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29 March 2024

Cole stuns Man Utd’s 'Xavi, Iniesta, Messi' into reality check

Manchester United legends Andy Cole (left) and Lee Sharpe (right) pose with the Barclay Premier League trophy which has arrived via DHL on a Champions League on Tuesday. (SUPPLIED)

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By Staff

Andy Cole was at the heart of the great four of 1999 – Teddy Sheringham, Ole Gunnar Solskajer and Dwight Yorke being the others.

The comparison to the current magic four of Manchester United – Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck – while exciting the Old Trafford faithful, and stoking Treble winning dreams has not impressed Cole yet.

Comparisons are also made to Xavi, Iniesta and Messi of Barcelona, if you leave out Welbeck then.

Cole has said that these four need to win a trophy before the comparison can reall be made.

More importantly he predicted a tough Norwich match and United lost.

“There is a Manchester derby on the horizon in December but, before then, United face four tough Premier League games against Norwich, Queens Park Rangers, West Ham and Reading.

“None of those four teams will want to lie down for Man United. We saw how difficult it was going to Norwich last season,” Cole had warned before the game.

A great top four can only be as good as your back four and then, really, your holding midfield player.

Before Norwich Sir Alex’s team have gone behind 12 times during 17 matches in all competitions this season.

Cole has warned that if the clean sheets don’t come, the four striker will not matter.

“The football has been great to watch recently,” Cole told ManUtd.com. “And the strikers we’ve got are always going to grab the headlines and come to the fore.

|But I think the manager, with his status, if he could put a finger on the reason why we’re conceding goals, or he had the immediate solution, he would put it in place today.”

Come January, perhaps Sir Alex will have to look at beefing up his back four – and finding a new Jaap Stam and a Vidic.