Current Players Who Are Good Enough To Stay In The First XI

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Rashford, Fred, Mctominay, Pogba. Maybe Martial and our defense. That is it for me.

That's 10 players mate. You really think we are one right winger away from challenging again? You mad man haha.

 

[bosnian_red]

That's 10 players mate. You really think we are one right winger away from challenging again? You mad man haha.

Tbf, a fit and firing Pogba makes a big difference as you're essentially replacing Andreas Pereira with a world class midfielder that on his day is as good as anyone. Something many are forgetting. Guy has been absent all season, we effectively lost him without replacing him last summer in addition to losing Lukaku without replacement. That's the problem.

Anyway, I'd definitely add a top quality attacking left back to the group, but in general it's the squad depth that is more of a problem. Pogba is going to leave in the summer so of course we'll need to replace him as well (maybe Bruno Fernandes this month).

 

[SilentWitness]

De Gea, AWB, Pogba, Rashford, Martial.

These are the only players which you have that are either top class or have the potential to be it.

Fred, McTominay, Maguire etc are of a good level but aren't top class. They could probably play in a First XI when surrounded by top class players but you need more than just 4 or 5.

If you look at Liverpool for example they have Allison (Top 10 keeper in the world at least), TAA (Top 5 RB in the world at least), Robertson (Top 5 LB in the world at least), VVD (Top 3 CB in the world at least), Mane, Salah, Firminio (Best trio in world football currently and individually they are arguably some of the best in the world in their position if not the best).

That's 7 players that are world class and players like Fabinho/Henderson are probably in the tier below that in the CM spot.

Your only 'world class' players are a CM who hasn't hit the heights he's capable of consistently for you and has been hampered by injuries this season and a GK who is wildly inconsistent nowadays. It's a tricky situation and the recruitment needs to change.

 

[joker00]

DDG
AWB - Mguire - X - X

Pogba (If ..) - Mctominay

a Big X
Rashford - another Big X
Martial

Subs: Greenwood,Williams,Fred, Gomes, Tuanzebe , James

* subs choices are based on their VERY unstable efficiency

 

[Rozay]

De Gea
Maguire
Pogba
Rashford
Martial

And maybe Fred.

 

[Dr Fink]

Maguire, Williams, Pogba, McTominay and Rashford. Definitely not Fred (he's just the best of an embarrassing bunch at the moment - not good enough).

 

[Canagel]

Pogba
Martial
Fred
Rashford
And maybe AWB

I won't have any issue with selling at least half of the squad while replacing the rest and demoting them to squad players.

 

[Ranie]

Players who can stay (and can play a part in leading the team to the top again):

DeGea
AWB
Maguire
Williams
Fred
Pogba
McTominay
Rashord
Greenwood

 

[HackeyC]

De Gea/Romero
Maguire AWB Smalling*
Pogba
Rashford Martial

Happy to have on bench:
Henderson, James, McTominay, Fred, Mata, Williams, Tuanzebe, Lindeloff, Dalot, Greenwood

That boils down to needing 5 first team players assuming Pogba leaves and more quality on the bench. Honestly I think the team needs £300m-£400m invested less whatever is received for Pogba who must surely be on his way.

Fundamentally we need a DoF with a longer term recruitment strategy, not whoever the latest manager happens to be and an accountant.

 

[Ødegaard]

Pogba, Maguire, Awb & Rashford.

 

[Bwuk]

De Gea
???? - ???? - Maguire - Williams
McTominay
Pogba - ????
???? - Martial - Rashford​

For me, we lack someone who can control a game from deep.

We don't have a right back who can provide any sort of attacking play.

Lindelof I like but he can be improved upon.

RW is a major weakness. We need someone who can score from wide, we rely too heavily on Martial and Rashford.

Others in the squad are fine for the bench (Greenwood etc), but I think as starters the above only.

 

[DWelbz19]

Pogba, Rashford, Martial.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Pogba, Rashford, Martial.

More or less.

