Denis Irwin was at home on Saturday night, alone, watching Manchester City match a feat that previously set the Corkman’s Manchester United treble-winning side of 1999 apart as one of the greatest football teams of the modern era.
Sitting in a pitchside suite in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on Tuesday afternoon at the launch of Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Athletic Bilbao at the stadium on August 6th, he admits, matter-of-factly, something that won’t surprise many. “I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want them to win.”
But the former Ireland and Manchester United full back is not in the business of diminishing the accomplishments of Pep Guardiola’s side. “They are both great achievements. Don’t take anything away from either club, whoever does the quadruple, that’ll take some doing.”
For Irwin, City’s ascendance to a new frontier of footballing dominance and United’s treble-winning season is difficult, if not impossible, to compare.
“The money is totally different in this day and age to where we were,” he says.
Another difference was the rate at which Irwin’s United were playing high-pressure games at the business end of the 1998/99 season. With Arsenal still breathing down their necks, Alex Ferguson’s charges were faced with must-win league matches right down to the wire.
“We had to win the last game against Spurs,” Irwin recalls. Ten days after beating Spurs 2-1 at Old Trafford and winning the league, they’d also won the FA Cup and the Champions League.
City, conversely, had the league won three weeks before the Champions League final.
Regardless, City’s treble is a mark of a truly great team. “It gives you momentum, it gives you confidence, I suppose, on the back of that. They’ve won plenty, with five leagues in the last six, so they’re a great team at the moment, but it’s up to others to catch up.”
Whether Manchester United, or anyone, for that matter, can catch up with City next season is another matter.
Erik ten Hag is directing his old club in the right direction believes Irwin, and with a few tweaks, can challenge Guardiola’s side.
“I think what was hoped for last year was achieved. The hard bit now is to get another couple of players in, in the summer, and try to get much closer to challenging, because we’ve not challenged in 10 years.
“He brought in some good leaders, Casemiro and [Lisandro] Martinez was what we needed,” Irwin says. Making big calls, namely dealing with the Cristiano Ronaldo conundrum, also to be commended.
If the club can continue on its current trajectory, Irwin sees no reason United can’t aim for the Premier League title again. “Some ex-players said we’re too far away. But with some big additions, I don’t see why not.”
Securing the signing of Harry Kane would give title aspirations at Old Trafford a major boost. Irwin’s advice to the Tottenham Hotspur talisman would be straight and to the point: “Move.”
“He is linked to us [United],” Irwin says. “He’s got a decision to make, he’s been a great player for Spurs and he’s tied to a year contract, I don’t know what’s going to happen. A new manager has gone in there, he done a great job at Celtic. He’ll be wanting to keep him.”
Another frontman that Irwin has been impressed by is Evan Ferguson. Prefacing his assessment of the teenager’s career thus far with his reluctance to put “too much pressure” on the young Brighton forward, Irwin nonetheless reserves high praise.
“He is at a good place at the moment, we have not had a centre forward with his ability since Robbie Keane,” he says.
“[He had a] good breakthrough season down at Brighton. Good club to be at, at the moment, very stable club. Their manager seems very, very good. They play a lovely style of football, different style of football.”
The “confident and level-headed” Ferguson will, no doubt, play a major role in Ireland’s critical European qualifier against Greece this Friday. As far as Irwin is concerned, losing is not an option: “This is a huge game.”
With Ireland’s campaign arguably hinging on this Friday’s match, it’s a big week for Stephen Kenny.
“It’s a results business, so I think Stephen will know that this is a big campaign for him,” Irwin says.
“He took over and there was a couple of hard campaigns. Obviously not being very fortunate with the draw out of this with France and Holland, but it is what it is. It is a big year for him, the next year or so.”
