When did we last have a position absolutely sorted?

[Pogue Mahone]

Was thinking about the question marks hanging over our fullbacks and wondering when we last had a player in that position who was 100%, no questions asked, good enough. Not someone with potential. Someone who is good enough right now and we have no interest in upgrading. With an almost unanimous consensus on the caf that he’s the real deal. If I’m honest it’s probably Paddy Evra (Wes divided opinions).

Which got me thinking, when can you say the same about any other position on our team? Does it always go back to Fergie’s time in charge?!? i.e. almost 10 years ago

I reckon peak De Gea fits the bill.

Anyone else?

 

[croadyman]

Can maybe make a case for Bruno in that no 10 role but the majority of other positions definitely aren't the best

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Can maybe make a case for Bruno in that no 10 role but the majority of other positions definitely aren't the best

Oh yeah. How could I forget Bruno?!?

Bruno and (peak) DDG makes two...

Is that it?

 

[bsCallout]

Bruno.
Zlatan.
DDG 3 seasons ago.

 

[Amadaeus]

When we have a great manager, all our position will be miraculously sorted. In all honesty even under sir Alex, we had some issue with signing right attackers and central midfielder. But, a great manager utilizes what they have and make things work. Sir Alex did that and Pochettino will do that with this United team and even Nagelsmann can as well.

 

[Mindhunter]

We have the manager position sorted. Lol

 

[Vault Dweller]

Bruno
Zlatan
DDG
Fred (debatable though I know!)

 

[DWelbz19]

How are people saying Zlatan? He was never going to be here for more than a year, maybe two at most.

De Gea is the only answer. Bruno currently.

 

[el3mel]

Bruno, just since few months ago ?

 

[RedTiger]

Ddg from 2012 to 2018 and Bruno from the start of the year to now.

That's it.

 

[lsd]

How are people saying Zlatan? He was never going to be here for more than a year, maybe two at most.

De Gea is the only answer. Bruno currently.

Fred seriously?

It's unreal how overrated Fred is on here. I thought the Herrera love was bad but people thinking Fred is great is truly shocking to me.

There is nothing he does on the pitch that is even remotely half decent

 

[Pogue Mahone]

When we have a great manager, all our position will be miraculously sorted. In all honesty even under sir Alex, we had some issue with signing right attackers and central midfielder. But, a great manager utilizes what they have and make things work. Sir Alex did that and Pochettino will do that with this United team and even Nagelsmann can as well.

We didn’t have every position sorted under SAF but we had a fair few of them. Players like peak Rooney, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo or Carrick.

I do agree that a better manager will turn a lot of maybes into definites. That always happens. But it is crazy how few nailed on top class players we’ve had over the last few years. Even also ran teams like Liverpool in the 00s consistently had two or three objectively top top players in their squad and their quality was obvious even under crap managers. Ditto for the likes of Spurs and Arsenal, whose main problem was retaining the top tier players. It’s interesting that Bruno and DDG are the only United players in the last 8 years where we’ve had to worry about other big clubs coming in for them. Arguably Rashford too.

 

[Oranges038]

Didn't take long for the manager or a new manager to be mentioned as the cause or resolution.

Teams should always be evolving and looking for the next best player in that position. It's very rare now you will have a player set for a position for a long period.

Think we were spoiled over Fergies reign to have so many players who had positions nailed with such longevity. I'm talking solid performers over 4/5/6 seasons, (Evra, Schmeichel, Neville, Rio, Keane, Scholes, Irwin, Giggs, Beckham,Rooney). These type of players who could be relied upon to consistently perform to the highest standard expected, while they were playing you never thought any one could come in and do better.

De Gea is the last one to fit this bill, but sadly it looks like he's on the upgrade list now. Bruno is probably next.

 

[SER19]

I see the point but the same can be said for pretty much any team at any time.

Our squad is very good and the best it's been post Ferguson and solskjaer deserves credit for this, though its starting to look more and more like somebody else will have to be the ones to maximise it.

 

[bsCallout]

How are people saying Zlatan? He was never going to be here for more than a year, maybe two at most.

De Gea is the only answer. Bruno currently.

Because Zlatan was the obvious person to start and there were no question marks about him in that position. You never wondered if he was actually good enough.

 

[royboy16]

Spoilt for choice arent we

 

[MikeKing]

Fred seriously?

It's unreal how overrated Fred is on here. I thought the Herrera love was bad but people thinking Fred is great is truly shocking to me.

There is nothing he does on the pitch that is even remotely half decent

His pressing, engine and dynamism isn't even remotely half decent? Anyways, you didn't answer the question asked in the OP so don't bother replying.

Bruno. DDG. Zlatan. Until it stops being sorted. To me Greenwood is sorted in this side but the position he plays is still undecided. Probably wasn't too many actual competitors for Smalling and AWB either because of their consistency so I'd say they were mostly sorted.

