Our worst Prem player(s) who would a) start for us and b) be our star player

[King Azaz the Unabridged]

Because he was more consistent. But again i'd take an in-form Nani any day of the week he had way more in his locker than Valencia.

No doubt. Good as Valencia was, Nani was just a better player.

And Nani was a much better player on the right wing than he was on the left, which was unfortunate because Valencia didn't have a left foot even when he was at his best, so Nani had to shift over.

I don't think we ever got to see both of them at their best at the same time apart from a few games here and there - Nani's best season for us came on the right when Valencia was out injured, and Valencia's best spell in 2011/12 (when he won PotS) came while Nani (who started the season on fire with Valencia on the bench) was in and out of the XI.

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Because he was more consistent. But again i'd take an in-form Nani any day of the week he had way more in his locker than Valencia.

Nani had a lot more flair alright, but to be fair to Valencia he reinvented himself and was player of the year again at right back, that deserves credit. Valencia was also fecking shite for a year or two before he moved back to right back, so that probably clouds the view of his first few years.

Anyway we’d take the peak versions of both players today in a heartbeat.

 

[Swordsman]

He still would be hated. Manchester United fans hate any kind of flair.

foorball is "dead" no more magic.

 

[SilentWitness]

Valencia was a solid winger for 3-5 years, played a major part in most of Rooney’s best goal scoring seasons.

Sure, but the question is who would be the worst player you can think of that would be the star player in this United side. I don't think Valencia was bad, but there aren't many more I can think of that are worse than him and would be the star player.

 

[Litch]

None. They look just as bad if not worst in this team. Let’s not forget the SAF influence

 

[Daslogisch]

Has to be Harry Maguire. He is still getting starts and should still be playing for West Ham or Leicester City at best.

 

[altodevil]

Saha would be incredible up front

 

[Annihilate Now!]

None. They look just as bad if not worst in this team. Let’s not forget the SAF influence

So there is no SAF player that would get into this team?!

 

[Glorio]

He still would be hated. Manchester United fans hate any kind of flair.

I blame Wayne ... Made a habit if screaming at him, even when Rooney himself was at fault

 

[SilentWitness]

I blame Wayne ... Made a habit if screaming at him, even when Rooney himself was at fault

I think they brought out the best of each other and also SAF. Love that story where Rooney recalls that SAF used to scream at him when he was actually directing it towards Nani.

 

[#07]

@Annihilate Now! Gibson definitely had better touch, control and passing than McTominay. So, if we are considering McTominay a starter, Gibson definitely gets into the current first XI.

Question A is a toughie because we have a lot of mediocre, middling players at the moment. I guess its then a toss up between whether Luke Chadwick or Darron Gibson was the better player.

Question B feels harder to answer, cos you're making judgements about the relative worth of players. There's also the complication that players who weren't starters for our best teams would, in most cases, waltz into the current team. You can make the case for John O'Shea being a starter in this side at full back, centre half and at #6. You could even argue Sheasy was more of a sweeper keeper than De Gea. Don't really know how to answer question B.

 

[Glorio]

Flair players, attackers expected to take on defenders and make something happen will always be less consistent than a midfield general such as Roy Keane, simply because the nature of the job is entirely different.

I'll admit that Nani was a particularly frustrating case though, mostly because his bottom level was basically the ocean floor. When he was off his game for whatever reason, he wasn't just 'quiet' or 'ineffective', he looked absolutely dreadful and frankly, braindead at times. He just dribbled straight into defenders as if he didn't realise they were there. It was bizarre because his top level was just magic.

I still loved him though, he was much more fun than Valencia to whom he was constantly compared.

Nani and Berbatov were peculiar in that how well or badly their first 10 mins in a game went defined their performance for the rest of the game. If they had a bad first 10 mins, it was worth just subbing them.

See the same sort of thing with Martial

 

[IrishMcD]

I’d actually rather Jesper Blomqvist than Rashford.
Gimme Forlan over Martial and I’d take Butt over McFred.
This team is the drizzling shits, and the majority of them are extremely unlikeable imo

 

[OpenIntrovert]

I think people here need to relook at the word worst player. Worst player is someone who had terrible performances most of the time.

Our worst players in the prem were Massimo Taibi (GK), Very old Laurent Blanc (CB), William Prunier (CB) and Manucho (FW). None of them will be our star player.

 

[demetre]

Ronaldo is still our best player and it's not a low bar by any stretch, so I'm not sure about the second question. For example, was someone like Berbatov or Saha ever a better player than this current version of Ronaldo? I'm not sure about that.

As for the first one. O'Shea is a great shout. He will own that right back spot. Cleverley and Anderson was a better midfield two than Fred and McTom. Schneiderlin was an awful player for us, but there's an argument for him too.

 

[AndySmith1990]

A) Obertan

B) Nani

 

[KeanoMagicHat]

Ronaldo is still our best player and it's not a low bar by any stretch, so I'm not sure about the second question. For example, was someone like Berbatov or Saha ever a better player than this current version of Ronaldo? I'm not sure about that.

As for the first one. O'Shea is a great shout. He will own that right back spot. Cleverley and Anderson was a better midfield two than Fred and McTom. Schneiderlin was an awful player for us, but there's an argument for him too.

I would say peak Berbatov and Saha were better than this version of Ronaldo, not much better but better overall. Berbatov also had a poor workrate but even with Ronaldo scoring 18 last season, Berbatov scored 20 for us in his best season, while having better hold-up play and passing. Saha is hard to define because it was such a short timeframe that he was great. But before he got injured that season, he was everything you'd want from a modern striker, pace, power, great movement, nice finishing.

