Football folk will always make comparisons between great teams and players of different eras.
As Manchester United prepare for the next hurdle in their bid for a unique quadruple of trophies this season, it brings back memories of their 1999 achievements.
Then, the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League all famously ended up in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.
Gary Neville, who was part of that side 10 years ago, believes United are now stronger.
"I think this is a better squad," he said. "If you look at the numbers and quality, we now have seven on the bench and then you look at those in the stand too. We had about 18 players back in 1999 and now we have 22-25, mostly international players, competing for positions."
That competition for places has kept United at full throttle in their pursuit of honours.
They face Spurs in the Carling Cup final next month, top the Premier League and face Inter Milan in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Derby County stand in their way today for a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals and Sir Alex Ferguson, whose side have lost just once in 23 matches and have not conceded a goal in a record 13 league matches, is delighted with the talent at his disposal.
"People sometimes ask me what I consider to be my best side, and the short answer is that I don't have one," said the United manager. "I can give you my best 14 or 15, but better than that, all I can say is that it is a squad game and that we have a fine squad. In fact it is the best."
Like Neville, Ryan Giggs was part of that Treble triumph and still going strong.
He is chasing a record fifth winner's medal in the FA Cup and his teammate Dimitar Berbatov said: "You can imagine what people say about Ryan Giggs; he has achieved so much. He is one of the greatest players and some day they will put a statue of him outside the stadium."
The signs are ominous for Derby, but the Championship club did beat United 1-0 at home in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final before losing the return at Old Trafford.
Their manager Nigel Clough said: "In a one-off cup tie, lightning can strike twice. That may be counter-balanced by their determination to put things right from the last time because they were below par that evening.
"I'm sure they won't want that to happen again, so we're going to have to produce something close to that, if not better in order to get a result."
akhan@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
ASHES SCHEDULE
First Test
November 23-27 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
Second Test
December 2-6 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
Third Test
December 14-18 (Waca Ground, Perth)
Fourth Test
December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
Fifth Test
January 4-8, 2018 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
Company%20profile
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'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC
Price, base / as tested: Dh169,995 / Dh192,045
Engine: Turbocharged, 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 253hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 389Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km
SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
