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There is a lively debate amongst Manchester United followers as to the greatest of Sir Alex Ferguson's numerous teams at Old Trafford, but the manager himself has opted to reserve judgement until his current crop matures into the formidable force that he has challenged them to become.
For a group of players yet to fulfil their potential, two Premier League titles and the possibility of a Champions League crown this week is some statement of intent, yet Ferguson believes that those emerging talents, led by a 23-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 22-year-old Wayne Rooney, are only at the beginning of their journey to greatness.
Dominant teams
Ferguson knows all about shaping dominant teams. Four times - in 1990, 1994, 1996 and 1999 - has he seen a group of players secure their status in United's hall of fame, but insists the class of 2008 can outstrip them all.
He said: "When I first came to the club, I had to build the first team which was, without question, the hardest task because it was a difficult time for the club.
"We cleared the decks, brought in Gary Pallister, Paul Ince, Mike Phelan, Neil Webb and Danny Wallace. It was a baseless team in the sense that there were no recent trophies to sell the club to the players who were coming in, no trophies to defend. So that was hard work.
"We managed to get to, and win, the FA Cup final that season 1989-1990, but it wasn't easy. Then the next season, you saw the shaping of the team and to win a Cup-Winners' Cup against Barcelona, you can't do that without some credit due.
"That summer we signed Peter Schmeichel, Andrei Kanchelskis and Paul Parker. Ryan Giggs was emerging, as were other young players, and the rest is down to the progress of all that."
Schmeichel, Kanchelskis and Parker went on to play in Ferguson's first Double winning team at United and the manager admitted that that group, which also included Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes and Roy Keane, was arguably the most complete.
"The 1994 team was our strongest one, mentally and physically"'' Ferguson recalled.
"Experience-wise it was a fantastic team, but when you win the Treble, as we did in 1999, then quite rightly you've got to be elevated beyond that.
"This team now, is without doubt my strongest squad. I brought 26 players with me to Wigan last Sunday and out of those 26, there's only a couple who you say to yourself, "They won't be here in two or three years' time'."
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