Manchester United’s 2008 side were named the top team of the past 10 years
Premier League managers have revealed their choices for the best team of the past decade, selecting six current or former Manchester United players.
This season’s top-flight managers were involved in the voting. In a separate poll, they also named the Manchester United side of 2008 as the top team of the past 10 years.
The Manchester United representatives in the team of the decade were Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, Nemanja Vidic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
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MANAGERS’ TEAM OF DECADE GK: Edwin van der Sar RB: Gary Neville CB: Nemanja Vidic CB: John Terry LB: Ashley Cole RM: Cristiano Ronaldo CM: Steven Gerrard CM: Paul Scholes LM: Ryan Giggs S: Didier Drogba S: Alan Shearer |
Van der Sar was a firm favourite in goal, with 53% of respondents choosing him ahead of Chelsea’s Petr Cech (33%).
Ashley Cole convincingly secured the left-back spot, with 73% of the vote, ahead of Patrice Evra (27%). Neville took the right-back position with 60%.
John Terry received 40% of votes at centre-back, with Vidic joining him (27%). Rio Ferdinand was edged out after receiving 20%.
Giggs was an emphatic winner in the vote for the left side of midfield, with 87%. His former team-mate Ronaldo (67%) easily beat another Manchester United legend, David Beckham (27%), to the right-flank position. Beckham did not play for long in the Premier League at the start of the decade, having joined Real Madrid in 2003.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard (33%) is the only non-United player in midfield, partnering Scholes (23%) in the centre, meaning there was no place for Roy Keane (17%), Cesc Fabregas (10%) or Frank Lampard (10%).
In attack, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba (23%) and former Newcastle star Alan Shearer (23%) were the joint favourites of the managers, seeing off competition from Thierry Henry (17%), Wayne Rooney (20%) and Dennis Bergkamp (10%).
Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2007/8 Manchester United side were chosen as the outstanding team of the decade, ahead of Arsenal’s 2003/4 ‘Invincibles’ and Jose Mourinho’s 2005/6 title winners.
The 2007/8 season, which saw United pip Chelsea to the title by two points, and Roy Hodgson’s Fulham perform a miraculous escape from relegation, was rated as the most exciting campaign of the decade.
Research conducted by Barclays and the League Managers’ Association to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Barclays Premier League.
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