The 4-3-3 with Carrick, Ando and Hargo at the heart and the fabled Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez trio. Could this new batch be as good? Could Carrick, Herrera and Blind with Rooney, Radamel and Di Maria be as devastatingly quick and concise as that team?
The prodigal 06/07/08 team
- Thread starter Blue always red
- Start date
We never played 4-3-3 during that period
We don't press high up the pitch anymore. Also the back line in those days was the best in the world. We also had the best player in th world and greatest manager ever. Scholes and giggs were still good.
We are miles off even if things start to click here soon.
We are miles off even if things start to click here soon.
We have to see if they can play together first. But, I doubt it because Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez work ethic and enthusiasm was at the forcrum of the success we had upfront. In the set up you mentioned, Rooney or Falcao can not play out wide, which means we are of to a great start. Moreover, their work ethic and enthusiasm bar Di Maria does not compare to the 08/07 team. Any team that should compare will probably have to get rid of Rooney and set up like the three listed below:
Januzaj - Falcao/Wilson - Di Maria
Januzaj - Falcao/Wilson - Di Maria
Last edited:
We played we so much speed then. The 06/07 season will forever be my favourite year, it was Ronaldo's break out year and it was some of the best football I've seen us play.
Fergie had also sold RVN and replaced him with Saha that year and it turned out to be a inspired decision. It was also our first league title in 4 years.
We will never play with the same level of speed under LVG. LVG likes a slower measured approach and we don't even posses the same level of speed from those years.
Fergie had also sold RVN and replaced him with Saha that year and it turned out to be a inspired decision. It was also our first league title in 4 years.
We will never play with the same level of speed under LVG. LVG likes a slower measured approach and we don't even posses the same level of speed from those years.
I shed a tear of happiness when Di Maria initiated a couple of swift counter attacks vs Burnley. That 06-08 team was deadly on the counter, as the Arsenal fans might remember quite exquisitely.
Personally I can see us in 3-4 years being competitors for the champions league.
Obviously these prediction things never work out the way you want, but most of those are recent signings or young players who will stay for a long time IMO, at least the foreseeable future. That has the makings of a brilliant team though. The only place where I think we'll strengthen the starting XI, apart from obviously Strootman, would be right back if we give up on Rafael because of the injuries and potentially the center backs if they don't develop. Otherwise, 3-5 years from now, all, or most of those will be in their primes at the same time.
Anyways, on the actual point, yeah this team could be as good as our last champions league winning team. Biggest difference is the defence but the potential is there for sure.
Falcao
Di Maria --------------Januzaj
Mata - Herrera
Blind
Shaw - Rojo - Jones - Rafael
De Gea
Wilson, Rooney, some other youngsters to step up, Smalling, Evans, and then other signings that we make all in the squad too. We'll probably sign Strootman within a year too so add him in midfieldDi Maria --------------Januzaj
Mata - Herrera
Blind
Shaw - Rojo - Jones - Rafael
De Gea
Obviously these prediction things never work out the way you want, but most of those are recent signings or young players who will stay for a long time IMO, at least the foreseeable future. That has the makings of a brilliant team though. The only place where I think we'll strengthen the starting XI, apart from obviously Strootman, would be right back if we give up on Rafael because of the injuries and potentially the center backs if they don't develop. Otherwise, 3-5 years from now, all, or most of those will be in their primes at the same time.
Anyways, on the actual point, yeah this team could be as good as our last champions league winning team. Biggest difference is the defence but the potential is there for sure.
Ditto that. The period when 1-0 wins felt disappointing. The period when we were afraid of just no one.
Too many factors, so soon, to consider before it could happen
Not a chance in hell.
For me the definitive 06/07/08 team is the 11 that started in Moscow: VDS, Brown, Rio (c), Vidic, Evra, Hargo, Carrick, Scholes, Tevez, Rooney, Ron.
What was prodigal about them?
The current team and manager are nowhere near in quality.
What was prodigal about them?
The current team and manager are nowhere near in quality.
7-8 world class player combined with 3-4 atleast international class players.
Except Di Maria and maybe Falcao, no one from the current team would get anywhere near that team.
Immense team. Solid, experienced and reliable keeper. Vidic & Ferdinand and Evra were the best in their respective positions, Wes Brown provided good defensive stability which meant Evra could bomb on, while the 3 up top would cause all sorts of trouble with Scholes dictating the game.
We played 433/451 in most of the big games in Europe. Fergy had finally realised that you need a strong midfield to beat the big guys in Europe.
No.
