Best XI now?

Sancho/Greenwood-Bruno-Pogba/Rashford
Ronaldo

Greenwood will still have plenty of time up front. Sancho will rotate left/right. Pogba and Rashford I honestly don't know.

Ronaldo doesn't do much off the ball, he will fit right in. There's no way we pull this off without McFred or equally energetic midfield.
 
If he and Cavani are in form I'd sometimes play him as a left forward, as in his first Juve year. There and lone CF in other games.

I don't think we have a certain best 11 now, too many good attackers for that. Some games will fit:

Ronaldo—— Cavani———
——————————————————Sancho
———Bruno
Pogba————————————
DM​

others we’d be better with Ronaldo alone up top flanked by Rashford and Sancho.

Ridiculous options
 
Henderson/DDG
AWB Varane Maguire Shaw
McT Pogba
Sancho Bruno Greenwood/MR/Martial
Ronaldo
 
Ronaldo

Sancho -- Pogba -- Bruno -- Greenwood

Shaw -- McTominay -- AWB

Maguire -- Varane

DdG​
 
The point now, surely, is that it has become impossible to pick one. Which is as it should be if you want the big trophies.
 
DeGea

Wan Bissaka Varane Maguire Shaw

McTominay

Pogba Fernandes

Sancho Ronaldo Rashford​
 
I already picked the team in the transfers thread earlier:
Henderson
Varane Maguire Shaw
Sancho Bruno Pogba Rashford
Mason Cavani Ronaldo​
 
If I’m playing the CL final tomorrow (and assuming everyone is fully fit)…

De Gea
Wan-Bissaka - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Fred - Pogba
Greenwood - Fernandes - Ronaldo
Cavani​

Obviously, I wouldn’t want something like that as our regular lineup and don’t see Ronaldo and Cavani starting together too often.
 
DDG
Varane Maguire. Shaw
Sancho. McTom Pogba. Rashford
Fernandes
Ronaldo. Cavani.
 
Why has everyone dropped Cavani from their teams?
 
Have to go with the classic 3-4-3 formation from Championship Manager. Forward arrows on all the "midfielders" as well.

De Gea
Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Sancho - Bruno - Pogba - Rashford
Greenwood - Cavani - Ronaldo​

You can't not play Cavani and Ronaldo together.
 
Jacob said:
DE GEA

AWB -------------- VARANE ------------ MAGUIRE -------------- SHAW

McTOMINAY

BRUNO --------------- POGBA

GREENWOOD -------------- RONALDO ------------- SANCHO
​
Click to expand...
This looks pretty good on paper. If only we'd get a class DM there.
 
Henderson
Wan-Bissaka - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Fred - Pogba
Sancho - Fernandes - Rashford
Ronaldo

Henderson
Wan-Bissaka - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
McTom - Fred
Sancho - Fernandes - Pogba
Ronaldo
​
I think McFred are still going to play a lot. This will piss people off, but having their energy in midfield is useful when we have players ahead of them that aren't going to track back or do much pressing. They will 100% play in big games. Against teams that have a better midfield than us. Against weaker teams, I think there is a good chance that Pogba gets played in the pivot. Fred will play beside him.
 
Based on the performances so far this season and how the midfield is struggling to control games, I would switch to a 4312 formation and pick the following eleven right now:

(Rashford or Greenwood) (Cavani or Ronaldo)
Fernandes
Pogba Matic Vdb
Shaw Maguire Varane Awb
Ddg

This team has everything: defensive stability, midfield solidity, creativity, passing and movement, pace and goal threat.

Four forwards rotating with each other for two positions. Likewise, McFred can rotate with MatiBeek once they regain their form. Other players should be rotated too, albeit less frequently.

...

Subs
Sancho
Lingard
Lindelof
Bailly
Telles
etc

Sell a few players in order to get a new CDM/DLP plus maybe a new back-up RB asap.

Sorted.
 
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The back 5 picks itself. The AM and CF positions as well. The remaining 4 positions is the problem.

- Do we continue with McFred or do we force Pogba in there, even though we know that it fecks up our balance and makes us even more vulnerable on the counter?
- Do we continue to let Greenwood flourish or do we bench him for players like Sancho who has a better resume and is better in theory(for now)?
- What happens when Rashford returns?
- What happens if Cavani keeps looking good coming off the bench? Do we shift Ronaldo to the wing?

So that's McTominay, Fred, Pogba, Sancho, Rashford, Greenwood and Cavani. 7 players fighting over 4 positions, with all of them having a good claim. And even though most of them can expect to be gone in a year, you can bet that Lingard, Martial and Van De Beek wants playtime as well. So it's actually 10 players for 4 positions. And that's not even including youth prospects.

The club's inability to sell players and strengthen the central midfield(which should have happened at least 1 year ago) has definitely given Ole a tough task in terms of picking the best team. It's good to have many options, but I think it's a little too much right now.
 
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——————Ronaldo
Pogba———Bruno———Mason
——————Fred-DvB
Shaw—Maguire-Varane—AWB
———————DDG
 
De Gea
Wan-Bissaka - Varane - Maguire - Shaw
Bruno - Matic - DVB
Greenwood - Ronaldo -Sancho
 
De Gea
Wan Bissaka Varane Maguire Shaw
Matic
Bruno Pogba
Greenwood Ronaldo Rashford
 
How long till it clicks for everyone that we can't carry Ronaldo for our energetic, press dependant game to work? Any best XI would have him on the bench.
 
I doubt the best XI in reality include both Pogba and Bruno. I have no idea what the best XI is as we dont have a style of play. One day a starting elleven looks good, but the next day it looks awfull. You never know what you get with this team sadly.

This is my best team on paper.

----------------------De Gea-------------------
Bisakka----Varane-Maguire---Shaw
-----------------Matic----Pogba-------------
-----------------------Bruno--------------------
Greenwood------Ronaldo--------Sancho
 
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————De Gea
AWB Varane Maguire Shaw
————Matic
Sancho VdB Rashford
———Fernandes
———-Ronaldo
 
I don’t think Greenwood can play with Ronaldo. Ronaldo has by far the fewest presses in the league. But Greenwood also has bottom 5 for pressing. Greenwood is also a shoot first, selfish type player which is fine but not with Ronaldo there. So I’d go with these are possible front 4s:

Sancho Bruno Pogba
Ronaldo

or possibly

Greenwood Bruno Rashford
Cavani

But in general I think we need to give Sancho a considered run on right wing. We haven’t had a proper right winger in years. Greenwood has been great but he plays it like a striker. He should be more considered for the striker position and as back-up right winger.
 
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