Exactly what it says on the tin. You have to pick a United squad from your lifetime made up of players who, for one reason or another, were rarely first choice for any sustained period of time; or flopped badly versus expectations and were shipped out prematurely. Some might be because of persistent injury, some because there was always a better player available in their position, others because they just didn’t fit the system at the time, or failed to settle. This is a squad for the important but not key, the floundering star, the physio’s best companion, the potatoes without the gravy…..
The criteria is pretty self explanatory but by definition is open to some creative interpretation. For example, I picked Nani, even though he had a couple of seasons as a first choice…mainly because he spent most of his time here as second choice. Yet I didn’t pick Owen Hargreaves, despite his injuries, because he was a key starter in that 2008 CL winning team, and wasn’t here for long. Just confuse matters further, I did pick Wes Brown because despite being a key starter in 2008, he spent much of his long career here ad an understudy to better CBs, or injured. As an aside, what a player he was. Would instantly be our best CB and RB if he was around today.
So, without further ado….my squad:
B. Foster
F. Barthez
M. Kovar
J. O’Shea
P. Neville
R. Johnsen
J. Evans
M. Silvestre
W. Brown
F. Da Silva
P. Jones
N. Butt
J. S. Veron
Anderson
S. Kagawa
L. Sharpe
A. Pereira
A. Di Maria
J. S. Park
L. Nani
J. Blomqvist
D. Forlán
L. Saha
T. Sheringham
O. G. Solksjaer
Striker was the easiest, midfield was the hardest. I am sure I’ve forgotten some good ones. Defence produced some absolute gems. Players who would’ve excelled much more today in an era where inverted full backs/auxiliary Cabs starting wide is all the rage (Brown, Jones, Silvestre). O couldn’t pick Heinze because he was a complete tool.
The only hard and fast rules are that you must have 3 keepers, and pick 25 players, it also has to be a balanced and functional squad, one that could realistically compete today. Assuming all 25 weren’t injured at once.
The criteria is pretty self explanatory but by definition is open to some creative interpretation. For example, I picked Nani, even though he had a couple of seasons as a first choice…mainly because he spent most of his time here as second choice. Yet I didn’t pick Owen Hargreaves, despite his injuries, because he was a key starter in that 2008 CL winning team, and wasn’t here for long. Just confuse matters further, I did pick Wes Brown because despite being a key starter in 2008, he spent much of his long career here ad an understudy to better CBs, or injured. As an aside, what a player he was. Would instantly be our best CB and RB if he was around today.
So, without further ado….my squad:
B. Foster
F. Barthez
M. Kovar
J. O’Shea
P. Neville
R. Johnsen
J. Evans
M. Silvestre
W. Brown
F. Da Silva
P. Jones
N. Butt
J. S. Veron
Anderson
S. Kagawa
L. Sharpe
A. Pereira
A. Di Maria
J. S. Park
L. Nani
J. Blomqvist
D. Forlán
L. Saha
T. Sheringham
O. G. Solksjaer
Striker was the easiest, midfield was the hardest. I am sure I’ve forgotten some good ones. Defence produced some absolute gems. Players who would’ve excelled much more today in an era where inverted full backs/auxiliary Cabs starting wide is all the rage (Brown, Jones, Silvestre). O couldn’t pick Heinze because he was a complete tool.
The only hard and fast rules are that you must have 3 keepers, and pick 25 players, it also has to be a balanced and functional squad, one that could realistically compete today. Assuming all 25 weren’t injured at once.