Is this the best starting 11 we've had post Ferguson?

jamesjimmybyrondean

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----------------------------De Gea--------------------------

Awb--------Lindelof-----------Maguire-----Shaw

-----------------Pogba-----------Matic------------------

Greenwood----------Bruno-------------Rashford

----------------------------Martial--------------------------

Can anyone name a starting 11 that looked as good as this and performed as well or better than this Post Fergie?
 

Massive Spanner

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Mourinho had a really good first XI at his disposal in 17/18, to be point where many had us as title favourites over City, but he really ballsed everything up with signing Sanchez and disrupting the balance.

This one is probably better though.
 

RUCK4444

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Without doubt it is. Don’t let anybody tell you Ole doesn’t deserve praise for it either.

Top class recruitment but he’s also improved the players that he inherited and promoted youth perfectly.

He hasn’t been here that long either so I’m very happy with where the squad is right now.

Now is the time for the club to invest again and spend as much as we can this summer to really give this team a chance to compete.
 

Nickelodeon

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It was DEFINITELY the most Fergie-esque goal we've scored ever since his departure. And I don't want to jinx it, but Bruno has been comfortably our best signing since Fergie.
 
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jamesjimmybyrondean

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Without doubt it is. Don’t let anybody tell you Ole doesn’t deserve praise for it either.

Top class recruitment but he’s also improved the players that he inherited and promoted youth perfectly.

He hasn’t been here that long either so I’m very happy with where the squad is right now.

Now is the time for the club to invest again and spend as much as we can this summer to really give this team a chance to compete.
It's amazing it took him only one season to have a side that is arguably our best 11 post Ferguson
 

spaceboyRSA

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Yeah it probably is. I do feel sorry for Fred though. He was a bit of a shining light (and probably player of the season for me)... but considering the team post Fernandes addition, he may need to get used to being benched again.
 

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Now is the time to invest. Need a rw, backup st, dm, cb. Probably 2 summer of spending but I hope Woodward understands this and spend it properly. Squad looks best since post Fergie.
 

Champagne Football

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Definitely. Seems like yesterday that Jose was throwing Rashford and McTominay under a bus and saying how terrified they looked against Newcastle because they weren't experienced enough, while constantly slating Martial and Shaw too.

Imagine the insults he'd be throwing at Greenwood and Williams now after probably giving their first 5 minutes of game time of the season last night against Brighton.

Fellaini would still be our main man in a dysfunction midfield, while Jose would be constantly whinging that the reason the football quality is so poor is because he wasn't given an extra 300 million to sign Neymar and Greizmann.

Ole is the only manager since Fergie who hasn't been a total and utter disaster. Seeing our kids develop while playing nice football is a joy to behold.
 

RkkMan

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Player by player quality this squad is without a shadow of doubt the best we`ve had post 2013. Hope Woodward sees this as a chance to invest than slack like he did in 2018 though otherwise he`ll have undone all the good work done by Ole.
 

Berbasbullet

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It’s getting there isn’t it? I think a mixture of good recruitment and players like Martial and Rashford develop has been a great tonic for the club, suddenly we look like a side that can challenge.

Sign a RW next season (we all know who) and Greenwood can essentially be the 4th attacker who fills in, he’d get tons of opportunities, and maybe a Bruno back up, and Matic understudy then maybe we can talk about something else positive.
 

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It's amazing it took him only one season to have a side that is arguably our best 11 post Ferguson
Exactly. People are entitled to their opinions on Ole but in my opinion he has done so much good in such little time.

He’s restored my faith in us turning it around, the last 6 years, where we were and where we are heading now is night and day.

I keep saying it but if the club mean business and get some of the additions we need this summer we can be a real force in this league.
 

11101

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----------------------------De Gea--------------------------

Awb--------Lindelof-----------Maguire-----Shaw

-----------------Pogba-----------Matic------------------

Greenwood----------Bruno-------------Rashford

----------------------------Martial--------------------------

Can anyone name a starting 11 that looked as good as this and performed as well or better than this Post Fergie?
It's definitely our best 11 but there are question marks over the bolded.

De Gea - needs to cut the errors out
Lindelof - could be improved on at a push
Shaw - can he maintain fitness
Matic - not getting any younger
Martial - not convinced he can lead the line
Greenwood - he's 18, we can't expect him to perform on a weekly basis

They all need to step up or be replaced if we are to seriously challenge.

