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Whatever fate awaits Manchester United in Rome tonight there is no doubt in my mind that Liverpool's fabled 'Treble' success of 1984 will remain the greater achievement.
Old Trafford great Bryan Robson, the former United and England captain, was arguing the other day that United should be acclaimed the best club team of all time should they beat Barcelona in the Champions League Final.
Well, he would say that, wouldn't he - and many will agree with him.
It is true that there are remarkable similarities between United's campaign this season and the Liverpool success of 1984 when they beat the local heroes Roma on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Like Liverpool that year, United have won the League title and League Cup en route to the European final in Rome's Olympic Stadium.
But while nothing should diminish the value of United's achievement this season, nor their Treble in 1999, they still rank second, in my opinion, to Liverpool's feat of 25 years ago.
Why? Because 25 years ago football was a team game. Today it is a squad game. To secure their success this season United have used 36 players in 64 matches. No one has played more matches that Nemanja Vidic, who has made 49 starts with a further three substitute appearances. Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other outfield player to come close to that with 45 first-team starts and five off the bench. Compare that to Liverpool's record in 1984.
They played a total of 66 first-team matches and used just 15 players. The first-choice XI on the opening day of the season appeared unchanged in more than half the matches.
Sir Alex Ferguson, hoping to equal Bob Paisley's record of three European titles with Liverpool, hasn't once fielded an unchanged team this season. "Not everyone agrees with my team rotation and there are some who want me to play my best team in every game," said the United manager.
"But people realise just how difficult that would be when I explain the number of miles the players run in every match, the intensity and speed of the game and the number of times they have to sprint in 90 minutes."
This, of course, is absolutely true but on the other hand the modern player enjoys benefits that were not available two decades ago. The pitches today are superb whereas the 1984 Liverpool, one of the best passing teams I've seen, played for half the season on pitches resembling ploughed fields.
Today's players have lighter footwear, lighter footballs, and better medical treatment and dietary advice. Significantly, they also play fewer matches.
In 1984, Bruce Grobbelaar, Alan Kennedy, Alan Hansen and Sammy Lee played in all 66 Liverpool first-team matches. Mark Lawrensen played in 65. Phil Neal, Graeme Souness and Ian Rush missed only a handful of games.Souness, who picked up three European Cup winner's medals with Liverpool, recalled: "People often talk to me about the good old days but I'm realistic enough to realise that in 25 years' time, today will be considered the good old days.
"Sir Bobby Robson said that football today is about as good as it gets and I agree with that. But I've no doubt that with all the benefits players have today the Liverpool team of the Eighties would have been at the very top of the modern game.
"You have to make judgements in the context of the time. Whenever I watch old film we always look as if we are playing on a farmer's field."
Reader views (5)
liverpool side were far greater than uniteds side and im sure mr ferguson would remember the spanking his beloved aberdeen got earlier in his career at anfeild
- Richard Hancock, salford manchester, 19/02/2010 06:00
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I think last night's result speaks for itself.
- Goggs, London, 19/02/2010 05:00
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no mention of the back pass rule or the stature and quality of the clubs the respective teams had to play, nor the fundamental shift in the quality of the football in the subsequent years
Liverpool bored Europe to tears
18 Ysb
- 18 Ysb, London,England, 19/02/2010 05:00
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It would be much easier to win if you could play the same team week in week out and play the same boring football. The fact that the recent success has come despite constant changes to the team and formation shows just much better this team are than anything that Liverpool could put together in the 80s.
- Richard, Worthing, England, 19/02/2010 05:00
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saf knows full well,after his time at aberdeen,that playing players constantly only serves to shorten their careers.
if he'd irresponsibly played giggs and scholes for instance,in every game that they could've in their time at utd,they'd both have been finished a few years ago.
i couldn't care less about your comparison,which is odious,given the ease of the teams liverpool faced to reach the final,THE ACHIEVEMENT WILL BE BETTER
- Bunkum Debunker, MANCHESTOH, 19/02/2010 05:00
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