Have we or any other club ever been so stacked with attacking talent as what we currently have?

Fortitude

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Normally, you have an elite set of starters and then a considerable drop off in quality specifically at #9 with the understudy; wings can be pretty stacked with rotation more of a given than at centre-forward. Via serendipitous circumstances, we’ve acquired Ronaldo and Cavani in succession, with the latter opting to stay despite having the remainder of the last transfer window to seek a new suitor who no doubt would have took him on after his excellent showing last season.

It’s extremely rare to have an understudy of such calibre - how many come to mind for you when you think about it? Cavani is that good, that whenever Ronaldo is rested, we really should still have one of the best attacks in the country - for my money, as an example: Pogba-Cavani-Greenwood, or: Rashford-Cavani-Sancho, as just two sets excluding Ronaldo, are par with anything in the country. Even then, you could factor in Martial and what clearly is a resurgent Lingard (based off his form from the loan onward) and fairly argue that only City, as a squad unit, can match that. Ronaldo completely tips the balance, however, and makes a very good attacking unit arguably the best in the game… on paper, at least.

This thread isn’t about first xi’s in isolation, but about the attacking depth of the unit in its entirety: PSG, Bayern, Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Real can all argue the toss over the starting xi’s, but as I said in the opening paragraph, even at those clubs, you don’t get the conflation that leads to the understudy to the starting striker being anywhere near the same class.

It honestly looks like we’re so stacked in attack we can go into any period of a demanding calendar being able to put out one of the best attacking sets in the country no matter the combination of players. To think:

- Ronaldo is here to make his mark, enhance his legacy and prove doubters wrong - I’m sure he’s aware of what leading this team a league title would do for him; you’re then talking about a player with legitimate claim to be the best there has been at both United and Madrid.

- Greenwood looks like he’s on the verge of the breakout season that elevates him to sure fire starter.

- Rashford, pre-injury was legitimately one of the best players in the country and looks like he’s worked as hard on himself as possible to come back and seek those same heights again.

- Pogba finally gets to play in a stacked team that allows him to focus on his game away from the intense spotlight Ronaldo basks in. He needs to add goals, but there’s no question he has it in him to break assist records playing from the left.

- Sancho, although some seem to think there’s some kind of hardwired script that Bundesliga exports are destined to fail, is a potential ballon d’or winning talent. There’s far more to come from him than some seem to realise.

- Cavani is a consummate professional and, I believe, will still give his all when out there despite being usurped by one of a handful of strikers in the game that could have come here and unseated him. Outside of rotating with Ronaldo, there theoretically is one of the best attacking partnerships on the planet if we ever line up with those two upfront.

- Martial… bit of a wildcard by now: had a really good season followed by an awful one and is now almost a forgotten man. No clue how he’ll do when he plays, but whether playing to make an impression and stay here beyond this season or put himself in the shop window, you’d think pride as well as disgruntlement will trigger something in him. To have a third or fourth choice at CF and LW in this class of talent is still absurd though - which other club have you known an equivalent level talent 3rd/4th in line to get PT?

- Lingard, whether playing for a contract here or massive signing on fee elsewhere, he’s clearly got it in him to affect games when on the pitch. Nearly every goal he scores is exquisite and his run of games at West Ham made clear he has it in him to be a PL presence and performer. Whatever United fans think of him, he is a player who can make game-altering contributions to the team.

As individuals, they all have something to play for and collectively, it’s a ridiculous array of talent. I think we’re so consumed with the woes of midfield that the attacking unit we have has barely been discussed in relative terms: I think we’ve the best overall attacking unit in the world currently, what say you?

Oh, at the end of the season, tallying the attacking contributions of all clubs in the conversation should be interesting: which collective units do you think will top those charts?
 

miked99

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I wouldn't go that far. But there's no doubt that IF we can get them all firing in a cohesive attacking unit then the potential is frightening
 

Zlatattack

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Real Madrids galacticos?

Also our team with Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Giggs.
 

largelyworried

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It is kind of ridiculous. However the last time we were this stacked was probably in the 08-09 season when we had Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, Berbatov, Nani & Giggs, we ended up that season scoring just 68 goals in the league, so it doesn't always quite work out as you'd expect.
 

Ixion

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Are you asking if any club in history has ever had better attacking options? Really?
 

