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Denis Irwin hoping Manchester United put a stop to Manchester City’s treble bid with FA Cup glory
Denis Irwin isn’t one for counting his medals. Sure, he hasn’t seen them in years. Legacy matters more than trinkets to the joint-most successful Irish player of all time.
He shares that honour with his former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane and Liverpool legend Ronnie Whelan.
The trio won 19 trophies apiece across stellar careers, but Irwin and Keane ultimately boast the treble that matters.
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United remain the only English side to have won the league title, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season.
While Keane was famously suspended for United’s remarkable 1999 win over Bayern Munich, Irwin played a starring role at Camp Nou.
Not that his winner’s medal – or any of them for that matter – takes pride of place in his Manchester home.
“They’re down the museum, I don’t see them at all,” beams the 57-year-old Red Devils legend, still looking in remarkable shape, as if capable of pulling on the boots if required.
“It (Manchester United’s museum) is the safest place to have them. I’m not one to look back.
“It is what it is. Every year a team tries to win a treble. But this year it just seems more doable.”
Irwin doesn’t want Manchester City emulating his old team’s heroics from 24 years ago – and makes no apologies for it.
Pep Guardiola’s galacticos already have the Premier League crown in the bag and face city rivals Manchester United in today’s FA Cup final at Wembley.
Then, next Saturday night, they lock horns with Inter Milan in the Champions League decider in Istanbul, where they are favourites to win.
But Irwin hopes their treble dreams are dashed by then.
“I’m more interested than most in Champions League finals as I hope they’re not going for the treble by the time it comes around,” he says.
“But the Champions League final is the pinnacle of club football – and I know that. It’s a chance for City to put themselves out to be a great team, to be fair.
“And they have been a really good team when you look at the leagues they have won in the last five or six years.
“But to be known as a really, really great side you have to win the Champions League and become the best in Europe.
“We’re the only team that has ever done it and that shows you how hard it is to win one.
“Liverpool have gone close and it looked like City would as well. But if anyone is going to emulate it, it’s the Man City of today.”
When Irwin is asked what he remembers most about United’s treble victory in 99, it’s not Teddy Sheringham’s 91st minute equaliser that set the wheels in motion.
It’s not even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winner two minutes later and the mayhem that ensued, or the dressing room celebrations deep in the bowels of Barcelona’s iconic stadium.
No, what Irwin remembers most is the resolve shown across a whirlwind 10-day period where United barely had time to think in between games, yet hoovered up all three trophies.
“It just went so quick, it’s like a blur,” he says. “The one thing about us that year is we had great belief in ourselves.
“We always knew we could score goals. We showed great resilience to come back in games, and we knew we could always score in the last minute.
“The Spurs game (on the final day of the league season) when we were 1-0 down and came back to win on a Sunday.
“We beat Newcastle at Wembley the next Saturday, went to Barcelona the next day and, before you know it, that (European final) was on top of us on Wednesday.
“We were missing our two best players (Keane and Paul Scholes) in midfield but we still got through it to win all three trophies, and that shows you the resilience.
“We were in a tough Champions League group with Bayern Munich and Barcelona and, funnily enough, Inter are the same (this year).
“So hopefully the omens are good….I’m clinging onto anything now!”.
City have the relative luxury of a week-long gap between their final league game to today’s Wembley showdown, and again to their European decider.
“They have a clear run at it and these things count for a lot,” added Irwin.
And assessing City’s treble credentials, he continued: “They have a great manager and that’s first and foremost in any great footballing side.
“They have great players who can make all the difference in the final third. You saw what they’ve done in the Champions League against Leipzig, Madrid and Bayern Munich.
“They’re well capable of beating anyone by two, three or four goals. And that’s why they’re such a good team.”
Still, Irwin believes Manchester United can stop them in their tracks at Wembley today – even if they are up against it.
“We’ve seen plenty of big games and cup finals go to the underdog,” said the former Ireland full-back.
“In my day we saw Sunderland in ’73, Wigan a few years ago and, in the league this year, Everton beating Arsenal when Everton were at rock bottom and Arsenal were flying.
“I’m not saying it’s that desperate, but I think both the FA Cup and Champions League will be more difficult games than what people think.
“The mood around United compared to last year is an awful lot better. The new manager has come in and done extremely well.
“We already have a trophy under our belts and qualifying for the Champions League was a big thing as there was no guarantee of that.
“We finished the season really well, and the lads are really looking forward to the Cup final. I know Ten Hag has said he wants to do it for his legacy.
“And from a selfish point of view I hope he does do it for his legacy. When he came in, he instilled a bit of discipline and there’s a pattern of play there now too.
“Casemiro and (Lisandro) Martinez are both leaders and United lacked that over the last couple of years.
“Not only that but he has made the likes of Marcus [Rashford], and Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka better players.
“We’ve seen a big step forward and there’s more light at the end of the tunnel.
“There’s still a big gap between City and United and it’s all about closing that gap, as fast as possible.”
Ask Irwin who United’s biggest rivals are and he doesn’t hesitate. It will always be Liverpool in his eyes.
But City’s resurgence under Guardiola has seen the Blue Moon rising in Manchester to the point where it has completely eclipsed the red half of the city.
Closing that gap, as Irwin puts it, will be easier said than done even if United appear to be in better health under their Dutch boss.
United, who finished third this season, scored just 58 goals in 38 Premier League games – the same total as Brentford.
Champions Manchester City smashed 94 goals, runners-up Arsenal hit 88, fourth-placed Newcastle got 68 and Liverpool, in fifth, hit 75.
“United need more goals,” says Irwin. “If you want to win a league you have to score two plus goals a game. You’re looking at 80 plus and United are well short of that.”
This afternoon, Irwin will take his seat at Wembley Stadium hoping that United show some of the steel that his own Red Devils team had in spades.
Especially if it stops City in their pursuit of treble glory.
“That’s the selfish point of view,” he laughs. “But it’s just the way it is.”
*** You can watch all UEFA Champions League games, including the final, free-to-air in Ireland via the LiveScore app ***
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