Favourite Premier League era?

tentan

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Which was your favourite era of the PL? I suppose you could define an era every 4-5 years (or seasons).


1992-1997 - United dominance, Blackburn title win, Ferguson v Dalglish v Keegan

1998-2003 - United v Arsenal rivalry, Ferguson V Wenger

2004-2009 - Arsenals invincibles, Mourinho's Chelsea, United rebirth. Benitez Liverpool

2010-2014 - Ancelotti's Chelsea, Emergence of Man City (Mancini and Pellegrini), Fergusons final years

2015-2017 - Mourinho's comeback, Conte's Chelsea, Leicester shock the world, Emergence of Spurs

2018-Present - Manchester City dominance, Guardiola v Klopp, Arsenal revival under Arteta
 
Those Vieira v Keane years were really something.
 
1992 to 2013 - 13 seasons of being first, five of being second, 3 seasons outside top 2
 
I only started following football and United in 2010 (I was a late bloomer), so 2010-2013 for me. I’m excluding 2013-14 from that because the Moyes season was one to forget.
 
1992-99 After waiting so long for the title, it was amazing dominating the league after being, at best, also-rans for over 25 years and culminating in winning the treble.

From then till 2013 it was expected so not quite the same.

Since Fergie, we've gone back to the 80s. And football has become less exciting and VAR has really ruined it.
 
2004-2009 was a fun time in football. Especially after I started to lose interest in football after we won the treble..I have little memory of our next two titles

Kind of wish I enjoyed them more now
 
1992-1999.

King Eric strutting his stuff was magnificent. Fergie's mind games with anyone daft enough to cross him. Beginning of the rivalry with Wenger. 4-0 vs Chelsea in the 1994 FA Cup final with Eric's two penalties. Our double-double. Beckham's halfway line goal. Eric's volley against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final. And of course, the (original and not won illegally) Treble.

It was also a time when footballers were men - the game was a lot more physical back then. Players would kick the shite out of each other and just get on with it. I saw a highlight clip recently of United vs Wimbledon in '94 - the one where Eric scored that belter of a volley from outside the box. Vinnie Jones was kicking lumps out of the United players and they just carried on like nothing happened.
 
My favourite Chelsea teams are the late 90s/early 00 teams managed Gullit, Vialli and then Ranieri.

The 98-03 era was by my favourite era if we’re going by how you have grouped them. I’d probably stretch the groups a bit wider and say my favourite era is 96-07. That is basically my childhood and teenage years and I’d do anything to go back and experience those years again, especially the late 90s years.
 
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DarkLord1984 said:
1992-1999.

King Eric strutting his stuff was magnificent. Fergie's mind games with anyone daft enough to cross him. Beginning of the rivalry with Wenger. 4-0 vs Chelsea in the 1994 FA Cup final with Eric's two penalties. Our double-double. Beckham's halfway line goal. Eric's volley against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final. And of course, the (original and not won illegally) Treble.

It was also a time when footballers were men - the game was a lot more physical back then. Players would kick the shite out of each other and just get on with it. I saw a highlight clip recently of United vs Wimbledon in '94 - the one where Eric scored that belter of a volley from outside the box. Vinnie Jones was kicking lumps out of the United players and they just carried on like nothing happened.
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Yep this, but have a soft spot for 2003 and clawing back Arse's 12 point lead by going unbeaten in the second half of the season.
 
Jippy said:
Yep this, but have a soft spot for 2003 and clawing back Arse's 12 point lead by going unbeaten in the second half of the season.
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This time period was also epic. The rivalry with Arsenal around this time was so intense. Fond memories of Keane ripping into Vieira in the tunnel at Highbury in 2005, topped off with O'Sheas filthy match winning chip.

We had some stunning kits in the '90s and '00s. Most notably the Sharp kits in 1992-1996, the treble kit, our 2002-04 home kit and our AIG kits from 2006-09. Beautiful.
 
Ferguson vs Wenger.
Keane vs Vieira.
Those were the days.
 
98-2009 for me.

Great teams with great players all over the place. I genuinely don't think there are as many good special players now (and I really don't think it's an age thing). Most players now are overcoached athletes IMO.

Look at strikers now. Who are actual top strikers in the last 10 years? Haaland, Isak, Nunez, Watkins, Kane and Aquero?

In the years before you had tonnes more entertaining top strikers Owen, Fowler, Yorke, Cole, Torres, Zola, Van Nistelrooy, Henry, Di Canio, Shearer, Berkgamp, Defoe, Anelka, Hasselbaink, Solskjaer, Drogba, Van Persie, Rooney etc
 
I think the standard of football has been quite high post-2018, but also United have been mostly shite in that period so you have to pick a time when we were good. I enjoyed 2006-07 season, that was magic.
 
I'd say a new era started in around 2021, 2022 in which the style of play became largely homogeneous (high pressing) across the league and this includes the revival of Arsenal under Arteta, the emergence of Brighton, Newcastle etc.
 
2010-14 is the period I enjoyed watching us the most but in terms of general PL watching I'd say 04-09.

In the last period of Moyes-ball we had a pretty fun team and played better football. Barkley just starting to come throughand Stones, Baines, Mirallas, Fellaini, Coleman and Pienaar all good players.