We have played a Sheffield and Brighton team that like to come out and play, we know we do well in those games. I'm more interested in how we do against the teams that sit back and defend.
 

Gabriel Djemba-Bebe

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We have played a Sheffield and Brighton team that like to come out and play, we know we do well in those games. I'm more interested in how we do against the teams that sit back and defend.
All Brighton did yesterday was sit back and defend. They struggled to get out of their own half, especially in the first 30 minutes.
 

Keefy18

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Strange criticism. He's in his peak. It's funny how when players are 30+ they're criticised for it. He could play at this level, comfortably for another 3 years at least.
It depends really.

It isn't as black and white as just saying their age, other factors are more important to consider like team playing style.

It isn't a coincidence his form improves with less work rate put on him and his ageing legs. When Jose was here he was the engine of the CM and he was failing. He isn't that kind of player and doesn't have that kind of energy anymore.

Jose conceded possession, invited pressure on the defence and Matic work load was far too much for him. Now we retain possession, attack more and have a higher defensive line his work load is far less and energy reserved for those moments.

If we continued to build our team in this way then we could get at least 2 more good years from him, possibly 3.
 
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Maticmaker

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I would say yes, the balance through the side is great, going forward, defending, even side to side and most importantly, in Romero, Williams, McTominay, Fred and Ighalo we have good back 'up players' front to back.
 

11101

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Strange criticism. He's in his peak. It's funny how when players are 30+ they're criticised for it. He could play at this level, comfortably for another 3 years at least.
A year or two ago he was struggling badly when asked to play a full season as the main sitting CM. Teams were running past him like he wasn't there. Nothing to suggest that wouldn't happen again - right now he's coming off a 3 month rest.
 

Adam-Utd

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A year or two ago he was struggling badly when asked to play a full season as the main sitting CM. Teams were running past him like he wasn't there. Nothing to suggest that wouldn't happen again - right now he's coming off a 3 month rest.
Think it's fair to state that Matic was playing injured. He had to have surgery and was missing for 2-3 months. After that he came back in this form which shows me he was running in pain.

You don't go from that bad back to a "normal" high level if you're truly finished.
 

Falcow

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Funny how we went from worst United side in history to being the best post Fergie in the same season.
:lol:

So true. Next time we are losing I'm sure the match day thread will again proclaim it to be the worst.

I'm so so happy for Ole and indeed Mike Phelan. The amount of shit our own fans have given Ole is a disgrace, I recall one fan in here describing Ole as a "gallum face c*nt" after the Burnley defeat I think.

In answer to OP, yes I think it probably is. The question is more I think, would this be our best starting 11 against say liverpool or city? Personally I think the midfield(excellent and all as they have been) has the potential to be exposed against those two, if we were playing at Anfield for instance, I think I would like to see Fred in there as his work rate will be crucial against certain teams, as it was when we beat City twice at the Etihad this season.

Side note.....Ole has managed to do league double over Chelsea and City this season....amazing in his first full season.
 

Maticmaker

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A year or two ago he was struggling badly when asked to play a full season as the main sitting CM. Teams were running past him like he wasn't there. Nothing to suggest that wouldn't happen again - right now he's coming off a 3 month rest.
That previous close season Matic had a major operation on a back injury which had been slowing him down and affecting his movement for sometime, I suspect it was the reason Chelsea let us have him, thinking he had one or two seasons left. Nemanja struggled to reach full fitness and lost Ole's confidence, but now partnered with Bruno and Pogba, he is playing well as our regular DM, and although his career is in its twilight years he still has a lot to offer. His awareness of things around him is fantastic, witness that ball played to Mason Greenwood that led to the third goal last night.
 

Pretzels81

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Van Gaal had a cracking squad for 2014-2015, but he managed to ruin it.
 

Inigo Montoya

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:lol:

So true. Next time we are losing I'm sure the match day thread will again proclaim it to be the worst.

I'm so so happy for Ole and indeed Mike Phelan. The amount of shit our own fans have given Ole is a disgrace, I recall one fan in here describing Ole as a "gallum face c*nt" after the Burnley defeat I think.

