It has been a cacophony of invective, if such a cacophony can exist. Firstly Sir Alex Ferguson throws General Franco right back in the faces of the Madrid hierarchy. Then Carlos Queries throws a wobbly and, seemingly, encourages Portugal to rise to the Old Trafford cause and resume hostilities with Spain over a cheeky young winger called Cristiano Ronaldo. They may have stolen our Columbus, fumed Carlos, but they will not steal our 42-goal trickster or, indeed, a disputed border town that has been at the centre of some argument, albeit peaceful, for years.

As ever with Fergie, the ferocity of the attack goes some way to disguising the fact that it contains some more subtle messages.

Firstly, I find it unfeasible that Unity’s Holy Trinity – Ferguson, Queiroz and Gill – don't know by now if Ronaldo is staying or going. That is not the issue. What they are saying, in the immediate aftermath of an exhausting campaign, is that the next fight starts right here, right now.

‘... these attacks on Madrid will be the moment that we look to in the future when we try to pinpoint the exact time that Manchester United's class of 2008 bested the vintage of 1999’


This is a classic Fergie trick that began with a puce-faced rage at his own players after the 1983 Scottish Cup Final. On that occasion he launched his attack on the pitch, on live TV, after Aberdeen had won, and days after they had won the Cup Winner's Cup.

Ferguson has learnt from that. But he remains true to the principle that there is nothing like a good old barney to show that, whatever else is happening, laurels are not being rested on. And, if you can't shout at your own players, then Real Madrid are as good as any villain you could find.

It may be that these attacks on Madrid will be the moment that we look to in the future when we try to pinpoint the exact time that Manchester United's class of 2008 bested the vintage of 1999.

You can argue the merits of the two sides all night long. For my money, of the strongest sides that United could produce in each of those seasons (more difficult now than it was then), there is little to choose between them. You'd probably pick Tevez and Rooney over Yorke and Cole, but this year there is no Solskjaer or Sheringham waiting in the wings. There is no Roy Keane in 2008 and United have had to adapt since his departure. Keane was simply irreplaceable.

The Scholes of 1999 would be immense in 2008. But he's hardly a slouch as it is. What Giggs has lost in pace and starts he has made up for as a benign influence around the club.

This year's defence was miserly but any defence marshalled by Jaap Stam in his prime was to be admired.

But these arguments, interesting and diverting as they are, are futile. Where the team of 2008 can best their treble-winning predecessors is in Europe. If they win a couple of Champions League trophies they move ahead. Sir Alex knows they can start by retaining the trophy.

He also knows that complacency can set in. After the “miracle of Barcelona” United swaggered to a couple of Premierships without ever getting going. They became so blasé about victory that they found, to their cost, that when they tried to shift through the gears in Europe there was nothing there.

Roy Keane, of course, missed that famous night in Barcelona. He wanted another shot at glory and he wanted it badly. Keane, who mentions this with his usual candour in his autobiography, knew when he looked round the dressing room that not enough people shared his desire.

Keane, like many football people a keen student of retinal messages, looked into the eyes of his team-mates and saw too many that said “been there, done that, so what”.

Ferguson will not allow that to happen again. This team may come up short but it will never be because they have shrugged their shoulders and said: “Actually, this other lot just want it more than us.”

So the fight with Real Madrid tells us that Ferguson hates Madrid (and that somewhere in that Manchester millionaire there remains the beating heart of the old trade unionist who will never let the memory of fallen comrades die), and that he wants Ronaldo to stay. Expect a few brickbats to be flung the way of Arsene Wenger as well. Expect the new Chelsea manager to be goaded before he's tried on his tracksuit.

Because these fights tell the players that the old man still cares. They tell the players that everyone still hates United. That United have, as ever, something to prove, to fight for.

This tactic has worked before. In 1999 the newly knighted Ferguson became just a little becalmed, a little contented. There weren't enough fights, not enough rage. That worked its way to the players.

He'll be determined not to let it happen again. If he's successful then the team of 2008 will forever put to bed any arguments about who is the greatest.