Man Utd 1999 vs Man City 2023 debate answered as treble secured by Pep Guardiola

12 June 2023 , 11:36

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Make theirs a treble.

Manchester City fans are still glorying in the scenes witnessed following their Champions League final victory over Inter Milan on Saturday night, and the success has been made even more special because it matches rivals Manchester United's finest hour.

Well, on paper anyway.

City's treble victory of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League is the same achievement managed by Sir Alex Ferguson's United vintage of 1999, but with everything we know about what is going on around City, can the wins be compared?

We asked our Mirror Football team the fairly open-ended question: Man Utd 1999 or Man City 2023?

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John Cross

As achievements go, Manchester City’s Treble has to be on a par with Sir Alex Ferguson’s three trophies in 1999.

It is so difficult to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League that the credit must be shared in equal measure with Manchester United.

But I do feel United had a tougher task and maybe therefore makes it more special. And yet, just because City are so dominant and better than everyone else that shouldn’t be held against them but rather earn them praise in their own right.

United were pushed harder in the title race by Arsenal that year, it was harder to win and everyone knows the story of the European Cup final and beating Bayern Munich.

In contrast, City won the title with relative ease in the end. I never felt they’d do anything other than beat Inter Milan.

City swept all before them this season (Getty Images)

So why don’t we praise them more? Shouldn’t you get praise for being so good that it feels easier? Of course you should.

But that’s where the doubts and question marks come in. While the 115 charges against them are being investigated, there remains an asterisk. And you can’t get away from that.

The sooner it gets cleared up the better for everyone concerned. City insist they’ll be cleared. But then, we will judge the achievements differently.

Mike Walters

Forget, for now, the asterisk which comes with City's triumph. The Premier League's 115 charges of alleged financial jiggery-pokery will be sorted out in due course - once the lawyers have finished kicking all those cans down the street.

Whose Treble was better? Who cares? The achievements are parallel.

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But for pure sporting drama, there is only one winner.

I don't remember City taking the chequered flag by a single point on the last day of term after being chased all the way to the line by Arsenal.

I don't remember City needing a penalty save, and a sensational extra-time winner after a 50-yard slalom, in their FA Cup semi-final.

Man Utd's treble in 1999 was filled with special moments (Getty Images)

I don't remember City trailing 1-0, with the clock running down like the mouse in Hickory Dickory Dock, and pulling two rabbits from the hat at the death in Istanbul.

There was an inevitable air about the Treble of 2023 - we saw it coming from the moment City won 3-1 at Arsenal in February.

Congratulations to Pep Guardiola and his players - the best team in English football by a country mile.

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Mark Jones

When Manchester United won the treble in 1999 it felt as though some sort of Herculean task had been completed - man landing on the moon, the four-minute mile, David May with the Champions League trophy. As a 13-year-old Liverpool supporter, I hated it.

But while we all get older and more cynical over time, barely anyone could have felt similar feelings on Saturday.

City fans in Istanbul and beyond have absolutely every right to glory in their team's victory, the brilliant football they play and the wonderful memories they've given fans in recent years. Absolutely no-one should take that away from them. UEFA clearly hold fans in enough contempt as it is, so we don't need to turn on each other even more.

But to speak of the context of this victory means you simply have to speak of the 115 charges. There is no getting away from them, and they make the success feel cold.

The better team? Man City 2023 would absolutely wipe the floor with Man Utd 1999, with the advances in fitness and the genius and evolution of Pep Guardiola's tactics making it a no contest for me.

The more memorable achievement? Well, that's Fergie's time.