So much for football getting better, players getting fitter and the quality of teams improving.
According to former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre, only three of the his former sides current players would get into the 2005 teams that contested the FA Cup final. That’s three from both teams.
The 2005 game, in which Silvestre started at centre-half for United, ended scoreless and Arsenal won on penalties.
The starting XI’s on the day were:
Arsenal – Jens Lehmann; Lauren, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Ashley Cole; Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Robert Pires; Jose Antonio Reyes, Dennis Bergkamp.
Manchester United – Roy Carroll; Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O’Shea; Darren Fletcher, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo; Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
And Silvestre reckons this is both sides best current line-ups:
Arsenal – David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Mezut Ozil; Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud.
Manchester United – David De Gea; Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw; Daley Blind, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao.
But, when he combined the sides, the class of 2015 almost vanishes.
For United, David de Gea replaces Roy Carroll, Wayne Rooney retains his place and Angel di Maria comes in for Darren Fletcher.
While Arsenal features Alexis Sanchez instead of Jose Antonio Reyes, and Lauren Koscielny comes in for Philippe Senderos.
Dennis Bergkamp retains his place up front, presumably because Yaya Sanogo is currently on-loan at Crystal Palace.
Hat-tip BBC Sport.