A front 3 of Januzaj, Falcao and Di Maria has the potential to rival that kind of counter attacking play we were used to during those years. I hope we eventually start using Di Maria on that right side, sure he may not score against many goals but he tears teams apart coming in from the right.
Our defense back then was much better, our midfield more balanced and our front line at their peak. Plus, one Ronaldo.
Yeah pretty much what has been said. No comparison. You had strikers at their peak, Ronaldo who was better than Di Maria is now, then, and a world class defence and balanced midfield.
Tevez hadn't peaked by that stage.
feck our team really was awesome back then 
Solid defence, maybe the best in the World at the time, a dynamic midfield with everyone knowing their specific role, and Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez up front doing the business.
What a couple of seasons.
Solid defence, maybe the best in the World at the time, a dynamic midfield with everyone knowing their specific role, and Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez up front doing the business.What a couple of seasons.
If we become that good again, it will take time. Doubt we'll go from rubbish to brilliant so quickly.
I will be the first in to say we have better attack, even midfield and only we are worse in defence that that 2008 team.
Why: attack - Ronaldo was good, very good, infact the best player in the world but he is even better now, much better and Di Maria now is on the same level as Ronaldo back then. Yes Ronaldo scored goals but Di Maria have so much better vision that it hurts. Then we had Rooney, Tevez - who was not so good as some say. Now we have one of the best strikers in Falcao and RVP, very good youngster in Januzaj and player with great vision in Mata.
Midfield: Hargo, Carrick and Scholes was great but Herrera, Blind, Mata can be on the same level. We still have Carrick and Di Maria who can play very good in midfield.
Defence: well we had WC kepper in VDS, two WC CB's in Rio and Vida and WC LB in Evra with very good Brown on the wing. We don't have one WC player in defence now. The defence back then was the main point to success.
The one thing you have to know that the other teams are much better now so if we want to be as good as 2008 we need better team than in 2008.
Why: attack - Ronaldo was good, very good, infact the best player in the world but he is even better now, much better and Di Maria now is on the same level as Ronaldo back then. Yes Ronaldo scored goals but Di Maria have so much better vision that it hurts. Then we had Rooney, Tevez - who was not so good as some say. Now we have one of the best strikers in Falcao and RVP, very good youngster in Januzaj and player with great vision in Mata.
Midfield: Hargo, Carrick and Scholes was great but Herrera, Blind, Mata can be on the same level. We still have Carrick and Di Maria who can play very good in midfield.
Defence: well we had WC kepper in VDS, two WC CB's in Rio and Vida and WC LB in Evra with very good Brown on the wing. We don't have one WC player in defence now. The defence back then was the main point to success.
The one thing you have to know that the other teams are much better now so if we want to be as good as 2008 we need better team than in 2008.
Really? Really? Really.
Some history rewriting in this thread.
Ando, Hargreaves, & Carrick probably didn't play more than 5 games together in the middle. It was all about Scholes, and Carrick wasn't as good as 12/13.
Hargreaves was mostly played on the right and was injured most of the time anyway. Tevez was nowhere near as good for us as he was for City. And Rooney was playing in Ronaldo's shadow.
The backline was immense though... Rio, Vidic, Evra, & VDS were all world class at the same time, which is quite rare for a backline. Brown was solid.
Ando, Hargreaves, & Carrick probably didn't play more than 5 games together in the middle. It was all about Scholes, and Carrick wasn't as good as 12/13.
Hargreaves was mostly played on the right and was injured most of the time anyway. Tevez was nowhere near as good for us as he was for City. And Rooney was playing in Ronaldo's shadow.
The backline was immense though... Rio, Vidic, Evra, & VDS were all world class at the same time, which is quite rare for a backline. Brown was solid.
We did in big games. Come on how could you forget the Final Champion League against Chelsea. That was clearly a 433.
We very rarely played a 4-3-3 with 3 CM's especially Ando, Carrick and Hargreaves. You could probably count on one hand the number of times those 3 started together in midfield.
The majority of the games was straight up 4-4-2
I'm just going to leave this here:
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/03/20/teams-of-the-decade-3-manchester-united-2006-09/
My random thoughts of that period are that:
Both Giggs and Park at the left on a three man-midfield where fantastic. Both could play either centrally or on the left wing, allowing the left forward/left sided midfielder to get forward whenever he wanted.. whether that be Rooney or Ronaldo. This might be one of the most surprisingly important factors, and a reason that Rooney cannot reproduce this left wing dominance anymore; for England or United.
Despite both Zonal Marking (against Rome) and fantasy.premierleague.com (back in the day) listing Ronaldo as a striker, he was a winger most of the time.
