Without buying players what would you do with this squad?

[WolfInSharp'sClothing]

Without buying players it's tricky.

Maybe go 4-3-1-2:

De Gea

Dalot___Lindelof___Smalling___Shaw

Herrera___Matic___Fellaini

Pogba

Martial___Rashford

​

Martial and Rashford together could work? Pogba in more of a creative no.10 role could work? Strong midfield 3 would allow Dalot and Shaw to bomb on with adequate protection for the CBs. With no real wingers maybe getting the width from your fullbacks is the best option.

 

[Aren86]

Id play our best 11. Id play players in their rightful positions. Id allow players like Martial/Pogba to be more creative. Id drop Lukaku / Lindeloof when they plays shit just how Bailley /Martial get dropped.

Id also then work on training and try and understand why we just dont work hard enough on the pitch? Theres no excuse to not give 100%!

 

[ObieDeMoon]

I would bring the whole squad to Old Trafford on a non-match day. Sit them on the turf and give them the biggest rollicking of their lives. Then I would invite Fergie, Bobby Charlton, G.Nev, King Eric, Scholesy, Uncle Pat and whoever else to come down and give them a fecking wake up talk! To let this squad know that they are playing not just for themselves but for the badge, the fans and for Sir Matt and his babes.

Wake these boys up and make them remember what they seem to have forgotten!!!

Formation and tactics wise we need to play wide and with two up top. 442 is the formation we need.

Now I won't go into team selection but I would not give up on Alexis, Martial or Pogba

The team I want to see play for United trusts their team mates, plays with guts, with vigour and aggression but is well balanced and poised.

Counter attacking football that is lightening fast and powerful.

I am s*ite at football but i am willing to die on the pitch for my club... If only I had the skills and imagination of some of our great footballers.

 

[Kostov]

4-3-3 is a shite formation for us. I think we need to play something that has zero width at all and congest the midfield as all our forwards are strikers and number 10s.

Some thing like this :

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Matic
Fred - Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez - Martial​

That's good, I agree about the formation. I would just put Sanchez in place of Lingard, and play Lukaku up front.

Play our best players for a start and go from there.

 

[abk92]

De Gea
Valencia/Dalot Bailly Smalling Shaw
Matic/Pereira
Herrera Fred
Pogba
Lukaku Martial

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Probably go for a lovely spa day.

Or, i'd probably have a midfield of Fred/Herrera and Matic with Pogba in front of them, and then have Rashford, Martial/Sanchez/Lukaku up front and have them run around like mad people and harry the opposition like crazy.

If Pogba is being a knob i'd take him out for Lingard or Mata.

Rashford would start every game for me... unless he was really really shit for a prolonged period (but I doubt that would happen to be honset).

And then I'd go for a lovely spa day... probably in Bath.

 

[Sjaakmeoff]

This.

Only thing missing to make an impact is a defender who can skip lines, in stead of always playing to Valencia, Shaw or Matic.

 

[youmeletsfly]

Not bash the current players in public and work on passing and movement drills until their eyes bleed.

 

[haram]

Play 4-4-2 atletico formation with 4CM across midfield two strikers upfront and two flying fullbacks. fast attacking football with high pressing. No more slow players.

DDG
Dalot Smalling Bailly Shaw
Fred Herrera Periera Pogba
Rashford Martial

No more Valencia, Young, Matic, Fellaini, Lingard and Lukaku. Let some other players have a go. I'd also like to see Sanchez tried upfront. I think he needs to play with a strike partner.​

We would get destroyed every game.

 

[Red_Orchestra]

I honestly would try a 4231 with Pogba as the #10 with limited defensive duties.

DDG
Dalot - Baily - Smalling - Shaw
Herrera - Matic
Sanchez - Pogba - Martial
Lukaku​

 

[bosnian_red]

Theres no doubt everyone can individually play better. A lot of it is down to management and the system/lack of system not suiting the team at all. In fact there isnt a single player who I'd say is playing to his potential or has been under Mourinho. So that's why a managerial change would go a long way IMO. Saying that, we have a few glaring holes. Mainly our right wing, which is currently horrendous. That's an absolute must to sign. 2nd is center back, but the ones we have are serviceable and are definitely not the reason we are struggling so badly.

 

[Mailo]

Horse shoe training....

 

[shabadu84]

Dance lessons, I think they'd have a lot to teach me

352 with Bailly, Smalling and Lindelof at the back, Dalot and Shaw as proper wingbacks, Matic/Fred/Pogba in the middle with Sanchez and Lukaku upfront.

 

[Maccataq]

I'm tired of people suggesting the players aren't good enough. This team finished 2nd last season playing within themselves, playing far less than the sum of their parts.

We just need a good positive manager that will give them confidence and let them express themselves. We need to press and attack teams - Sevilla was the turning point for me, if we had taken the game to them rather than sitting off we would have wiped the floor with them but Mourinho is too negative.

We need a manager that will coach the players and improve them, not slag off his centre-halves at every opportunity - ok we definitely need to strengthen CB but we had the either best or 2nd best defence in the league last season (I can't remember which) so they're not that bad! And why don't we give Fosu-Mensah a chance rather than waste time with some of the players we have like Darmian!?

We need to push more players forward so Pogba has more options, we need more service into Lukaku and more players in the box and we will score more goals. We need to play more technical players like Fred, Mata, Pereira and Herrera who can create. Get Dalot and Shaw in there to give us genuine width.

Fergie would win the title with these players.

