Our starting XI this season and Ole's performance in being within even a sniff of CL qualification

[diarm]

This is our starting team this year, based on minutes played in the league:

De Gea (100%)
Wan-Bissaka (90%)
Lindelof (89%)
Maguire (100%)
Shaw (54%)
McTominay (55%)
Fred (70%)
Pereira (49%)
James (75%)
Rashford (75%)
Martial (75%)

After these 11, the next players with most minutes were Matic (42%), Greenwood (33%), Young (31%) and Lingard (29%). Pogba and Bruno come next having each played 28% of the minutes available this season.

You look at that and realise it's no wonder we were nowhere near challenging for the title. We are competing with Liverpool who have probably 6/7 top class players and 4/5 good players in their first team. Next you have City who probably have even more top class players starting, but perhaps also a couple of defensive liabilities that Liverpool lack.

With all the respect in the world, a side with James, Pereira and (this years) De Gea is never going to compete with that. Especially not when you are also giving 30% of your available minutes to players like Ashley Young and Jesse Lingard. We've spent most of the season putting forward a first team that has maybe 2/3 top class players, 5/6 decent players and 3 liabilities - then wondering why we're so far off the pace.

The fact that we are even in with a shot at top 4 is a real feather in Ole's cap. It also gives us genuine hope for next season as we can see the impact adding new and returning quality has already had on the team.

Without any new signings we can bring Henderson home, add Bruno and Pogba along with the emerging Greenwood and a rejuvenated Matic and suddenly we're looking as a side that has 5/6 top class players and 5/6 decent ones. Add Sancho and we're right up there in terms of first XI quality.

 

[bosnian_red]

I wouldnt say it has anything to do with Ole working wonders with what he has, its just a case of us getting our shit together after January while the competitors stayed inconsistent. Pretty much let off the hook for not getting Bruno last summer and being forced to use Pereira regularly for half a season and having really poor form for half the year. Still though, our players had a lot of development in that half season, but reached a point where we needed that added quality to step up to the next level which we now have with Pogba and Bruno.

 

[diarm]

I wouldnt say it has anything to do with Ole working wonders with what he has, its just a case of us getting our shit together after January while the competitors stayed inconsistent. Pretty much let off the hook for not getting Bruno last summer and being forced to use Pereira regularly for half a season and having really poor form for half the year. Still though, our players had a lot of development in that half season, but reached a point where we needed that added quality to step up to the next level which we now have with Pogba and Bruno.

He deserves credit for what he's been able to do once he had the quality in front of him to work with.

Pep and Klopp get plenty of (deserved) credit for getting the best out of their quality littered lineups. Liverpool in particular have gone two seasons without any significant injury and that has shown in the outstanding consistency they have managed to show.

No manager is mounting a title challenge with Pereira, James, Young and Lingard getting that many minutes - I don't care if you're clone a supercoach from the best bits of Fergie, Pep, Busby and Clough. Ole kept us in there - kept working away behind the scenes to reset our foundations, slowly clearing out the deadwood while introducing quality to the side. Now we're seeing the benefits on and off the field.

 

[Irwin99]

I wouldnt say it has anything to do with Ole working wonders with what he has, its just a case of us getting our shit together after January while the competitors stayed inconsistent. Pretty much let off the hook for not getting Bruno last summer and being forced to use Pereira regularly for half a season and having really poor form for half the year. Still though, our players had a lot of development in that half season, but reached a point where we needed that added quality to step up to the next level which we now have with Pogba and Bruno.

I've never put the blame entirely on Ole for the summer window (I think everyone suspected it was Ed) but our season was heading nowhere until the Bruno transfer. I honestly think we'd be near Arsenal or Spurs if we hadn't made those two January signings.

I do think Ole deserves massive respect for turning it around but the club was at a real low point in January and the risks taken with this season have been extraordinary really. It's madness that after the Burnley result we're now looking very likely to get third place and possibly a cup win.

 

[matherto]

Liverpool in particular have gone two seasons without any significant injury and that has shown in the outstanding consistency they have managed to show.

