Watching the opener last Friday against Leicester, it struck me that what stirred my interest the most was the positive tendencies for a couple of new constellations in the side:
Pogba - Pereira - Fred was one, and
Lindelöf - Bailly the other.
I’ve seen all the players before, but it was their interplay, interpositioning etc that struck me as interesting and promising, more than the fact that Fred is a new player etc. Now before we know it, Matic and Smalling is back in the side, but it got me thinking, what are some of my favorite patnerships or other constellation that I’ve watched for United.
Of course I’ve read about the cooperation between Charlie ‘The Ghost’ Roberts and Billy ‘Welsh Wizard’ Meredith before WWI, and the Busby Babes, and even seen a bit of footage of the legendary Charlton - Best - Law that made MSN and BBC seem like some social media acronyms.
But what about others? Three I remember of the top of my head:
Cantona - Solskjær: The Norwegian youngster was meant to be a bench option, but he at once struck a telepathic relationship with the talismantic Roi. Solskjær would make the runs Cantona dreamed off, Eric would hit the perfect through balls for Ole Gunnar before he’d even started. It was the beginning of a dream completing itself two years after the Frenchman put his boots on the wall.
Beckham - Giggs: Not a classic ‘partnership’ but they would complement each other perfectly. Giggs would push up, with speed, or work home just as quickly, Becks would be deadly already from deep and had shorter way home if we last the ball. Giggs would come down to the line to cut back, Becks would cross from out wide, Becks would cut in to shoot deadly from 30 yards out, Giggs would go behind the defence to score from the renound. Giggs would dribble and get fouled, Becks would score from the resulting free kick. They were core of the never say die attitude and were both involved in the goals that made the Germans cry. But the most beautiful part, and I once watched this from the perfect position in the Nort Stand, upper tier: Becks dragging a sublime 60 yard diagonal cross from his own half and Giggs, full throttle, chested it down to leave yet another defence in tatters and square it in to some forward, in this case I believe it was Cole.
Schmeichel - Bruce - Pallister:
I’ll throw In the Great Dane, because when all three where present, few dared play against them. Bruce and Pallister, one was leader, the other was tall and quick, one tough and decisive, the other could play the ball out with precision. The read each other like books in the end, and the times were one was a bit too slow and the other too slow off the mark, Peter was already far off his line to quash the hapless opposition striker. Tje only one who could scare either CB, was the vocal keeper cum drummer, and on the few occasions where it wasn’t Bruce or Pally who headed in the crucial goal in extra time, it was Schmeichel going those few extra steps off his line to nod the ball in (or as he did ar Camp Nou - beat three Müncheners to the header and the rest is history.)
What are your favourite United Constellations?
Pogba - Pereira - Fred was one, and
Lindelöf - Bailly the other.
I’ve seen all the players before, but it was their interplay, interpositioning etc that struck me as interesting and promising, more than the fact that Fred is a new player etc. Now before we know it, Matic and Smalling is back in the side, but it got me thinking, what are some of my favorite patnerships or other constellation that I’ve watched for United.
Of course I’ve read about the cooperation between Charlie ‘The Ghost’ Roberts and Billy ‘Welsh Wizard’ Meredith before WWI, and the Busby Babes, and even seen a bit of footage of the legendary Charlton - Best - Law that made MSN and BBC seem like some social media acronyms.
But what about others? Three I remember of the top of my head:
Cantona - Solskjær: The Norwegian youngster was meant to be a bench option, but he at once struck a telepathic relationship with the talismantic Roi. Solskjær would make the runs Cantona dreamed off, Eric would hit the perfect through balls for Ole Gunnar before he’d even started. It was the beginning of a dream completing itself two years after the Frenchman put his boots on the wall.
Beckham - Giggs: Not a classic ‘partnership’ but they would complement each other perfectly. Giggs would push up, with speed, or work home just as quickly, Becks would be deadly already from deep and had shorter way home if we last the ball. Giggs would come down to the line to cut back, Becks would cross from out wide, Becks would cut in to shoot deadly from 30 yards out, Giggs would go behind the defence to score from the renound. Giggs would dribble and get fouled, Becks would score from the resulting free kick. They were core of the never say die attitude and were both involved in the goals that made the Germans cry. But the most beautiful part, and I once watched this from the perfect position in the Nort Stand, upper tier: Becks dragging a sublime 60 yard diagonal cross from his own half and Giggs, full throttle, chested it down to leave yet another defence in tatters and square it in to some forward, in this case I believe it was Cole.
Schmeichel - Bruce - Pallister:
I’ll throw In the Great Dane, because when all three where present, few dared play against them. Bruce and Pallister, one was leader, the other was tall and quick, one tough and decisive, the other could play the ball out with precision. The read each other like books in the end, and the times were one was a bit too slow and the other too slow off the mark, Peter was already far off his line to quash the hapless opposition striker. Tje only one who could scare either CB, was the vocal keeper cum drummer, and on the few occasions where it wasn’t Bruce or Pally who headed in the crucial goal in extra time, it was Schmeichel going those few extra steps off his line to nod the ball in (or as he did ar Camp Nou - beat three Müncheners to the header and the rest is history.)
What are your favourite United Constellations?