 

[Josh 76]

Fred seriously?

It's unreal how overrated Fred is on here. I thought the Herrera love was bad but people thinking Fred is great is truly shocking to me.

There is nothing he does on the pitch that is even remotely half decent

Totally agree.
Just goes to show how bad we are when Fred is our "world class" player

 

[bosnian_red]

Imo:
Gk: De Gea until the decline in 2019
RB: Valencia the one season in 16/17, but since we knew he needed changing soon anyway, Gary Neville before he declined 15ish years ago
CB: Rio and Vidic before their decline
LB: Evra before his decline
CDM: Carrick in 12/13
CM: Pogba in 16/17 when we expected he'd be quality. In actuality, Scholes
#10: Bruno. Rooney during Fergie before him
LW: Rashford for me. Have no doubt about him, now and going forward. Just needs a manager to get the best out of him
RW: Nani for 2010-2012.
ST: Ibrahimović in 2016/17 until his injury. RVP in 12/13
Putting it into an 11 with years when we last had it sorted with little/no stress..

2018
2004 2009 2011 2011
2010 2013
2012 2020 2020
2017​

IMO wan bissaka is fine, just shouldn't be used as a wing back and needs the occasional rest like everyone as he'll look really bad with too many successive games.

 

[bosnian_red]

How are people saying Zlatan? He was never going to be here for more than a year, maybe two at most.

De Gea is the only answer. Bruno currently.

I think its because at least for that season while he was fit, there was no doubting his quality. That still counts for me.

 

[Stacks]

This is interesting post Fergie. Our signings normally start well and we convince ourselves they are sorted until the player starts to show inconsistency or gets worse from their initial highs. We once thought Martial had LWF sorted and that our entire left flank was sorted between he and Shaw.

Bruno is the only "sorted" position we have in that it would be hard to upgrade.

 

[Flexdegea]

When we have a great manager, all our position will be miraculously sorted. In all honesty even under sir Alex, we had some issue with signing right attackers and central midfielder. But, a great manager utilizes what they have and make things work. Sir Alex did that and Pochettino will do that with this United team and even Nagelsmann can as well.

Your act is seriously boring

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I see the point but the same can be said for pretty much any team at any time.

Our squad is very good and the best it's been post Ferguson and solskjaer deserves credit for this, though its starting to look more and more like somebody else will have to be the ones to maximise it.

See above re Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs etc. They all had numerous objectively top class talents during barren spells. The big problem they had was stopping these players leaving to win trophies elsewhere. Which is why it’s notable that we’re seeing threads along this line about Bruno now, having not seen them about anyone else (bar De Gea) for what’s getting close to a decade now.

 

[simplyared]

Bailly was the real deal when he came to us. I, for one, thought we'd got the best CB in the PL. What the feck happened?

 

[OleBoiii]

DDG for a long time and now Bruno.

Zlatan was great but only short term. Smalling was good for 2-3 years imo, but I don't know if that counts as "sorted".

So yeah, it's no secret that I don't think this is good enough for United.

 

[croadyman]

We have the manager position sorted. Lol

Haha needed a good laugh

 

[Fitchett]

Peak De Gea
Fernandes
Ibrahimovic

Pretty damning that no more on most people's lists on this thread.

 

[Ali Dia]

Bruno.
Zlatan.
DDG 3 seasons ago.

thats it. Fred is getting there.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I’m not sure Zlatan counts. I mean, he was great but he always felt like a single season stop gap. It never felt like we’d signed a striker who we didn’t need to improve or replace.

 

[Bastian]

In the years since SAF retired, only de Gea. Now we've got Bruno (and de Gea is no longer at that level). In SAF's latter period it was Vidic, Rio, Evra, Carrick, Rooney and then RVP in his last season.

 

[U.N.C.L.E]

For me, the difference under Fergie, especially during the late 90s and early 2000s was you had competition for many of the positions - Yorke/Cole could be swapped with Solskjaer and Sheringham, for example - often to incredible effect as was evidenced in the Treble.

But, we also had a rather solid “system” or formation/style of play. Today, I tend to see the system change almost game-by-game and our depth I think is non-existent.

Adding more misery to the litany of woe is my belief that we haven’t had a genuine captain for years. You need a leader on the pitch and to these old eyes Bruno looks the closest to that.

 

[NoPace]

We used to have the whole team sorted except right back when we were in CL Finals, basically, but now it's Bruno, Rashford, Telles and odds are Van De Beek because he's got such good habits from Ajax and we have Fred as a different but consistently good option at the 8 spot. Greenwood and maybe Diallo will get there. Maguire clearly has the talent but I have no idea if that will happen at this point. Henderson seems a decent bet to me too. So, maybe 6-7 positions are settled for me if you figure 2/3 out of Maguire, Greenwood, Diallo and Henderson/De Gea establish (re-establish in De Gea's case) themselves in the next year and the other don't.

