Pick Fergies Best Starting 11 over his career

[Gio]

If you're including subs then Willie Miller would be in contention for a spot on the bench.

 

[Cling Bak]

Last XI:
Taibi
Kleberson Blanc Tweety Heinze
Chadwick Djembax2 Veron Bebe
Bellion Dong

Veron?! Kleberson at right back?

In fact, the whole back four is poorly selected for a 'last XI', Silvestre gave us terrific service, Heinze was a very good player for us and Blanc helped win us the 2003 title back playing next to Ferdinand. He was past his best, but not as shit as people like to pretend.

Do better.

 

[Sixpence]

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Irwin
Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs
Van Nistelrooy Cantona​

This.

 

[elisha27]

For me the centre-back pairing is the easiest question of all, by the way. Bruce and Pallister were both great players and Stam was a giant but none of them came close to the stability and impregnability that we enjoyed when Ferdinand and Vidic were at their peak.

This logic seems questionable as you've failed to mention Paul McGrath entirely, who is arguably the best defender of all of them.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Schmeichel
Neville Bruce Vidic Irwin
Ronaldo Keane Scholes Giggs
Cantona
van Nistelrooy​

 

[Sky1981]

Schmikes

Neville - Vidic - Rio - Irwin

Beckham - Scholes - Keane - Giggs

Ronaldo - Cantona

 

[Pat_Mustard]

Not really.

- Do we include Bryan Robson who was a magnificent player but who was pretty much a fringe player by the time real success arrived?
- Should there be a place for David Beckham?
- Van Nistelrooy scored 150 goals in 219 games but is that enough to overlook the fact that his five years here were five of the most barren years in the post-1993 period of the Fergie era? (okay, you covered this as one of the questions)

For me the centre-back pairing is the easiest question of all, by the way. Bruce and Pallister were both great players and Stam was a giant but none of them came close to the stability and impregnability that we enjoyed when Ferdinand and Vidic were at their peak. I know a lot of that is down to tactics but still, I believe they are the finest pair this club ever had. So, my XI looks like this:

Schmeichel

Neville
Ferdinand
Vidic
Irwin

Beckham
Keane
Scholes
Giggs

Cantona

Ronaldo

Good post. Would it be reasonable to include McGrath in the same bracket as Robbo? Colossal player, but arguably at his best after leaving us, when he had no knees left.

 

[Fergus' son]

Schmikes
Neville Magrath Rio Irwin
Robbo Keane
Ronaldo Scholes Giggs
Cantona

 

[Siorac]

This logic seems questionable as you've failed to mention Paul McGrath entirely, who is arguably the best defender of all of them.

Except he rarely ever showed that under Fergie and was one of the biggest, most out of control boozers at a club that desperately needed some sort of discipline.

So yeah, he was a great talent but putting him on a par with Ferdinand and Vidic would be very weird.

 

[DevilRed]

Schmeichel
Neville Vidic Rio Evra
Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs
Rooney Cantona

 

[green demon]

Schmeichel
G. Neville / Bruce / Pallister / Irwin
Ronaldo / Robson / Scholes / Giggs
Cantona / Rooney

Subs: van der Sar / Evra / Stam / Beckham / Keane / van Nistelrooy / Solskjaer

 

[Snow]

Van Der Sar
Neville - Ferdinand - Vidic - Irwin
Robson - Keane
Ronaldo - Scholes - Giggs
Cantona​

Subs:
Schmeichel
Stam
Beckham
van Nistelrooy
Solskjaer

I'm always surprised how many people put Schmeichel ahead of Van Der Sar. Schmeichel was more iconic by a long distance, he imortilises United, but Van Der Sar was ridiculous even as he got older and older. Doesn't take the plaudits in my opinion. How many hours without conceeding did he go?

Why are you surprised? Do you remember watching him play? He's the best goalkeeper I've seen play.

Regarding the clean sheet record. A brilliant feat. No doubt. A world record. But Lehmann has almost the same tally in the CL and Cech has almost the same in the PL yet you wouldn't put them in the same bracket as Schmeichel.

 

[yomipop]

Veron?! Kleberson at right back?

In fact, the whole back four is poorly selected for a 'last XI', Silvestre gave us terrific service, Heinze was a very good player for us and Blanc helped win us the 2003 title back playing next to Ferdinand. He was past his best, but not as shit as people like to pretend.

Do better.