Dante

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Real Madrids galacticos?

Also our team with Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Giggs.
That season (2008/9) United only scored 68 goals in the league. By way of comparison, we got 73 last season.

It was an attack that very much looked better on paper than it performed on the pitch.
 

noodlehair

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We used to leave Ronaldo and Rooney on the bench and let Ronaldo go home for a few weeks just because we had other players so it didn't matter. Not sure we're at that stage yet. We've got a lot of potentially extremely good attacking players though, and a few who already are extremely good.
 

noodlehair

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That season (2008/9) United only scored 68 goals in the league. By way of comparison, we got 73 last season.

It was an attack that very much looked better on paper than it performed on the pitch.
I don't think you can really directly compare then to now though in terms of pure goalscoring, as the game and particularly the defending has changed a lot. Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez in today's game could be getting 20+ league goals a season each in a good enough team.
 

Bondi77

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Let me know when all this attacking talent starts to deliver regularly in the Premier League and then I will think about it.
 

BrilliantOrange

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City last year:
Aguero
Gabriel Jesus
Foden
Sterling
Mahrez
Ferran Torres
Bernardo Silva
KDB (played as false 9 quite a bit)

The year before the same with Sane in stead of Ferran Torres even (and arguably David Silva if you count him (but I see Pogba is mentioned as well by OP)
 
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Bastian

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There are many examples, Barca and Real of course, but also our own team '08 - which was superior in every single way to our current team - and our '99 team was stacked with more attacking talent.

I mean 3 peak world class attackers ('08) is more "attacking talent" than 2 world class players nearer to 40 than 30, an outstanding prospect, and a couple of very good younger players. In '99 we had two strikers who were performing at a world class level, two outstanding bench options, and a peak Ryan Giggs and Beckham. Not to mention Paul Scholes.
 

Crashoutcassius

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Tons of teams, including United in the past, have been better.

We used to have a better Ronaldo as well as tevez and Rooney.

Tbf we have good depth for those 4 attacking positions, we should be able to weather most injury crises. A lot of the depth eg martial is not needed and would probably be moved on if we could at all
 

sun_tzu

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All time???? Id say PSG are probably better right now
For arguments sake
Messi = Ronaldo as its not worth derailing this into another messi ronaldo fest
Mbappe > Greenwood... no contest at the moment
Neymar > Rashford.... again no contest
In nor sure why pogba is listed as an attacker but for arguments sake Winjaldum is probably at lest comparable based on the last couple of seasons
Di Maria = Sancho... probably if sancho can replicate his dortmund form he just takes this but di maria has been excellent at PSG and remains a top player whilst sancho is still settling
Martial > ? yeah ill give you that our 3rd (or lower?) choice striker is a really expensive good option to have sitting in the stands
Draxler > Lingard .... both probably need a move but suspect Draxler will have better options than lingaard
 

Cloud7

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Yes. Us, in the past.

Rooney, Ronaldo, Tevez, Berbatov, Nani, Park, Giggs is more stacked than what we have now.

Cole, Yorke, Giggs, Beckham, Ole, Sheringham is also a more formidable set of attackers with Scholes and Keane behind them.

Barcelona 08-09 and 10-11.

Bale/Benzema/Ronaldo with Modric and Kroos behind them.
 

Pexbo

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We used to leave Ronaldo and Rooney on the bench and let Ronaldo go home for a few weeks just because we had other players so it didn't matter. Not sure we're at that stage yet. We've got a lot of potentially extremely good attacking players though, and a few who already are extremely good.
That’s the equivalent now of doing the same with Rashford and Greenwood which we could do fairly comfortably.
 

JJ12

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There have been better but the overall content of the OP is right, we are stacked in attack.
 

choccy77

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I don't think we are that impressive really.

Ronaldo Bruno Greenwood fine.

Rashford, not been healthy or on form for ages, Cavani, is now a part time player, Martial, unreliable, Pogba, plays okay when he feels like it, rest of midfield is poor in comparison to our past teams.

Too much hype right now for a side that has not won anything in 4+ years.
 
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Normally, you have an elite set of starters and then a considerable drop off in quality specifically at #9 with the understudy; wings can be pretty stacked with rotation more of a given than at centre-forward. Via serendipitous circumstances, we’ve acquired Ronaldo and Cavani in succession, with the latter opting to stay despite having the remainder of the last transfer window to seek a new suitor who no doubt would have took him on after his excellent showing last season.