The back 5 were incredible and the best I've seen.
Nani and Fletcher will slowly be forgotten, but were rather important.
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/03/20/teams-of-the-decade-3-manchester-united-2006-09/
My random thoughts of that period are that:
Both Giggs and Park at the left on a three man-midfield where fantastic. Both could play either centrally or on the left wing, allowing the left forward/left sided midfielder to get forward whenever he wanted.. whether that be Rooney or Ronaldo. This might be one of the most surprisingly important factors, and a reason that Rooney cannot reproduce this left wing dominance anymore; for England or United.
Despite both Zonal Marking (against Rome) and fantasy.premierleague.com (back in the day) listing Ronaldo as a striker, he was a winger most of the time.
The back 5 were incredible and the best I've seen.
Nani and Fletcher will slowly be forgotten, but were rather important.
Then forgot it a couple of seasons later.
We often did in the Champions League if memory serves. I remember it being a shock in the final against Chelsea when we went 4-4-2 with Hargreaves on the wing.
I can't actually remember a 3 man midfield of Carrick, Scholes and Hargreaves ever happening though
We'd played 4-5-1 in the big games for half a decade at this point, at least in my opinion. And it never really worked, except against Arsenal. In Europe it always felt like it was holding us back to me. Something was never *quite* right. Then suddenly we had that front three and it was done.
It's not about the 433. It's all about the squad we had, the squad we had was amazing in those three seasons. We could play 451, 442, 433.
1) Our midfield in those season love to close down players so quick.
2) And our defense were so solid and consistent.
3) And we played with really high tempo and pace.
4) What even better was we got a lot of versatility players who can do the job nicely done.
Tevez was a hard working man, and he could play as a striker or wide.
Rooney could play the same role as Tevez.
Ronaldo well what can I say. The best in those seasons.
VDS, Giggs, Scholes and Neville for experience.
And our defenders were probably the main MVP.
Brown, Carrick and Hargreaves did their job nicely, Hargreaves could play as a right back and cover Brown position, and when Vidic was injured.. Brown did his job really well to cover Vidic.
The big match player especially against Barcelona and Roma. Park Ji Sung
Anderson used to be so energetic, probably turned into shit because we pushed him too much in a deeper role.
Our players are just too lazy right now, they don't closed down players quickly, lack of pace and energy, can't play in a quick tempo and the defense are just inconsistent.
1) Our midfield in those season love to close down players so quick.
2) And our defense were so solid and consistent.
3) And we played with really high tempo and pace.
4) What even better was we got a lot of versatility players who can do the job nicely done.
Tevez was a hard working man, and he could play as a striker or wide.
Rooney could play the same role as Tevez.
Ronaldo well what can I say. The best in those seasons.
VDS, Giggs, Scholes and Neville for experience.
And our defenders were probably the main MVP.
Brown, Carrick and Hargreaves did their job nicely, Hargreaves could play as a right back and cover Brown position, and when Vidic was injured.. Brown did his job really well to cover Vidic.
The big match player especially against Barcelona and Roma. Park Ji Sung
Anderson used to be so energetic, probably turned into shit because we pushed him too much in a deeper role.
Our players are just too lazy right now, they don't closed down players quickly, lack of pace and energy, can't play in a quick tempo and the defense are just inconsistent.
We started 4-4-2 and then went to three in the middle in the second half. That was also when Chelsea were completely on top.
That was a 442, Hargreaves on the right, Ronaldo on the left.
That "fabled team" rarely ever played together, in fact the CL final XI had never played together prior to that game.
Our most memorable team was the 06/07 class of vds, Neville, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney and Saha, where we collectively played some of the best football we'd played in years.
Our most memorable team was the 06/07 class of vds, Neville, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney and Saha, where we collectively played some of the best football we'd played in years.
Yeah I remember Hargreaves moved on the right a lot actually but I think in that game Hargreaves was a right mid in 433.
This one was right. I remember Hargreaves got involved a lot in the right but then I can't remember what mins, we started to play trio in midfield.
So true....Arsenal list two goals after identical counters..add Vila to the list...was great that period
True
The first problem is that if we are fitting on all our 'stars' in, then they don't fit into 4-3-3. None of Rooney, Falcao or RVP can play out wide. We would have to play Di Maria - RVP/WR/RF - januzaj, meaning dropping two of the three strikers. As much as probably quite a few of us would like that, it's not going to happen, especially now Rooney is captain.
The second problem is that the quality of our side is nowhere near that side. Bloody hell that side was class.
The second problem is that the quality of our side is nowhere near that side. Bloody hell that side was class.