Manchester United’s 1998-99 season was the most successful in the club’s existence and they managed it all with a relatively threadbare squad. This treble-winning team achieved so much with not so much.



Alex Ferguson used just 23 players that season, the joint-fewest in the league with Aston Villa and Wimbledon. Of the three, this team had the most players aged 23 or under when the campaign began. The average age of United’s players on the field without goalkeepers — as they a) nearly always play, b) are usually older and c) therefore skew things a fair bit — was 24.7, good for third-youngest in the Premiership behind David O’Leary’s refreshed Leeds United side and Dave Jones’ Southampton.



In today’s climate, Fergie’s United would be the joint-fourth youngest side in the Premier League with Arsenal. Age is one thing but talent is another — and this United side had it by the bucketload.



United...