What if: Arsene Wenger had joined Manchester United instead of Arsenal

#3 England would have won Euro 2004

The England squad for Euro 2004 was talented enough to go all the way

The early 2000s saw a steady stream of English footballers approaching their peak to reach world class standards. In a tournament that was eventually won by Greece, England certainly packed sufficient talent to go all the way. Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney, Scholes, Terry, Ashley Cole...but once again, penalty shootouts proved their undoing.

David Beckham skied the first penalty of the evening. Even though Rui Costa missed a penalty for Portugal as well, Darius Vassell missed England’s 7th penalty to allow Ricardo to win it for Portugal.

In our world, England captain Beckham is still at his beloved Manchester United and in a settled, happy state of mind. He scores the first penalty – and that changes everything. Unlike Ferguson who had constant outbursts at the FA, Wenger has always enjoyed smooth relations with them. “I am very proud when I see five England players wearing the Arsenal shirt,” Wenger said once, highlighting his commitment to the national cause as well.

Euro 2004 was there for the taking – and under Wenger’s tutelage, his Manchester United core (Nicky Butt, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, David Beckham) would have helped England seize the opportunity.