Our most balanced team

[Adam-Utd]

Today, with rashford LW martial striker James RW made such a big difference.

they kept wide and really stretched the pitch, allowing martial to drop in deep and get the ball to feet.

martial played like firmino today and no surprise it made our wide man even more dangerous.

the link up play was so, so much better all over the pitch. We actually looked like a team today which is very rare recently.

If we keep performing like that (let’s hope) then we will win a lot more games. I hope to keep the same team again for Bournemouth.

 

[SER19]

Pereira is a far better performer in his current role and Fred and mctominay look good together.

The front 3 should stay exactly as it is

 

[King Andow]

The XI from today with Williams and Pogba for Young and Pereira should be good.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

If Pogba is fit, I’ll probably still play Pereira. Who’s going to take our corner when he’s off the pitch? Corner kick also offers balance in football.

 

[tenpoless]

Another proof that a team performs better if the players complement each other rather than relying purely on individual qualities.

 

[ManuMou]

If Pogba is fit, I’ll probably still play Pereira. Who’s going to take our corner when he’s off the pitch? Corner kick also offers balance in football.

I hope to see both Pogba and Pereira playing together regularly in their correct positions (no more Pereira on RW please!) and my best XI is

AWB--Lindelof--Maguire--Shaw
---------McTom------------
---Pereira-------Pogba----
James-------------Rashford
--------Martial--------------

Loads of energy and pace. They clearly need some game time to build up team chemistry. Finger-crossed no more big injury crisis.

 

[Strelok]

The XI from today with Williams and Pogba for Young and Pereira should be good.

I don't think Williams is ready to start yet, I still prefer Shaw. For all the rants he got here he's still a decent LB and our best LB if fit.

If Pogba is fit, I’ll probably still play Pereira. Who’s going to take our corner when he’s off the pitch? Corner kick also offers balance in football.

I think corner kick is more "attacking option" than "balance".

It's needless to say how good is Pogba but I actually worry a bit about our pressing if he replaces Pereira. Pogba is a bit lazy and does not really fancy defensive work. If we want to play Pogba up high then we should have a really good DM to cover and help him do the dirty works.

The initial good run after Ole was appointed caretaker was where Matic still got his legs and we still got Herrera. These two provided the necessary balance in the mid so Pogba could stay up high most of the time and do whatever he fancied. Now we have McT to replace Herrera but Matic is gone.

Let's see what Ole will do once Pogba is back.

I hope to see both Pogba and Pereira playing together regularly and my best XI is

---------McTom------------
---Pereira-------Pogba----
James-------------Rashford
--------Martial--------------

Loads of energy and pace. They clearly need some game time to build up team chemistry. Finger-crossed no more big injury crisis.

IMO McT is not a DM, he lacks the necessary positioning and game reading skill of a DM.

Pereira also should not play as a B2B or any sort of CM. He lacks the strength and ball winning skill required.

 

[luke511]

The lack of balance in the team is the main reason why we've been playing so shit.

Alternating with Lingard, Mata or Pereira on the right for them to cut inside away and ruin the balance, thus making us a predictable side to defend against, has been a nightmare to watch and hopefully it won't happen anymore.

It's no surprise that we play much better with a balanced front 3, but I am surprised that our lack of balance in attack hasn't been criticised more by the pundits this season, hopefully we'll stick with playing wingers on the wing from now on.

 

[ManuMou]

Let's see what Ole will do once Pogba is back.



IMO McT is not a DM, he lacks the necessary positioning and game reading skill of a DM.

Pereira also should not play as a B2B or any sort of CM. He lacks the strength and ball winning skill required.

Make sense and I agree. My thinking was that our midfield is so weak that we should play a midfield three for stability (ie Fred slipping ball again and again, and he did something similar again today, McTom did it today) and doesn't think 4-2-3-1 is the way to go as we don't have a proper #10.

So McTom + Pereira + Pogba is my best selection based on the current situation. Obviously we need to bring a another midfielder in Jan/summer. Right now I just want them three to play together, regardless of actual formation. Let's see what Ole will do.

 

[Freak]

------------------DDG------------------
AWB----Tuanzebe----Maguire----Shaw
------------McT---------Fred-----------
-----------------Pogba-----------------
James---------Martial-------Rashford

We'd obviously miss Pereira's set piece ability and high pressing but I don't think he offers much apart from that. Pogba in that 10 role will transform our attack. I'm also not convinced by Lindelof; he's too weak. And just keep Lingard as far away from the team as possible.

 

[Strelok]

Make sense and I agree. My thinking was that our midfield is so weak that we should play a midfield three for stability (ie Fred slipping ball again and again, and he did something similar again today, McTom did it today) and doesn't think 4-2-3-1 is the way to go as we don't have a proper #10.

So McTom + Pereira + Pogba is my best selection based on the current situation. Obviously we need to bring a another midfielder in Jan/summer. Right now I just want them three to play together, regardless of actual formation. Let's see what Ole will do.

Thank you.

Yeah I see your point. Really wish we'd have Kante or someone 75% of him is quite enough though

IMO Ole played a double pivot Pogba - McT makes some sense as these are our two best CM at the moment and it "forces" Pogba to do defensive work while doesn't affect our pressing much. But as you said, we don't have a proper #10 so it didn't really work in attacking. Especially in unlocking teams who park the bus.

Honestly I have no idea what is the best combination of our midfield. Let's see what Ole will do then

 

[King Andow]

I don't think Williams is ready to start yet, I still prefer Shaw. For all the rants he got here he's still a decent LB and our best LB if fit.

While he's out...