 

[Machine Elements]

Starting XI quality

Rashford
Fred
Martial
Pogba (if he wants to stay with the right mentality of course)
De Gea (if he can get back to his best)
Potentially Greenwood
Maybe Shaw
Smalling
Maybe Bailly (if he can get over his injury issues)


For squad players

Romero (maybe even for no 1)
McTominay
Rojo
Matic (top player in his prime, legs somewhat gone but still quality so deserves a squad player role at least)


Players with clear weaknesses, one trick ponnies, too limited etc.

Maguire (too slow, not a great defender, don't think he's a great ball playing CB either)
AWB (very good one vs one defender, shit at everything else)
James (has nothing other than pace)
Lindelöf (mediocre defender)
Andreas Pereira (mediocre player)
Lingard (see Pereira)


Not decided

Williams
Dalot

 

[bosnian_red]

Personnel wise I wouldn't say we are far off. It's a young squad with big potential but lacking some key pieces. Also lacking the right structure behind them to get the best of them, but that's a different topic.

De Gea
Wan Bissaka Smalling Maguire Shaw
???? McTominay Pogba
???? Martial Rashford

Henderson
Dalot Tuanzebe Lindelof Williams
Fred ???? Gomes
James Greenwood ????​

I'd like to see this as a squad to build from. Plenty of young players with a view to become starters (Henderson replacing De Gea, Greenwood becoming starter on the right, Tuanzebe potential CB and Williams potential at left back, etc.). The problem is depth and some key starting positions. Pogba is obviously leaving though so can replace him with a position to fill, though on the flipside I'm expecting us to sign Bruno Fernandes so he at least takes the other midfield position as the 10.

Its unforgivable to not have the adequate depth, but I understand wanting to keep some spots "open" to fight for. RW I can see us rotating until Greenwood just makes it his own, same with LB between Shaw and Williams. CB I really just think Lindelof is mediocre and nothing more, but I guess he can stay as depth and we make Smalling the starter. Midfield is the only position that we dont have sorted out at all. McTominay is good, but needs depth (Matic fine now, but hes likely gone). Fred is fine as depth for the #8, but we need the starting position with Pogba leaving. Gomes I'd hope stays and he can be the backup #10.

So that leaves us with these to purchase:

• Starting #10 (Bruno Fernandes)​
• Pogba replacement​
• Depth winger/striker to push for the starting attack​
• Depth holding midfielder (Matic replacement)​

Then let the squad progress a bit, and then to get another level up get a top CB to replace Smalling and a top attacking left back.

Not needed/phase out:

• Rojo
• Bailly
• Jones
• Romero (phase out for Henderson)
• Matic
• Pereira
• Lingard
• Sanchez
• Mata

 

[He'sRaldo]

Pogba, Rashford, Martial.

Pretty much.

 

[James Ward]

I would say only Maguire, Pogba and Rashford if we want to challenge for the title.

Probably add in Fred, Mctominay, AWB, Martial if we just want to finish in the top four every season.

Rest are just meh.

 

[Rob Bowman]

Agree with lots that on here... My biggest issue are RW and CM which we knew last summer were issues and with inept management and injury have cause crisis.

So here we go, fot truly WC talent we have three imho...

DeGea
Rashford
Pogba

Good enough and want to keep around or even develop into WC we have a good amount...
AWB
MacGuire
Williams
Fred
Shaw
McTominay
James
Greenwood
Martial
Mata
Gomes
Romero
Henderson
Garner

Players on the fence...
Smalling
Linderlof
Tuanzebe
Baille
Dalot
Chong
Matic

Players we need to move on from...
Pereira
Lindgard
Sanchez
Jones

This means in my ideal world we would line up like

-------------------DeGea-----------------
AWB-MacGuire-????-Williams
----------------McT----Fred------------
------------------Pogba------------------
??????-------Martial---Rashford

with our subs......

-------------------Romero-----------------
Dalot-Smalling-Linderlof-Shaw
----------------Garner----Matic---------
------------------Gomes------------------
Chong---Greenwood---James

With these few left over to sort
Henderson
Mata
Tuanzebe
Baille

Overall I like most of the players we do have. We do NOT have enough quality and lack leaders. I always think about Ronaldo's first year. He was so young, and had so much to learn. Luckily he had so many experienced players around to help him. this is what we lack. Top flite players who are also leader's.