Then of course that final season where Martinez finished 5th and we got to see Lukaku, Barry, Deulofeu etc.
 
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jderbyshire said:
I'd say a new era started in around 2021, 2022 in which the style of play became largely homogeneous (high pressing) across the league and this includes the revival of Arsenal under Arteta, the emergence of Brighton, Newcastle etc.
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Yeah I don't think people talk enough about the rule change to allow you to pass to your own player in the box from a goal kick. Gradually it has led to way more situations where a team builds up really deep and plays 4 or 5 passes within 20 yards of their own goal and the other team pressing up right on top of them. Goalkeepers are way more involved also in the build-up, even from 10 years ago. Personally I don't really like it too much, it feels all the risk taking is in the defensive end and not the attacking end, I prefer when it's the other way around.
 
06-07 & 07-08 were by far my favourite seasons. Winning the PL after 3 years without it (which felt like an eternity back then). Rooney and Ronaldo really kicking on. Vidic and Rio forming an elite partnership. Scholes's goal vs Barca. Terry's slip in Moscow. What a time to be alive.
 
1992-93 was a real cliff-hangar. We were not in great shape until Eric came along then it was full steam ahead for the title, though Villa fought all the way. Reminded me of 1965 and 1967.
 
A toss up between the early PL era Vs the Treble era

The OG PL era just edges it for me - nothing beats that first PL win and double
 
DarkLord1984 said:
1992-1999.

King Eric strutting his stuff was magnificent. Fergie's mind games with anyone daft enough to cross him. Beginning of the rivalry with Wenger. 4-0 vs Chelsea in the 1994 FA Cup final with Eric's two penalties. Our double-double. Beckham's halfway line goal. Eric's volley against Liverpool in the 1996 FA Cup final. And of course, the (original and not won illegally) Treble.

It was also a time when footballers were men - the game was a lot more physical back then. Players would kick the shite out of each other and just get on with it. I saw a highlight clip recently of United vs Wimbledon in '94 - the one where Eric scored that belter of a volley from outside the box. Vinnie Jones was kicking lumps out of the United players and they just carried on like nothing happened.
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This.

Football was much more exciting back then (for me, at least).
 
Tough call between the first 3.

1992-1997

I was 13-18 during that period, football was cool as feck. New era with the creation of the PL, more glitz and glamour without it quite seeming too commercialised like it does now.

Cantona era, my favourite United player of all time. Hughes, Schmeichel and Kanchelskis are up there for me too. Young Giggs was electric and later on the class of 92 came through. Foreign stars like Ravanelli, Klinsmann, Bergkamp, Vialli, Zola, Gullit and Yeboah beginning to join the league in numbers. A great selection of English forwards knocking about - Shearer, Sheringham, Wright, Ferdiand, Cole, Fowler, Le Tissier with the likes of Collymore, Sutton, Dublin, Holdsworth, Deane and Bright also dangerous

Big investment in stadiums as teams had to go all seater in that period. Some clubs with extensive refurbs, other like Derby, Bolton, Sunderland and Middlesbrough all opening new grounds. Everything was so exciting. Brilliant as a United fan due to our dominance but perhaps we made it slightly uncompetetive? More competetive in lots other ways though with different teams than we have now managing to have their time in the sun. Blackburn Champions, Newcastle & Villa 2nd, Norwich and Forest 3rd. Great times.

1998-2003

Can't really top the treble team from a United perspective. I loved this era and the rivalry with Arsenal. Perhaps a bit samey though? The league was effectively about us and them. Wrote too much for the first era, I'll just keep the others short.

2004-2009

The top 4 era, brilliant if a fan of one of the clubs involved, must have been a bit shit for everyone else looking at things objectively. The most fun time of all for team and managerial rivalry with Ferguson, Wenger, Mourinho and Benitez locked in battle. 3 different champions in that time made things interesting, can't say about some of these other eras. Moscow for us, what amazing United team that was.
 
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It has to be 1998-2003 - Manchester United vs Arsenal rivalry

When I remember and rewatch videos from those "battles", I feel so much nostalgia! It is peak Premier League era for me. That is why Man United and Arsenal are my two favorite Premier League teams, I have so much respect for both of them because of those times.
 
Off topic but I'd have to say this current Premier League era (2018 onwards) is by far the worst.

Mainly because of Abu Dhabi FC cheating their way to 4 in a row and the emergence of Liverpool as a genuine title contender, plus the nauseating "rivalry" between Guardiola and Klopp.

Not to mention the endless harping on in the media about how Pep is the "bestest manager of all time" while conveniently ignoring the blatant cheating.

Thankfully one of these problems has been dealt with as Klopp has finally gone. Now we're just waiting for the other problem to be fixed in November.
 
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DarkLord1984 said:
Off topic but I'd have to say this current Premier League era (2018 onwards) is by far the worst.

Mainly because of Abu Dhabi FC cheating their way to 4 in a row and the emergence of Liverpool as a genuine title contender, plus the nauseating "rivalry" between Guardiola and Klopp, and the endless harping on in the media about how Pep is the "bestest manager of all time" while conveniently ignoring the blatantly cheating.

Thankfully one of these problems has been dealt with as Klopp has finally gone. Now we're just waiting for the other problem to be fixed in November.
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This currently era is absolutely the worst, without a doubt.
 
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