It’s extremely rare to have an understudy of such calibre - how many come to mind for you when you think about it? Cavani is that good, that whenever Ronaldo is rested, we really should still have one of the best attacks in the country - for my money, as an example: Pogba-Cavani-Greenwood, or: Rashford-Cavani-Sancho, as just two sets excluding Ronaldo, are par with anything in the country. Even then, you could factor in Martial and what clearly is a resurgent Lingard (based off his form from the loan onward) and fairly argue that only City, as a squad unit, can match that. Ronaldo completely tips the balance, however, and makes a very good attacking unit arguably the best in the game… on paper, at least.

This thread isn’t about first xi’s in isolation, but about the attacking depth of the unit in its entirety: PSG, Bayern, Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Real can all argue the toss over the starting xi’s, but as I said in the opening paragraph, even at those clubs, you don’t get the conflation that leads to the understudy to the starting striker being anywhere near the same class.

It honestly looks like we’re so stacked in attack we can go into any period of a demanding calendar being able to put out one of the best attacking sets in the country no matter the combination of players. To think:

- Ronaldo is here to make his mark, enhance his legacy and prove doubters wrong - I’m sure he’s aware of what leading this team a league title would do for him; you’re then talking about a player with legitimate claim to be the best there has been at both United and Madrid.

- Greenwood looks like he’s on the verge of the breakout season that elevates him to sure fire starter.

- Rashford, pre-injury was legitimately one of the best players in the country and looks like he’s worked as hard on himself as possible to come back and seek those same heights again.

- Pogba finally gets to play in a stacked team that allows him to focus on his game away from the intense spotlight Ronaldo basks in. He needs to add goals, but there’s no question he has it in him to break assist records playing from the left.

- Sancho, although some seem to think there’s some kind of hardwired script that Bundesliga exports are destined to fail, is a potential ballon d’or winning talent. There’s far more to come from him than some seem to realise.

- Cavani is a consummate professional and, I believe, will still give his all when out there despite being usurped by one of a handful of strikers in the game that could have come here and unseated him. Outside of rotating with Ronaldo, there theoretically is one of the best attacking partnerships on the planet if we ever line up with those two upfront.

- Martial… bit of a wildcard by now: had a really good season followed by an awful one and is now almost a forgotten man. No clue how he’ll do when he plays, but whether playing to make an impression and stay here beyond this season or put himself in the shop window, you’d think pride as well as disgruntlement will trigger something in him. To have a third or fourth choice at CF and LW in this class of talent is still absurd though - which other club have you known an equivalent level talent 3rd/4th in line to get PT?

- Lingard, whether playing for a contract here or massive signing on fee elsewhere, he’s clearly got it in him to affect games when on the pitch. Nearly every goal he scores is exquisite and his run of games at West Ham made clear he has it in him to be a PL presence and performer. Whatever United fans think of him, he is a player who can make game-altering contributions to the team.

As individuals, they all have something to play for and collectively, it’s a ridiculous array of talent. I think we’re so consumed with the woes of midfield that the attacking unit we have has barely been discussed in relative terms: I think we’ve the best overall attacking unit in the world currently, what say you?

Oh, at the end of the season, tallying the attacking contributions of all clubs in the conversation should be interesting: which collective units do you think will top those charts?
Real Madrid 1999 -2003

Barca 2007-2012

Current man city.
 

Ixion

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Just looked at United alone 1999-01: Cole, York, Sheringham, Solskjaer, Beckham, Scholes, Giggs etc won the Treble and scored 97 league goals in the 99-00 season.

We scored 73 last season. Let's wait and see how everything plays out before declaring anything the greatest any side has ever had.
 

Fortitude

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All time???? Id say PSG are probably better right now
For arguments sake
Messi = Ronaldo as its not worth derailing this into another messi ronaldo fest
Mbappe > Greenwood... no contest at the moment
Neymar > Rashford.... again no contest
In nor sure why pogba is listed as an attacker but for arguments sake Winjaldum is probably at lest comparable based on the last couple of seasons
Di Maria = Sancho... probably if sancho can replicate his dortmund form he just takes this but di maria has been excellent at PSG and remains a top player whilst sancho is still settling
Martial > ? yeah ill give you that our 3rd (or lower?) choice striker is a really expensive good option to have sitting in the stands
Draxler > Lingard .... both probably need a move but suspect Draxler will have better options than lingaard
You've missed out Cavani and his equivalent, which is where we really go up some levels in direct comparison. I also purposely omitted Fernandes despite him being more attacker than midfielder and more logical a choice than Pogba in certain aspects.