Blanc was brought in to replace Stam, at a time when that was a downgrade. Silvestre gave good service, but I think most of his best games were at LB. Heinze was a good player, but showed no understanding of the club when he tried to force a move to Liverpool. Kleberson - mea culpa, he was not a RB, he was just terrible. Veron was good, but I think he actually disrupted our midfield when he joined, rather than improving it.

 

[Maverick_19]

Peter Schmeichel
Gary Neville Rio Ferdinand Nemanja Vidic Dennis Irwin
Christiona Ronaldo Paul Scholes Roy Keane Ryan Giggs
Eric Cantona Ruud van Nistelrooy

 

[rcoobc]

Why are you surprised? Do you remember watching him play? He's the best goalkeeper I've seen play.

Regarding the clean sheet record. A brilliant feat. No doubt. A world record. But Lehmann has almost the same tally in the CL and Cech has almost the same in the PL yet you wouldn't put them in the same bracket as Schmeichel.

Yes I remember him play, although make no mistake I was young. Although I haven't bothered to back this up with any evidence, was Schmeichels record anywhere near as good as VDS? I have a feeling not. Schmeichels was suh a ridiculous shot-stopper, some of the saves he produced where so fantastic, ar more picturesque, far moreso than VDS. But VDS seemed to go hours and hours without being beaten, in every competition. His command of his area was so superb, and he very very rarely made any mistake.

And when he left, we declined so much we went from serial CL finalists to Group Stage dropouts

 

[FortBoyard]

--------Schmeichel

Neville----Rio-----Vidic-------Irwin

Beckham--Keane--Scholes--Giggs

--------Cantona----Ronaldo------



and I reckon that is what SAF would say n all #arrogant

 

[Chesterlestreet]

I find these things damn difficult, but I’ll have a go in Fergie’s honour. The Robbo question is an interesting one. I’d pick Robbo over Keano in an all-time XI, but here I’ll go with the players who have been most important during the Fergie years. Not necessarily the most naturally gifted during that era either, but the most important ones.

I’ll go with Schmeichel over VDS although that’s a close call. Both very important, but Schmeichel edges it. He was the most imposing and, all things said, best keeper I’ve ever seen. The fullbacks seem to pick themselves, really. Has to be Gaz and Irwin. Evra has been an excellent servant, of course, but it has to be Irwin. CBs are trickier. You could easily go for Rio and Vidic and be done with it, nothing wrong with that. I feel, however, that either Bruce or Pally should be in there, as they represent the crucial first stages of the golden era (just like Irwin does). All in all Pally was probably the better player, but Brucie had something else: He was a fighter - and in those days you needed a fighter more than today, arguably. He had spirit, Brucie - and who can forget his goals?

As for Rio versus Vidic - well, that just has to be Rio. Not much between ‘em, but it has to be Rio. Midfield is relatively easy. Giggs and Scholes are nailed on. So is Keano (see above). That leaves one spot (this is 4-4-2, obviously, can’t go with anything else). It’s between Beckham and Ronaldo. I go with the latter. He became the best player in the world under Fergie and was the diamond in the team that got him his second CL triumph. As good as Beckham was, and as well as that whole bank of four worked at the time, he misses out here.

Up front, then. One of them is easy. Cantona is nailed on in a team like this (again, see above). His partner, though, is much harder to select. My choice is Rooney. Could have gone with Ruud, could have gone with Hughes, could have gone with Cole or Yorke too (once again, see above). But I will go with Rooney. Why? Because after Ronaldo left he has been our most important player. For a significant number of seasons, in other words. That can’t be overlooked, I think.

1. P. Schmeichel
2. G. Neville 4. S. Bruce 5. R. Ferdinand 3. D. Irwin
17. C. Ronaldo 16. R. Keane 18. P. Scholes 11. R. Giggs
10. W. Rooney 7. E. Cantona​

SUBS: E. Van der Sar, D. Beckham, N. Vidic, R. Van Nistelrooy, M. Hughes, O. G. Solskjær.

 

[Rams]

VDS
Irwin
Rio
Stam
Evra
Keane
Scholes
Ronaldo
Giggs
Cantona
RVP

 

[surf]

Am discounting Robbo and McGrath, since much of their best was arguably before Fergie arrived.

Schmeichel

Irwin
Rio
Vidic
Evra

Beckham
Keane
Scoles
Giggs

Ronaldo
Rooney

The omissions of G Neville and Stam are arguable. Ronaldo is in at forward as I think he and Rooney were the best front pair I have seen at United in the last 20 years.