 

[OleBoiii]

I’m not sure Zlatan counts. I mean, he was great but he always felt like a single season stop gap. It never felt like we’d signed a striker who we didn’t need to improve or replace.

Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't his injury basically "force" him out? If he hadn't gotten injured, then I reckon we would have given him at least another season.

I see your point, though.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

We used to have the whole team sorted except right back when we were in CL Finals, basically, but now it's Bruno, Rashford, Telles and odds are Van De Beek because he's got such good habits from Ajax and we have Fred as a different but consistently good option at the 8 spot. Greenwood and maybe Diallo will get there. Maguire clearly has the talent but I have no idea if that will happen at this point. Henderson seems a decent bet to me too. So, maybe 6-7 positions are settled for me if you figure 2/3 out of Maguire, Greenwood, Diallo and Henderson/De Gea establish (re-establish in De Gea's case) themselves in the next year and the other don't.

We’ve always had loads of players who we think/hope will become excellent footballers, given time. This thread is only about undisputed, top class players who are nailed on starters in their position of choice. The type of quality where we couldn’t imagine signing someone else in the same position (other than as back-up).

It’s an alien concept in the United of recent years, admittedly, but there would be consistently at least 4 or 5 players who fit that description every season during Fergie’s time at the club. Which is why it’s so crazy to me that we have a grand total of two players you could say that about in the eight seasons since Fergie retired. One of them has been a liability who is miles below is best for at least 18 months and the other is just starting his first full season at the club!

 

[United58]

When we have a great manager, all our position will be miraculously sorted. In all honesty even under sir Alex, we had some issue with signing right attackers and central midfielder. But, a great manager utilizes what they have and make things work. Sir Alex did that and Pochettino will do that with this United team and even Nagelsmann can as well.

Kanchelskis -> Beckham -> Ronaldo -> Nani/Valencia wasn't bad

Centre mid was a problem in the last 6 years or so. We were unfortunate with Hargreaves and Fletcher's injuries and illnesses, though - both phenomenal in their prime. 2007/08 we had an embarrassment of riches to choose from in the centre. That whole team was

 

[TMDaines]

Pogba over his first three seasons looked absolutely the part, especially in his first season when he and Zlatan simply looked on another level to everyone else in the side. Shame he has always had a revolving door of bit part midfielders, forwards and full backs around him. For us to have signed Bruno and then not looked to get in further players to get the most out of those two feels criminal. Been crying out for years that all the creativity can’t just hinge on Pogba, and now it hinges on Bruno! Rashford is really improving in that regard though.

The GK situation is a shambles considering we seemingly had the world’s most ideal #2, a world class shot stopper, and one of the best talents in the world excelling on consecutive loans. De Gea’s always been a highly flawed keeper though. Many of us have said for years he would only need to go through a dip in his shot stopping and suddenly he would look very average, considering his all round game. It’s disappointing that this has seemingly surprised people.

Rashford I can well envision being a mainstay in the side for the next 10 years, even if United have a big uptick in fortunes and start winning the league again. I feel sorted with him.

Bruno’s had a good year, but plenty do. Let’s see where we are with him next December. He should be the real deal though.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Not since Sir Alex. Absolutely sorted means performs week in week out, year in year out and is dedicated to the club. Basically someone you could bet your house on still being a top performer and first name on the team sheet in their position for 3,4,5 years plus like Schmeichel , Neville, Irwin, Giggs etc. De Gea is the closet but wanted out and now has collapsed from wise, Bruno has been here 10 months so doesn't count. Zlatan was old and a stop gap. Rashford?

 

[Web of Bissaka]

How are people saying Zlatan? He was never going to be here for more than a year, maybe two at most.

De Gea is the only answer. Bruno currently.

OP "Someone who is good enough right now and we have no interest in upgrading. With an almost unanimous consensus on the caf that he’s the real deal."

 

[DWelbz19]

OP "Someone who is good enough right now and we have no interest in upgrading. With an almost unanimous consensus on the caf that he’s the real deal."

We had no interest in upgrading a 36 year old striker?

Lot of revisionism going on re: Zlatan, for what it’s worth. Time always sees players and things in a more positive light, and there was no denying he was a good level striker, but there were plenty of dissenters who claimed his inability to run and have play constantly gravitated to his feet made us very predictable.

I certainly wouldn’t say RedCafe unanimously agreed — at that time — that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a position we couldn’t or shouldn't improve upon.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Only three, but even these three have people who doubts them. Yes even Bruno now. You always get that fans.. just wait until Bruno had his next bad game, only then they'll come out in the open.

1. Peak De Gea
2. Bruno
3. Zlatan

Done, that's all.

Fred?!!!! Fred FC is really strong waving their flag this most recent two seasons.