In answer to OP, yes I think it probably is. The question is more I think, would this be our best starting 11 against say liverpool or city? Personally I think the midfield(excellent and all as they have been) has the potential to be exposed against those two, if we were playing at Anfield for instance, I think I would like to see Fred in there as his work rate will be crucial against certain teams, as it was when we beat City twice at the Etihad this season.

Side note.....Ole has managed to do league double over Chelsea and City this season....amazing in his first full season.
Our fans are right bastards at times:(

On the latter point, we must be the only side to beat City 3 out of 4 in one season. 2 of those were away.:drool:
 

Inigo Montoya

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It's definitely our best 11 but there are question marks over the bolded.

De Gea - needs to cut the errors out
Lindelof - could be improved on at a push
Shaw - can he maintain fitness
Matic - not getting any younger
Martial - not convinced he can lead the line
Greenwood - he's 18, we can't expect him to perform on a weekly basis

They all need to step up or be replaced if we are to seriously challenge.

We have played a Sheffield and Brighton team that like to come out and play, we know we do well in those games. I'm more interested in how we do against the teams that sit back and defend.

When did Brighton do anything but sit back and defend? Sheffield away, we were out played for the first half when they took the game to us.
 

Reynoldo

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It was DEFINITELY the most Fergie-esque goal we've score ever since his departure. And I don't want to jinx it, but Bruno has been comfortably our best signing since Fergie.
Early days yes but if he keeps this up we'll be going back into Fergie's reign even to see how he matches up to some of the great mans signings
 

Withnail

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It's definitely our best 11 but there are question marks over the bolded.

De Gea - needs to cut the errors out
Lindelof - could be improved on at a push
Shaw - can he maintain fitness
Matic - not getting any younger
Martial - not convinced he can lead the line
Greenwood - he's 18, we can't expect him to perform on a weekly basis

They all need to step up or be replaced if we are to seriously challenge.

We have played a Sheffield and Brighton team that like to come out and play, we know we do well in those games. I'm more interested in how we do against the teams that sit back and defend.
Are you taking the piss?

Sheffield are a shadow of their former selves and didn't play very much football and Brighton never got the bus into first :lol:
 

Skåre Willoch

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Yes, without a doubt. One world class signing (you know who) and a league class creative squad option this summer, and we're ready to properly contend on all fronts i reckon.

Imagine a front three rotation with Greenwood, Martial, Rashford and Sancho.
They're all capable of playing across the enitre front line, without a strict position. It'll be a proper nightmare to defend against, as proven yesterday with Greenwoods assist from the left (!) flank. With Sancho in the mix as well, I dare you to name a better front line, not only in the league, but in the world.

Ighalo and James are useful as well, and can be brought on in early stage cup games, after 60+ mins in comfortable games etc. Plenty of game time for all to be happy.

With Bruno and Pogba gelling even more, we're destined for great things. It's not even a false dawn this time, the sun is rising for real.
 

Greck

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The damning aspect is most of these players were available to Mourinho but he chose Mata, Lingard, Fellaini and acted like he had nothing else to work with
 

11101

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When did Brighton do anything but sit back and defend? Sheffield away, we were out played for the first half when they took the game to us.
Two of our goals came from breaking between the Brighton lines when they had pushed up a bit, and the other was a deflected shot. When they were sitting back in two banks of four we didn't create any real chances - Bruno hit the post and aside from the goals we didn't have a shot on target until the 84th minute. We can't expect our forwards to be so clinical every game.
 

fallengt

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Mourinho had a really good first XI at his disposal in 17/18, to be point where many had us as title favourites over City, but he really ballsed everything up with signing Sanchez and disrupting the balance.

This one is probably better though.
Mourinho didn't have a captain and Bruno. Current team has balance chemistry and it's showed.
It's amazing that one signing can change so much. It's like everyone suddenly loves football again.
 

Withnail

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Two of our goals came from breaking between the Brighton lines when they had pushed up a bit, and the other was a deflected shot. When they were sitting back in two banks of four we didn't create any real chances - Bruno hit the post and aside from the goals we didn't have a shot on target until the 84th minute. We can't expect our forwards to be so clinical every game.
There's no point moving the goalposts now. Every team is going push up a bit at some point.

Did Brighton sit back and defend for the majority of the game and did we score 3 goals against them or not?