diarm
Full Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2014
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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.
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.