Speaking of which, Peter Schmeichel seems to be disappointed at the lack of attention and has resorted to a tug on the sleeve, while Gary Neville, well, photos can be cruel, but if there was ever pictorial proof of why few confess to liking him, here it is. Captains all, past and present, acting out the duties of their lord and master to the letter. To be fair, this was not a happy time for Manchester United, lying as they were 10 points adrift of the attack-minded entertainers Newcastle United, who topped the Premiership.

With a game against the Geordies in three days' time, this was a must-win trip to Elland Road for Alex Ferguson's side, but they ended up getting beaten 3-1, with Brian Deane, Tony Yeboah and the pictured Gary McAllister scoring for the home side. Things went a little better three days later, as a 2-0 win over Newcastle at Old Trafford cut the gap at the top to seven. But by January, Newcastle had re-established a seemingly unassailable 12-point lead. However, Ferguson was to soon attain a dubious reputation for the mastery of psychological warfare by causing Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan to lose the plot slightly on TV, now bizarrely remembered as the moment Newcastle let the other United creep up behind them and win the league by four points. An Eric Cantona goal in a woeful FA Cup final against Liverpool meant that Manchester United soon became the first side to win the English double twice. Something to shout about.