Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville involved in intense social media exchange when discussing Manchester United's Treble winning team

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville involved in intense social media exchange when discussing Manchester United
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville involved in intense social media exchange when discussing Manchester United's Treble winning team

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have taken to social media to discuss the lasting impact of Manchester United's treble-winning team on European football.

The heated debate began when Carragher expressed his admiration for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who are on the verge of clinching their fifth Premier League title in six years.

Carragher lauded Guardiola's unique style and City's breathtaking brand of football, placing them among the most influential sides in history. The former Liverpool defender included Guardiola's Barcelona, Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan, and Johan Cruyff's Dutch national team.

Notably, he left out Manchester United's treble-winning team from his list of game-changing squads.

This omission did not sit well with Neville, a proud member of the 1999 United treble-winning team, who quickly responded to Carragher's tweet, pointing out the glaring oversight:

"Errrrr? You missed a team out my friend."

The Red Devils, under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, remain the only English team to achieve the treble feat. However, Carragher defended his stance by arguing that Manchester United's treble-winning team did not have a profound influence on European football.

He asserted that the teams and managers he mentioned are still widely discussed today for their lasting impact on the current generation of managers and tactics. In contrast, he implied that the 1999 United team's legacy is not as influential:

"The Man Utd treble team did not influence European football!!! Those other teams/managers are still talked about today in terms of influencing the current generation of managers & tactics."

Gary Neville reveals disappointment in the Manchester United treble-winning team

Neville, a key figure in the 1999 treble-winning team, has acknowledged the historic nature of the achievement while also admitting that the team fell short in subsequent European campaigns.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Neville shared his thoughts on the team's legacy, saying (via Mirror):

"I think that this team, in a single season, is the best achievement in Manchester United's history... But, that team then disappointed for two years after that in Europe."

He added:

“We won three leagues on the bounce but we never did back-to-back it in Europe and that is the big point of that team, that we didn’t go on and do it again and again."
"Obviously, Sir Alex Ferguson, he demanded and wanted dominance, and we wanted dominance as well, but we were beaten by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals the year after and we fell short, you’ve got to go and win it again."

With a Champions League semi-final and an FA Cup final against Manchester United on the horizon, Guardiola's City have the opportunity to etch their name into the history books alongside their cross-town rivals.

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