I was about to ask can someone do the same for Liverpool's first XI as the OP has so we can see how often they've been able to field it?

They've been freakishly lucky with injuries.

 

[diarm]

I was about to ask can someone do the same for Liverpool's first XI as the OP has so we can see how often they've been able to field it?

They've been freakishly lucky with injuries.

For this season (and the last few games have probably softened this as they've been able to rest players):

Alisson (72%)
Alexander-Arnold (95%)
Gomez (55%)
Van Dijk (100%)
Robertson (90%)
Fabinho (60%)
Henderson (71%)
Wijnaldum (86%)
Salah (86%)
Mane (81%)
Firmino (90%)

Next players with the most minutes - Oxlaide-Chamberlain (43%), Adrian (28%), Milner (26%), Lovren (25%)

 

[bosnian_red]

He deserves credit for what he's been able to do once he had the quality in front of him to work with.

Pep and Klopp get plenty of (deserved) credit for getting the best out of their quality littered lineups. Liverpool in particular have gone two seasons without any significant injury and that has shown in the outstanding consistency they have managed to show.

No manager is mounting a title challenge with Pereira, James, Young and Lingard getting that many minutes - I don't care if you're clone a supercoach from the best bits of Fergie, Pep, Busby and Clough. Ole kept us in there - kept working away behind the scenes to reset our foundations, slowly clearing out the deadwood while introducing quality to the side. Now we're seeing the benefits on and off the field.

I've never put the blame entirely on Ole for the summer window (I think everyone suspected it was Ed) but our season was heading nowhere until the Bruno transfer. I honestly think we'd be near Arsenal or Spurs if we hadn't made those two January signings.

I do think Ole deserves massive respect for turning it around but the club was at a real low point in January and the risks taken with this season have been extraordinary really. It's madness that after the Burnley result we're now looking very likely to get third place and possibly a cup win.

Oh for sure he deserves credit. Just making it clear its more for the 2nd half of the season! Though at the same time I always backed him and saw what he wanted to do, maybe doubted if he could do it but I still appreciated the effort to go in the right direction and had no problem with him staying. Still long way to find out if he can get us fighting for all trophies, but hes without a doubt the right guy to take us forward right now.

 

[tenpoless]

It only shows how important Bruno is to the team. He was the key signing that Ole must had been waiting for.

 

[Ali Dia]

I've never put the blame entirely on Ole for the summer window (I think everyone suspected it was Ed) but our season was heading nowhere until the Bruno transfer. I honestly think we'd be near Arsenal or Spurs if we hadn't made those two January signings.

I do think Ole deserves massive respect for turning it around but the club was at a real low point in January and the risks taken with this season have been extraordinary really. It's madness that after the Burnley result we're now looking very likely to get third place and possibly a cup win.

things were totally desperate in January but if that and the end of last season are the most painful part of finally turning the club around then I can handle that. We looked directionless and even though oles signings all looked good If we’d hadn’t got Bruno I’m not sure Ole would still be in a job. Maybe he was going to get a pass on this season whatever happened but things could have been way different by now. The club would have had to make a choice...

I’m just so glad that Ole is the man turning us around. To my mind It’s as close to still having Fergie managing Us as we are ever going to get again. I’m sure the great man has a lot more of an influence on Oles/Phelan/Carricks thinking than he ever did on any other manager or staff since he retired and that can only be a good thing. Does anyone know how involved SAF is nowadays? Does Ole ever chat about asking for advice?

Hopefully we don’t limit ourselves this summer and fully back the manager. He’s shown he can get us playing well and he can improve players. He can also spot a good player. With a few more astute signings we could genuinely challenge. If we mess around I think we are playing for 3rd again while the team matures another year but I think we should run with this crazy momentum we have now.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

Oh for sure he deserves credit. Just making it clear its more for the 2nd half of the season! Though at the same time I always backed him and saw what he wanted to do, maybe doubted if he could do it but I still appreciated the effort to go in the right direction and had no problem with him staying. Still long way to find out if he can get us fighting for all trophies, but hes without a doubt the right guy to take us forward right now.

