Drinks With Mark Bosnich

photo by Getty Images

When you returned to Man U in ’99, the club was at one of its historic highs, coming off the treble, you’re replacing Peter Schmeichel – was there a “holy shit” moment?

Not really, because it was in the pipeline. I’d prepared myself for that idea. The club had changed a lot obviously, because when I was there when I was 19, they still hadn’t claimed the Holy Grail of a Premier League title, which they’d last won in the late ’60s. I knew the majority of the boys in the dressing room from before, when they were young kids – Dwight [Yorke] was there. I didn’t think “holy shit”, but I realised the expectations I had to live up to because of my predecessor. If you look back at that season, we won the title by 18 points, we won the World Club Championship, the first time a British team had done that. The disappointing thing for me was, I had one of my best games in a quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid when we drew nil-nil at the Bernabeu. In between that and the second leg, I was injured. I got injured three times. The other problem was, one of the pluses of being there before worked against me in terms of my falling out with Sir Alex over a certain subject. Looking back, regardless if I was right or wrong, I probably should’ve just said, “Okay.” But that’s when you’re young and a bit pig-headed; you just don’t realise that the boss is the boss and you’ve got to go with it.

I find you’re one of the more astute Ferguson observers out there, like the self-indulgent jibe about his birthday earlier this year. How do you see the club transitioning to the post-Ferguson era?

No one is bigger than the club, and he’ll be the first to admit that publicly. But I think privately, it might be a bit of an elephant in the room. He has become as big as the club in terms of its association; where he’s taken the club from when he took over to the multinational conglomerate it is now.

The self-indulgent thing, that was more knowing him. If that was one of his players, he’d have been off the roof. They were losing games at that stage, they’d lost to Newcastle, to Blackburn, they’d just went out of Europe. And there was a choir singing happy birthday. We know his value. He should know his value. There’s still a title to win. I doubt it would’ve happened with any other manager in the world.

The biggest danger they’ll have is that Sir Alex will offer massive input into his replacement, and he’s stated that when he retires, he’ll have some involvement with the club, which he should ‒ he’s earned the right. When the late Sir Matt Busby had finished up and he was hanging around the club following the present managers, it was like there was a ghost, a weight around their feet. That’s what he’s got to be careful of.

This Champions League season, the drumbeat has picked up for Messi as best ever. You played in a high-talent era, Zidane, Ronaldo, etc – how does Messi rate?

As good as anyone. I don’t think you have to play and win a World Cup to prove yourself anymore. The biggest competition is the Champions League now; I think it’s surpassed the World Cup, and I’ll tell you why. The best players are always in there, it doesn’t matter where you’re born. If you’re born in Ivory Coast, you have to play for Ivory Coast. Ryan Giggs, one of the greatest players in the last 20 years, wasn’t able to play in the World Cup. Okay, Champions League, best players in the world, year in, year out, continually evolving, everyone on an even keel. Being born in a certain country can limit what you can do.

Euro 2012, these competitions have a way of ordering the hierarchy in the game. Who do you think is the best goalie?

You don’t win nothing without a great goalkeeper. Gianluigi Buffon has come back from a serious back injury and he’s playing really well. At his best, he’s as good, if not better, than anyone. Petr Cech, outstanding goalkeeper, again had his problems, a lot of his problems had to do with the knock he got on his head in that game against Reading. Manuel Neuer, look, he was excellent with Schalke, but it’s another thing to be excellent with Bayern. I’ve seen him make some good saves with Bayern, I’ve seen him make mistakes. I’d like to see him now in the major tournaments. Iker Casillas has been ever-present, as good as anyone on his day ... And never underestimate that someone can come out of the blue, like Tim Cole from Newcastle. He’s outstanding.

On the subject of internationals, Socceroos vs Iran in 1997 was once a subject too difficult for you to talk about. Still the case?

Not really. My take was the same then as it is now. We got to the top of the mountain, and people got nosebleeds. As players, we have to take responsibility for it. It was in our hands and we let it slip. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it was a lesson that was learned. As a country, a lot of the boys who were involved that night really used that experience when it came to 2006, and that’s the most important thing.

Twenty minutes to go, I think a lot of people started playing the clock instead of playing the game. Thought they were there, conceded one, then went to pieces. That’s what happens in football if you don’t see things through, as in life.

‒ Jeff Centenera