 

[DeGea’sFeet]

Sure, but the question is who would be the worst player you can think of that would be the star player in this United side. I don't think Valencia was bad, but there aren't many more I can think of that are worse than him and would be the star player.

Good point. I think maybe even in todays world he’d be to functional to be a star player, although with Ronaldo heading in his crosses he’d get a ton of assists.

 

[Litch]

So there is no SAF player that would get into this team?!

None of the worst ones…..but people will have different views of what ‘worst’ means? What I wanted 20 years ago is very different than today.

 

[Remember the geese]

a) Quinton Fortune
b) Jesper Blomqvist

 

[demetre]

I would say peak Berbatov and Saha were better than this version of Ronaldo, not much better but better overall. Berbatov also had a poor workrate but even with Ronaldo scoring 18 last season, Berbatov scored 20 for us in his best season, while having better hold-up play and passing. Saha is hard to define because it was such a short timeframe that he was great. But before he got injured that season, he was everything you'd want from a modern striker, pace, power, great movement, nice finishing.

Saha in that first half of 2006/07 is definitely up there, but you couldn't rely on him for a full year. His best tally in the EPL was 8.
With Berba I think if you put this Ronaldo on a SAF managed team with Nani, Valencia and Rooney supplying him then he scores way more goals than Berba ever did for us.

 

[Lynty]

Cleverly

Welbeck

 

[RedMilo]

a) Danny Simpson (forever in G Nev's shadow) but miles better than Dalot

b) Juan Sebestian Veron (didn't work out at United, but I always rated him personally and thought Fergie got rid too early), he was unlucky to come to the club in the Keane/Scholes/Butt era in my opinion, he would absolutely transform our current midfield, ahead of Right Said Fred

 

[Adebisi's Hat]

Phil Neville, could do a beast of a job for this current team either in CDM or full back

 

[DeGea’sFeet]

So there is no SAF player that would get into this team?!

Veron, Forlan, Ross

 

[Bobski]

Yet Valencia was Matt Busby and Player’s Player of the year that season? Valencia was clearly better that season.

One of Nani's issues is that he was clearly a better player on the right than on the left at that stage of his career, but that was the only position that Valencia could play and the switch out to him stretching the play wide on the right was a big part of his and Utd's game. I wonder if Fergie ever considered Valencia as a RB, he had the twins coming through at that stage but Valencia supporting Nani, the discipline and tactical reliability of Valencia behind the individuality of Nani could have had real potential.

Nani might have the best goals vid of any Utd player.

 

[RedPed]

I keep shaking my head for several minutes every time Nani gets mentioned in these types of conversations. Sure he was no Ronaldo or Rooney when they were all here but he was a really good player and miles better than the likes of O‘Shea, Ando or Cleverley. Let alone bloody Gibson, he was barely a footballer.

The disrespect this guy continues to get. He should not be coming up in any of these types of threads.

 

[RedPed]

A) I would kill for a Rojo / Martinez pairing right now at the back.

B. Di Maria would thrive in this current setup and I'd take Falcao as well.

 

[avgp_1]

Phil Neville, could do a beast of a job for this current team either in CDM or full back

Good call

 

[Ekeke]

Ya I agree, but as some others have stated English fans don’t enjoy flair players.

I feel Like they enjoy a slide tackle more then a player who can beat a man.

I think its more that stats are a bit more respected now. He was devesting for us at his best. In fact statistically the best player in the league in 10/11

And yet there were people here who still werent convinced he was "world class", and who prefered Valencia. And as soon as his level dropped from this they would say he isnt good enough, despite the evidence that he is clearly capable of it and has shown he can do it. For me the main reason why he didnt get anywhere near enough respect is that no matter how great he was, he wasnt as good as Ronaldo and he was constantly compared to him which is completely unfair and was at the time too. Truly a stupid thought process.

Even in this season I remember more people thought Rooney was our best attacker

 

[Gazza]

Fabian Barthez

Good shout! Loved playing football and coming out of his box, the anti-De Gea. Prior to 2001/02 he was okay for us.

 

[SportingCP96]

I think its more that stats are a bit more respected now. He was devesting for us at his best. In fact statistically the best player in the league in 10/11

And yet there were people here who still werent convinced he was "world class", and who prefered Valencia. And as soon as his level dropped from this they would say he isnt good enough, despite the evidence that he is clearly capable of it and has shown he can do it. For me the main reason why he didnt get anywhere near enough respect is that no matter how great he was, he wasnt as good as Ronaldo and he was constantly compared to him which is completely unfair and was at the time too. Truly a stupid thought process.

Even in this season I remember more people thought Rooney was our best attacker

Ya as I stated above 2010-11 Nani was better then the best version of Bernardo silva who is adored here.

Nani was world class!

 

[RVN1991]

Nani was absolutely phenomenal for a season or two, wasn't his biggest fan but he would be the first name on the team sheet if he played now.

 

[MancunianAngels]

Saha would be incredible up front

Saha was a very good player for us. If his injury problems had stayed away, we probably wouldn't have signed Tevez and Berbatov.

 

[Massive Spanner]

O Shea would start in midfield for us for sure.

best player. What about Hargreaves? Would instantly be our best midfielder at least.

and yeah, Nani had a period where he was arguably the best player in the league so including him is nuts.