In first half of the season we beat City, Spurs, Chelsea, Leicester, drew to Liverpool and also some good result & playing style against Newcastle, Burnley, Norwich & Brighton, all of these without Pogba & Bruno. In additional, money spent on the right players and the way how he's focusing on developing young players & improving the current players. The signs were shown in the first half of the season, just lack of quality to execute the other games.

 

[Mr Smith]

He deserves credit but you can't ignore that the teams around us have also been poor. Chelsea and Spurs should be well ahead of the team in the OP.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

He deserves credit but you can't ignore that the teams around us have also been poor. Chelsea and Spurs should be well ahead of the team in the OP.

Why are they should be well ahead?

 

[Mr Smith]

Why are they should be well ahead?

On paper, the Spurs and Chelsea sides are better than the 11 that's played the majority of the season for us. I feel if they had both played to their full potential we'd be out of the race for 4th.

My general point is we've been helped massively by the inconsistency of the teams around us.

 

[Dr. Dwayne]

For this season (and the last few games have probably softened this as they've been able to rest players):

Alisson (72%)
Alexander-Arnold (95%)
Gomez (55%)
Van Dijk (100%)
Robertson (90%)
Fabinho (60%)
Henderson (71%)
Wijnaldum (86%)
Salah (86%)
Mane (81%)
Firmino (90%)

Next players with the most minutes - Oxlaide-Chamberlain (43%), Adrian (28%), Milner (26%), Lovren (25%)

That is almost criminal. Has football ever seem percentages like that? Seven of their players were available almost 90% of the time.

 

[Greck]

He deserves credit but you can't ignore that the teams around us have also been poor. Chelsea and Spurs should be well ahead of the team in the OP.

Agree he deserves credit and that this has also been a ridiculously mediocre season for PL teams. Arsenal and Tottenham aren't even top 4 and our competition is Wolves, Leicester and Sheffield. We should absolutely be where we are right now talk less of being within a sniff. We arent going anywhere if we're patting ourselves on the back for being ahead of those lot in their current forms

 

[ruskyline]

Nice stats. I wonder where we would end up if next season we play with our recently discovered starting 11. It surely has to be better than 58 points after 34 games. I predict well have on average 2.5 point per game. We now have 1.7 point, 2.5 point would be 85 points. Don't tell me it's impossible because some team currently is doing it and they are in a bad form as of now supposedly.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

On paper, the Spurs and Chelsea sides are better than the 11 that's played the majority of the season for us. I feel if they had both played to their full potential we'd be out of the race for 4th.

My general point is we've been helped massively by the inconsistency of the teams around us.

That's only on paper. In reality they aren't. I have always said this before that Spurs are in worse situation than us, their defense are ageing & past their prime while their midfield are average. Chelsea was never to be expected to make it top 4 from the start of season. If Chelsea side is better, they wouldn't need to spend huge on Werner, Ziyech & Havertz and still poor in defense.

Your general point works both ways. They are also lucky that they are above us right now because of our inconsistency due to Pogba got long term injury while Bruno was only signed in January. If Leicester & Chelsea win their games against us, they would have been above us but they didn't because our manager executed the game better than their managers. Their inconsistency also reflects to the quality of their players.

 

[Sandikan]

For this season (and the last few games have probably softened this as they've been able to rest players):

Alisson (72%)
Alexander-Arnold (95%)
Gomez (55%)
Van Dijk (100%)
Robertson (90%)
Fabinho (60%)
Henderson (71%)
Wijnaldum (86%)
Salah (86%)
Mane (81%)
Firmino (90%)

Next players with the most minutes - Oxlaide-Chamberlain (43%), Adrian (28%), Milner (26%), Lovren (25%)

Surprising the front 3 are even that low - but like you say rotations have probably tweaked it a bit.

Imagine if we can field our front 3 Pogba and Bruno in 85-90% of games next season!