 

[Gator Nate]

------------------DDG------------------
AWB----Tuanzebe----Maguire----Shaw
------------McT---------Fred-----------
-----------------Pogba-----------------
James---------Martial-------Rashford

We'd obviously miss Pereira's set piece ability and high pressing but I don't think he offers much apart from that. Pogba in that 10 role will transform our attack. I'm also not convinced by Lindelof; he's too weak. And just keep Lingard as far away from the team as possible.

Agreed on the lineup and your point about Pereira. Lindelof is a good backup, but that's all he is if we're improving the squad. I do like Williams, too, and with more time, he should be replacing Shaw in the future. In fact, I'd rather see him out there than Young in Shaw's absence, with DeGea wearing the C's armband. Additionally, Greenwood coming in for any of the front three with 15 or 20 minutes to go, as occurred yesterday, will get him up to speed with the PL. And Lingard should be on his way out.

 

[December_16]

If Pogba is fit, I’ll probably still play Pereira. Who’s going to take our corner when he’s off the pitch? Corner kick also offers balance in football.

This is a joke right? Hard to tell sarcasm on the internet, but since when have our corners been a priority? We’ve been so shit at setpieces that it doesn’t matter who takes them and how many we have a game, so why bother

 

[Zlatattack]

I hope to see both Pogba and Pereira playing together regularly in their correct positions (no more Pereira on RW please!) and my best XI is

AWB--Lindelof--Maguire--Shaw
---------McTom------------
---Pereira-------Pogba----
James-------------Rashford
--------Martial--------------

Loads of energy and pace. They clearly need some game time to build up team chemistry. Finger-crossed no more big injury crisis.

------------------DDG------------------
AWB----Tuanzebe----Maguire----Shaw
------------McT---------Fred-----------
-----------------Pogba-----------------
James---------Martial-------Rashford

We'd obviously miss Pereira's set piece ability and high pressing but I don't think he offers much apart from that. Pogba in that 10 role will transform our attack. I'm also not convinced by Lindelof; he's too weak. And just keep Lingard as far away from the team as possible.

Both these teams look good. I personally thought;

DDG
AWB Taunzebe Maguire Shaw
McT Pogba
James Periera Rashford
Martial
​

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

This is a joke right? Hard to tell sarcasm on the internet, but since when have our corners been a priority? We’ve been so shit at setpieces that it doesn’t matter who takes them and how many we have a game, so why bother

Because our corners were good against Norwich. I take it as you didn't watch the game.

 

[December_16]

Because our corners were good against Norwich. I take it as you didn't watch the game.

I did, and our corner were still very shitty with the exception of Rashford/Martial combo. Scotty’s goal was off of another crappy cornerkick and only made possible because Norwich defender slept on the ball.

 

[WR10]

When Pogba is back it’ll be a solid front 4 of LW marcus AM9 RW James and CAM Pogba instead of Perreira. Fred has stamped his role in CDM along Scott with his insane work ethic and above average tackling ability.
Perreira will be a good rotation option. He can’t start the game over Pogba because if we’re valuing a set piece over general play then we’re not thinking right. It should be the cherry on top of a good team. Perreira is a liability in defensive transition (can’t take Fred’s spot) and he still can’t shield a ball to save his life (can’t take Pogba’s spot from #10) and doesn’t have near as much magic as Pogba in the hole.

 

[Isotope]

I hope to see both Pogba and Pereira playing together regularly in their correct positions (no more Pereira on RW please!) and my best XI is

AWB--Lindelof--Maguire--Shaw
---------McTom------------
---Pereira-------Pogba----
James-------------Rashford
--------Martial--------------

Loads of energy and pace. They clearly need some game time to build up team chemistry. Finger-crossed no more big injury crisis.

I'm not sure. Fred was really good yesterday. Worked hard, and for once look like a 50m midfielder: made sensible runs and passes.

 

[Strelok]

While he's out...

Ah ok sure, can't be worse anyway ...

For Fred, he's a weird one. Sometime he shows some glimpses of a world class CM, most of the time he can't barely even do a simple pass. But he run a lot though.

 

[simonhch]

Martial

Rashford - Pogba - James

McTominay - Fred

Shaw - Maguire - Lindelof - W.Bissaka

De Gea


Subs: Romero, Young, Jones, Pereira, Lingard, Mata, Greenwood

​

This is a really easy question to answer. The front three picks itself. Rashford is best off the left, Martial is pivotal to having a goal threat, and James is the only viable option on the right. The three seem fluid.

In a 4-2-3-1, which is what we play (let’s keep this realistic), your two pivots need to be hard working and form a partnership. Fred and McTominay are forming that partnership and fit those attributes. Their abilities give the platform for the creative fulcrum in the team, the no.10, to do their work. Seeing as Pogba is by far, FAR, our most creative and inventive player, it’s a no brainer for him to play in the hole. He offers penetration, ability to track back, creativity, shooting from distance, and an aerial threat.

The centre backs pick themselves, and seeing as most of the width is provided by the full backs, you have to pick your best and strongest natural left and right footers.

This is by far and away our best starting XI. Nothing else is even close.

 

[bosnian_red]

The only question IMO would be whether to play Pogba as the #10 or #8, and who to play as the other (whichever Pogba isn't). Between Lingard and Pereira if Pogba is the 8, or Fred if Pogba is the 10. I'd say for tougher games and most away games I would say have Fred behind Pogba, but for the games we expect to dominate/more home games, would have the added attacking threat of Lingard or Pereira. Pereira right now is ahead of Lingard with Lingard woefully out of form for a while, but he's shown (on occasion) that he can do better.