 

[Cling Bak]

Blanc was brought in to replace Stam, at a time when that was a downgrade. Silvestre gave good service, but I think most of his best games were at LB. Heinze was a good player, but showed no understanding of the club when he tried to force a move to Liverpool. Kleberson - mea culpa, he was not a RB, he was just terrible. Veron was good, but I think he actually disrupted our midfield when he joined, rather than improving it.

Almost every defender is a downgrade on Stam.

Sivestre did well at left back, but was better and primarily a centre back. He was next to Rio 03-06 and did very well prior to Vidic joining. Injuries cut his time down, where he could have remained a very able deputy.

So Heinze is just personal?

Kleberson didn't get on well for us. He had moments, but was injured a lot and did not fit at all. But he never ever played right back.

So Veron was good, but makes your all time worst Fergie XI?! And is personally responsible for disrupting our midfield - funnily enough, normally something a manager would be blamed for allowing to happen (if true at all). Of course, he did win a PL title in his two seasons with us.

Donarchy, Lee Martin, McGibbon, Prunier, Cruyff, Miller, Milne, Clegg, Darren Ferguson, Manucho could and maybe should have all have been included.

 

[Nucks]

VDS
Vidic Ferdi
Scholes Keane Giggs
Rooney, RVP, Ronaldo, RVN, Cantona​

This is my typical FM formation btw.

 

[OGkush]

---------Schmeichel---------
Neville---Rio---Vidič---Irwin
Ronaldo-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
------------Rooney------------
--------Van Nistelrooy---------

Subs: Van Der Sar, Evra, Stam, Robson, Beckham, Cantona, Van Persie.

I know a lot of people might not agree with this, heck everybody's got their own fave XI, but I just couldn't put Robson or Cantona in the first XI as I've not had the opportunity to watch them if you don't count compilation videos.
I fully recognize the fact that Cantona is a legend around this place and held in very high esteem, and if I had been born sooner I would've probably placed him in, but that's just not gonna happen in these circumstances.
RvP has been absolutely brilliant this year, but he's gonna have to do this for a couple more seasons before he "overtakes" RvN for me simply because of the longevity and consistency.

Beckham is also hard to keep out, but Giggs & Ronaldo are both players that you just can't leave out for seperate but obvious reasons none-the-less.

It'll be fun to see where current players rank a couple of years down the road though, the likes of De Gea, Jones, Rafael, Welbeck etc. all have bright futures at the club and are looking like real gems, not to mention the up-and-coming young players that are also to be credited to Fergie (from Januzaj/Daehli to Zaha/Henriquez/Powell).

Since they're all basicaly "Fergie's players" I think along the way Fergie's best XI is still open to change, regardless of the enormous quality to choose from already, there's another generation or two coming through that might surprise all of us.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

VDS
Vidic Ferdi
Scholes Keane Giggs
Rooney, RVP, Ronaldo, RVN, Cantona​

This is my typical FM formation btw.

The old pyramid, eh? That's very hip - I think. Giggs would be at home in it - he was around when it was last en vogue, after all.

 

[::sonny::]

Schmeichel

Neville Rio Stam Irwin

Beckham Keane Scholes Giggs

Ronaldo Cantona

Shame on who didn't pick Beckham

^^^

Carroll

Klerberson De Leat Silvestre Richardson

Miller Djemba Tosic Bebe

Dong Bellion

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Kleberson, poor bastard, at RB again. Have we none better, or rather worse? A proper fullback with no proper quality? Can't think of anyone - other than emergency solutions. Unless I've dreamed it we did field Phelan at RB once.

Silvestre is also a bit harsh, I think. He had a rough time at CB for various reasons but he wasn't a horrible player. Then again we haven't had many horrible CBs over the years either. Quite to the contrary. The "world class" term is definitely overused round these parts - but we've had a whole string of precisely world class centre halves under Fergie. Stam didn't even make the bench for me (not due to ability alone, be it said) - and then we have Johnson, Berg, Pallister, Rio, Vidic, Evans (who is fast becoming world class in my opinion. And I haven't even mentioned the old booze hound McGrath who in terms of sheer talent is probably the pick of the whole litter. Blanc too - over the hill when we bought him, naturally, but a truly great CB in his pomp.

David May?