The Top Flight
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Throwback Thursday: Alan Hansen Tells Manchester United “You can’t win anything with kids”

By Uzair Madhani

25 Aug 1999: Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United celebrate the first goal during the match between Coventry City and Manchester United in the FA Carling Premiership at Highfield Road, Coventry. Manchester United won the game 2-1. MandatoryCredit: Phil Cole /Allsport
25 Aug 1999: Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United celebrate the first goal during the match between Coventry City and Manchester United in the FA Carling Premiership at Highfield Road, Coventry. Manchester United won the game 2-1. MandatoryCredit: Phil Cole /Allsport /
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8 May 1994: Portrait of Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson before a FA Carling Premiership match against Coventry City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill/Allsport
8 May 1994: Portrait of Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson before a FA Carling Premiership match against Coventry City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Mandatory Credit: Shaun Botterill/Allsport /

Ferguson’s side was built around the dazzling, pacy wing-play of a young Ryan Giggs and Russian star Andrei Kanchelskis.

They were aided by the strong-tackling presence of Roy Keane and Paul Ince, both of whom loved to pop up in the opposition box with late runs, as strikers like Mark Hughes kept defences occupied.

They were devastating on the counter-attack, but without Cantona to conduct the orchestra they fell apart. The season culminated in United failing to find a winner on the last day of the season against West Ham. One more goal on the day would have won them the title.

A shock defeat to Everton in the FA Cup final furthered soured Ferguson’s mood and surely made up his mind. It was time to take apart the first great Premier League side.

Peter Schmeichel; Paul Parker, Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Denis Irwin; Andrei Kanchelskis, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs; Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona.

It was a terrifying lineup, and to this day it is statistically one of Ferguson’s greatest.

Ferguson was unhappy, though. He was displeased with Ince’s performances following Cantona’s ban, and in a TV documentary a few years down the line labelled him a “big-time Charlie”. Kanchelskis and Hughes were also seen as surplus to requirements, despite being fan favourites.

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