I don't think our starting attack is the best: Liverpool, PSG, Real's, Bayern's are all more proven, but when we go to the next layer down, what we have really comes to the fore. Incidentally, as squads do those same four (PSG accepted) mentioned maintain or do they taper off? City, Chelsea and ourselves enter the fray when expanded.

The collective obviously have to prove it, but on paper, it really is insane - it's interesting you went to PSG and their gazillion pound collective for a match, which kind of shows just how far forward we've been catapulted with this summer's acquisitions.
 
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It was an attack that very much looked better on paper than it performed on the pitch.
Also a team that had consciously changed its approach to control games and be even tighter at the back, though. When we went 1-0 up that season, you knew the vast majority of the time it would stay that way.

We ended up shipping more goals than 2007/08 after a few late-season meltdowns (4 against Liverpool, then 2 more against Villa and Fulham in what must have been the same week) but overall, the defence that season was incredible and up there with the very best ever when you consider 1) the competition at the top of the league, and 2) Ferdinand's constant injury issues and the constant changes at right-back.
 

Revan

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PSG have Messi, Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria, Icardi and Draxler. I think their starting four is better than ours.
 

OL29

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I think the op’s emphasising the blend of depth and quality, rather than the quality full stop. I can’t remember many teams having the ability to field 2 top class front threes in the way we can currently.
 

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I think OP is mistaking depth for being stacked. We have decent cover but we’re certainly not stacked like PSG who have 3 Ballon D’Or contenders in their front 3. Our attacking depth has certainly improved under Ole from when he first took over but still not close to the quality of our 2007 to 2009 teams.
 

noodlehair

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That’s the equivalent now of doing the same with Rashford and Greenwood which we could do fairly comfortably.
Rashford was played constantly last season even when he literally only had two of four limbs working properly, and we've only had one game without either this season which we lost.

I also wouldn't put either in the same bracket as Ronaldo or Rooney. At least not yet...even if so this also isn't a team at a level where it wins titles despite leaving them on the bench.

Don't get me wrong I see your point. I just think we're not quite at that same point yet. The signings this year might change that but Sancho is very young himself so again more about potential.
 

Fortitude

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I think the op’s emphasising the blend of depth and quality, rather than the quality full stop. I can’t remember many teams having the ability to field 2 top class front threes in the way we can currently.
Bless you, sir!
I think OP is mistaking depth for being stacked. We have decent cover but we’re certainly not stacked like PSG who have 3 Ballon D’Or contenders in their front 3. Our attacking depth has certainly improved under Ole from when he first took over but still not close to the quality of our 2007 to 2009 teams.
I didn't think there'd be semantics over terminology given I broke down my meaning in the OP - I wouldn't claim we have the best single 1st xi attack, but when you go beyond that, we're way, way up there.

If you did two full xi's for the 2007-09, do you think the 2nd xi's attack is a match for the first? That's the barometer, imo. If you don't apply mental gymnastics and just say: 'this is our strongest xi attack, and this is a 2nd xi' it's not a par for what we have now despite, obviously being a better initial (first xi) force.
 

sun_tzu

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You've missed out Cavani and his equivalent, which is where we really go up some levels in direct comparison. I also purposely omitted Fernandes despite him being more attacker than midfielder and more logical a choice than Pogba in certain aspects.

I don't think our starting attack is the best: Liverpool, PSG, Real's, Bayern's are all more proven, but when we go to the next layer down, what we have really comes to the fore. Incidentally, as squads do those same four (PSG accepted) mentioned maintain or do they taper off? City, Chelsea and ourselves enter the fray when expanded.

The collective obviously have to prove it, but on paper, it really is insane - it's interesting you went to PSG and their gazillion pound collective for a match, which kind of shows just how far forward we've been catapulted with this summer's acquisitions.
Iccardi> Cavani...
 

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