bryan Robson, Danny Wallace - Brian McClair, Mark Hughes

Leighton was dropped for the Cup final replay against Crystal Palace and Les Sealey played a blinder. Supersub Mark Robins scored the goal that supposedly saved Fergie's job, a diving header away to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round. Pallister and Ince were signed in 1989, with Denis Irwin arriving the following summer as Ferguson built the foundations of his first championship-winning side.

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1993/94 - Premier League and FA Cup winners

Peter Schmeichel - Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin - Andrei Kanchelskis, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs - Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes

Many United fans will still tell you this was the finest team Ferguson has produced. They followed up their 1992/93 Premier League title with a domestic double, inspired by the enigmatic and brilliant Cantona. The pace of Giggs and Kanchelskis down the flanks provided a formidable counter-attacking threat since imitated by many sides. But a 4-0 defeat at Barcelona showed they still had some way to go in Europe.

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1998/99 - Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners

Peter Schmeichel - Gary Neville, Ronny Johnsen, Jaap Stam, Denis Irwin - David Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs - Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole

Still the greatest season in the club's history, as United claimed the three biggest prizes going. Yorke arrived early in the season and struck an immediate rapport with Cole. The pair scored a combined 53 goals, with reserves Sheringham and Solskjaer firing the most important goals of all in the Champions League final. The midfield quartet - all playing at their peak - have never been surpassed.

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2002/03 - Premier League winners

Fabien Barthez - Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Juan Sebastian Veron, Ryan Giggs - Ruud van Nistelrooy

This was not the most glorious period in United's history, but they still managed to lift the Premier League title. £28 million midfield misfit Veron was sold to Chelsea at the end of the season and Barthez never quite replaced Schmeichel, but Van Nistelrooy's remarkable haul of 44 goals in all competitions helped bring silverware back to Old Trafford. David Beckham ended the season on the bench and was offloaded to Real Madrid.

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2008/09 - Premier League winners, Champions League finalists

Edwin van der Sar - John O'Shea, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra - Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs - Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov

The addition of Berbatov gave United even more depth in attack than in 1998/99. While the Bulgarian has yet to win over the United fans, only three players started more league games, and he weighed in with some hugely important goals. Long-term injuries to Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Owen Hargreaves turned O'Shea and Fletcher from bit-part players into key men. The evergreen Giggs was used sparingly but won the PFA Player of the Year award.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

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  1. BREASTICLES!

    From Colonel K, on Tue 19 May 12:36AM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    MAY GAWD YEE BYES UR VARY VARY QUEEAT TAYNEET A HOP­ YEES NAT WONKAN YEE SEL'S ARF ORLA MAY TATTY­ PACTURE

    From erolflinn, on Mon 18 May 11:46PM
  3. GREET BUG MOSSAVE WABBALAY TATS

    From erolflinn, on Mon 18 May 11:36PM
  4. RED DEVILS RULE!!!!

    From Bali Tenno, on Mon 18 May 11:32PM
  5. hamiltonsteve liverpool are just lucky, but their not­ so lucky now are they losers. what position are­ liverpool in at the end of this season?!!! and what­ position are utd in?!!! which premiership team is in­ the cl final for the second year running?!!! what­ trophys have liverpool won since 2005?!!! stop­ revelling on past glory you muppets. even the liverpool­ skipper acknowledges that utd are the best team in­ europe at the moment and i'm pretty sure he knows a­ bit more about football than you you misguided fool

    From N, on Mon 18 May 11:29PM
  6. GREET BUG TATS FIR YA BYES

    From erolflinn, on Mon 18 May 11:25PM
  7. TATS-R-US AY LEEK TATS OND NAPPALS

    From erolflinn, on Mon 18 May 11:24PM
  8. " every team was a winner "

    strange that­ every team was a winner
    ?????????????????????????????

    From hamiltonsteve64, on Mon 18 May 11:06PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @ dazmanutd

    Bet you never had yourshirt on for days­ when Liverpool beat / spanked ya 1-4 at home pmsl pmsl ­ haha

    From hamiltonsteve64, on Mon 18 May 11:03PM
  10. "utd fans, plz­ do ur best in supporting them, it­ really helps" yeah they need it , Liverpool best­ supported team in the world

    From hamiltonsteve64, on Mon 18 May 11:01PM
  11. every team was a winner unlike the loserfool teams of­ the time and thats a rafa fact ha ha ha

    From DAZGGMU-RED-LEGEND-OF-YAHOO, on Mon 18 May 10:58PM
  12. @ dhruvrastogi_rooney

    you seem to forget its only took­ UTD over 25 years to catch Liverpool, but your still­ missing 2 euro cups a*s*s hole

    YNWA *****

    From hamiltonsteve64, on Mon 18 May 10:54PM
  13. WHO IS THE ONLY WOMAN IN HISTORY TO HAVE TWO­ C*U*N*T*S* MRS NEVILLE PMSL

    From hamiltonsteve64, on Mon 18 May 10:43PM
  14. CHAMPIONS !!!

    From jonesnikolas, on Mon 18 May 10:32PM
  15. no donney i changed my mind tonight i am a big tit

    From erolflinn, on Mon 18 May 10:04PM
  16. donney guess who

    From rc_alcock_the_scouse_bum_boy, on Mon 18 May 10:01PM
  17. ALREET GI5 BYE UR YEE KEEPAN WEL?

    From donneysbeck, on Mon 18 May 9:57PM
  18. ha ha nice one colin, its about time we got a bit of­ humour instead of this set of miserable @#$%

    From N, on Mon 18 May 9:44PM
  19. Nemanja Vidic 4 ever

    From shandu_93, on Mon 18 May 9:43PM
  20. 99 team best for me but in years to come the current­ team will win more i think, if they all stay!!!!

    From N, on Mon 18 May 9:42PM
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