World's largest club and against Pool our bitter rival, we start a 19 out of position at left wing and Pereira at ACM...

 

[Eire Red United]

Good enough to be nailed on starters-

De Gea
AWB
Pogba if he wants to be
Rashford
Martial if he can find consistency.

Good enough to be squad players/future starting xi or starting if more quality alongside
Greenwood- Future starter
James- solid squad player possible future starter
Maguire- Solid enough but would need a top cb next to him
McT- been excellent, future starter if he can pick up where he was before injury
Tuanzabe- hopefully future starter/ solid squad player at least
Williams- Future starter
Lindelof- same as Maguire.
(Matic and Mata- both past their best but still useful)
Romero/ Henderson self explanatory.
Fred- back up/comic relief.
might have missed one or two.

 

[SambaBoy]

Starting XI

Pogba
Rashford
Martial

At a push Maguire, De Gea and AWB.

The likes of James, Fred, McTominay and Lindelof should be in the squad but not starting every week if we want to get back challenging for titles. In a season though, these players will still be key and will get plenty of playing time due to rotation, form and injuries. Then obviously Romero as a back-up GK.

The rest are simply not good enough, but most of them will be needed for the next 1-2 years whilst we completely overturn the team.

Obviously I exclude Greenwood and Williams from that as they are being eased into so it's too early to say whether they are good enough to be in the XI or not good enough just yet. Hopefully Williams can develop into a full-back to cover both RB and LB. I have my doubts as to whether he will be good enough but he's made a good start.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

That's 10 players mate. You really think we are one right winger away from challenging again? You mad man haha.

Didn't say they would all be in the 11 all time. Just that they would potentially start regulary and could do it at the highest level.
We could certainly use more depth and top quality in attack.
A better defense would help, but a good manager can work well with decent players. It is the attack that takes you far in my view.

 

[meninred]

for next season
realistically it would be mata , matic and rojo to get rid of
Pereira and lingaard james to just squad players
our defense is ok..is good to have extra defenders since they get injured more often
bring three players - two midfielders and a striker
second season
you can consider selling the squad players and even martial and the like and bring 2- 3 players

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

When you are talking about "good enough", I'm assuming good enough to be part of a starting XI team who can finish 2nd place & 3rd place at the moment.

DDG, Maguire, Pogba, "this season" Fred, Martial & Rashford.

McTominay & Bissaka are still not there yet and need to make improvement in their game.

The likes of Greenwood & Williams are not because their current level still haven't reach anywhere near. Taking into account potential development is not something we should consider, we could name tons of it from academy players.

 

[lysglimt]

I think the following players will have left:
Henderson, Romero, Shaw, Rojo, Matic, Mata, Lingard, Martial, Jones, VNL, Dalot, Pogba, Grant, Gomes, Chong, Fosu-Mensah, Andreas and Bailly

DDG, Williams, Maguire, AWB, Fred, McTominay, Greenwood, Rashford, James and Tuanzebe will have survived the initial purge

In addition - the following players will have been promoted to the 1st team squad:
Garner, Mejbri, Mengi, Levitt, Kovar and Laird

The rest of the squad will be 7-8 players we sign during the next transfer windows.

 

[NewGlory]

Pretty much - only Rashford. Greenwood, if he continues development. Too early to tell for Williams, but possibly. AWB will need to learn how to attack.

Pogba will not stick around until 2022, so it's a moot point.

De Gea is in decline. He is unlikely to be any good in 2022. Maguire is not world-class, he is OK if surrounded by true talent.

 

[SadlerMUFC]

I'm amazed at how many people are saying Smalling but I bet they haven't even watched Roma play this year. He's still Chris Smalling. He's good enough to be in the squad but not good enough to be in our first 11...

 

[Tony247]

That's 10 players mate. You really think we are one right winger away from challenging again? You mad man haha.

You need minimum a 17-18 good members squad not 11.

 

[Tony247]

The thread is misleading. You need playing 11 but if you are not first 11 doesn't mean you need to pack your bag. A formidable squad has 11 + 6/7 good players. So thread title should be "first 15" at least.