2. Rooney vs Keane
Every team needs a talisman, a figurehead to inspire and lead by example. The treble winners boasted the perennial Roy Keane, a bulldog of a midfielder, part Commander, part tank. His desire to win, to dominate was infectious and reassuring. Others would galvanize, Schmeichel and perhaps even Beckham too. In Uniteds current squad, one of the survivors from that squad Ryan Giggs has grown into the role, but it is Rooney who has become the engine of industry. His temperament is of an equal volatility to that of Keanes and his dogged play without the ball gets the crowds going in much the same way. However, he is also a remarkably humble footballer. He will play in goal if it helps the team and that lack of egoism (his mind boggling contract saga aside) so often the downfall of Keane in the past only fosters a collective team spirit that is evidently flowing through the squad at present. The age of rotation had not really come to fruition in 1999, but there appears to be no grumbles in the current squad and that can be attributed to Rooney and his role as a leader in the team. It also for responsibility to be shared around, whereas Keane was seen as irreplaceable, Rooney is merely one of many focal points on the pitch.