 

[RedRover]

I'm tired of people suggesting the players aren't good enough. This team finished 2nd last season playing within themselves, playing far less than the sum of their parts.

We just need a good positive manager that will give them confidence and let them express themselves. We need to press and attack teams - Sevilla was the turning point for me, if we had taken the game to them rather than sitting off we would have wiped the floor with them but Mourinho is too negative.

We need a manager that will coach the players and improve them, not slag off his centre-halves at every opportunity - ok we definitely need to strengthen CB but we had the either best or 2nd best defence in the league last season (I can't remember which) so they're not that bad! And why don't we give Fosu-Mensah a chance rather than waste time with some of the players we have like Darmian!?

We need to push more players forward so Pogba has more options, we need more service into Lukaku and more players in the box and we will score more goals. We need to play more technical players like Fred, Mata, Pereira and Herrera who can create. Get Dalot and Shaw in there to give us genuine width.

Fergie would win the title with these players.

I agree with that.

With the exception of City I personally don’t think the United squad is inferior to any of the other top sides. We’re lacking at the back but our midfield and forward line are as good as any other in ability if not in recent form.

The key is getting a manager in who imposes a clear system which allows the players to build some confidence.

 

[chromepaxos]

Given that we lack pace, running and competition for the ball all over the pitch we have to focus on energy and movement. That means that our troupe of slow 29-year olds have to be dropped, i.e. Fellaini, Mata, Matic, Sanchez, Valencia, etc. Geez, there are a lot of them. No wonder we can't beat anyone with three or four of them on the pitch.

That leaves room for Pereira to come in at the base of midfield - he's shown enough there to be given a run. Put Herrera next to him when we want to be more conservative.

Pogba together with either Fred or Lingard in center-mid - but we have to press. There's enough energy in there to keep things solid so long as people aren't isolated. Of course, that means we need coaching...which may be the fatal flaw in my cunning plan.

Up front, Martial/Rashford/Lukaku with Lukaku coming in off the right-wing - he drifts out there anyway, and he can move into the center when Martial has the ball on the left.

So:

DDG
Dalot - Bailly - Smalling - Shaw
Pereira
Pogba - Fred/Lingard
Lukaku - Rashford - Martial
​

We might lose, but we would go down fighting.

 

[FootyGirl88]

I'm tired of people suggesting the players aren't good enough. This team finished 2nd last season playing within themselves, playing far less than the sum of their parts.

We just need a good positive manager that will give them confidence and let them express themselves. We need to press and attack teams - Sevilla was the turning point for me, if we had taken the game to them rather than sitting off we would have wiped the floor with them but Mourinho is too negative.

We need a manager that will coach the players and improve them, not slag off his centre-halves at every opportunity - ok we definitely need to strengthen CB but we had the either best or 2nd best defence in the league last season (I can't remember which) so they're not that bad! And why don't we give Fosu-Mensah a chance rather than waste time with some of the players we have like Darmian!?

We need to push more players forward so Pogba has more options, we need more service into Lukaku and more players in the box and we will score more goals. We need to play more technical players like Fred, Mata, Pereira and Herrera who can create. Get Dalot and Shaw in there to give us genuine width.

Fergie would win the title with these players.

It's true - he did a lot with far less quality than we have now.

 

[joedirt87]

Play a much higher line, press up the field more. Some teams will be able to exploit that but the majority of premier league sides would just hoof up low percentage balls and be stuck in their own half. Also think Baily and Smalling have good speed to handle some of that threat. There has been a black hole on the right side of the attack for years now, would try and get that sorted with Young as someone mentioned, I would even give Valencia a shot at RW/RM again. I know his offensive output has been almost non existent but maybe giving less defensive responsibility and a confidence to attack could see some of that form return. At the very least it would force a defender to go and mark him.

 

[devilish]

Gk: DDg

Def: a solid back four with Dalot and Shaw as FBs + Smalling and Bailly as CB. No more ball playing CB nonsense

CM: Matic will cover the anchor role with Herrera and Fred in CM.

AMC: Pogba and Martial


STK:Lukaku

tactics: a solid defense and a lot of workrate & movement in CM. Martial would provide pace, Pogba will bring trickery and Lukaku would bring power to the mix

 

[Micky Targaryen]

I've often seen people peddling the "Fergie could've won it with this squad" statement. Now I don't doubt it for a second, but I've always classed Fergie a level above all the rest. And the great man has earned a well deserved retirement.

Out of curiosity's sake, which of the current managers can win it with our current squad? Could Pep do it? Could Klopp? Could Zidane? IMO, I really don't think any of these top tier managers can win the league with our current squad. As much criticism Jose deserve to get, I think we really have to take off the rose tinted specs and admit that our players are just not title winning quality. Every great squad has at least a talisman player and I don't even know who ours is. And please don't say Pogba.

 

[edtkw]

I've often seen people peddling the "Fergie could've won it with this squad" statement. Now I don't doubt it for a second, but I've always classed Fergie a level above all the rest. And the great man has earned a well deserved retirement.

Out of curiosity's sake, which of the current managers can win it with our current squad? Could Pep do it? Could Klopp? Could Zidane? IMO, I really don't think any of these top tier managers can win the league with our current squad. As much criticism Jose deserve to get, I think he really have to admit that our players are just not title winning quality. Every great squad has at least a talisman player and I don't even know who ours is. And please don't say Pogba.

Fergie could've won the league with our reserve team. Man I am just grateful that I was able to witness such a dynasty, probably something future generations will never get to see.