Make your squad - '68 '99 '08 starting line ups

P-Nut

fan of well-known French footballer Fabinho
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Right so the challenge is to make the best XI you can come up with using the starting line ups from our three european cup final success'.

The only stipulation is that you need to have a minimum of 3 players from each team. Mine would be as follows.

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Stam Irvine
Stiles
Scholes Charlton
Best Rooney Ronaldo

Feel free to add your own and discuss changes.
 
P-Nut0712 said:
Right so the challenge is to make the best XI you can come up with using the starting line ups from our three european cup final success'.

The only stipulation is that you need to have a minimum of 3 players from each team. Mine would be as follows.

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Stam Irvine
Stiles
Scholes Charlton
Best Rooney Ronaldo

Feel free to add your own and discuss changes.
Click to expand...
Great question, although almost impossible. I would have Scholes, Charlton and Best without a doubt. Would struggle to narrow it down to 11 from our true greats, with which we are blessed with many.
 
Fridge chutney said:
Great question, although almost impossible. I would have Scholes, Charlton and Best without a doubt. Would struggle to narrow it down to 11 from our true greats, with which we are blessed with many.
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It's not just any of the greats though. They have to have started a final so Keane for instance misses out.
 
P-Nut0712 said:
It's not just any of the greats though. They have to have started a final so Keane for instance misses out.
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Law too, which is a shame. Interesting coincidence that none of the club captains at the time played the final.

Schmeichel
Dunne
Rio
Stam
Evra
Carrick
Beckham
Charlton
Ronaldo
Rooney
Best

Scholes on the bench as Charlton was the better attacking mid and Beckham was outstanding in the 99 season and gives more balance to the side. Also prefer Carrick to Stiles.
 
Last edited:
Schmeichel
G.Nev - Stam - Vidic - Evra
Beckham - Scholes
Charlton
Best - Ronaldo - Giggs​

Midfield would probably play awful.
 
P-Nut0712 said:
Right so the challenge is to make the best XI you can come up with using the starting line ups from our three european cup final success'.

The only stipulation is that you need to have a minimum of 3 players from each team. Mine would be as follows.

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Stam Irvine
Stiles
Scholes Charlton
Best Rooney Ronaldo

Feel free to add your own and discuss changes.
Click to expand...
I think you pretty much nailed it. I like Stiles' inclusion, he brings much needed balance and toughness to that midfield. The passing and goal threat you'd get from the two in front of him. :drool:
 
Unfortunately I can't put any '68 players in because I didn't watch them week in week out. I'll go with this:

Schmeichel,
GNev, Rio, Vidic, Irwin,
Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs,
Ronaldo, Rooney

Wasn't too hard actually.
 
Andy_Cole said:
Unfortunately I can't put any '68 players in because I didn't watch them week in week out. I'll go with this:

Schmeichel,
GNev, Rio, Vidic, Irwin,
Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs,
Ronaldo, Rooney

Wasn't too hard actually.
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Keane didn't feature in the final.
 
X-formation-tactics.png


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300px-Man_Utd_vs_Bayern_Munich_1999-05-26.svg.png

300px-Man_Utd_vs_Chelsea_2008-05-21.svg.png
 
Schmeichel
Neville Foulkes Ferdinand Irwin
Carrick
Charlton ---Scholes
Best ----------------------------- Ronaldo
Rooney
​
Best taking the Tevez spot in that 2008 attack would be breathtaking. Easy to forget how good Rooney was back then, and how good he made Tevez and Ronaldo look but this front 3 would be incredible.

Charlton would flourish behind them while Scholes could sit deeper and direct play with the protection of Carrick, cleaning up in front of a cracking back 5.
 
........................O Shea......................
Beckham...Keane.....Carrick.......Giggs...
Best.........Charlton..Scholes....Ronaldo...
..............Rooney........Law...................
 
Schmeichel
Irwin Staam Rio Neville
Scholes Stiles
Beckham Charlton Best
Ronaldo

Maybe Vidic for Staam.
 
VDS
Neville Rio Vidic Evra
Hargreaves
Best Scholes Charlton Giggs
Rooney

From VDS to Hargreaves, this defensive line is the best we have ever seen. Irwin is better than Evra and Stam was at the same level (maybe better) as Rio and Vida. But all of them together, was something special.

The midfield is class and full of goals. A British one, too.

Prime Rooney was class, too and full of confidence and passion, something Ronaldo was missing back then, when he played big games of course.

In a 4-4-2 I would bring one of Giggs, Scholes or Charlton out and use Ronaldo upfront.

Edit: forget it. 4-4-2 it would be Yorke Cole upfront.
 
Invictus said:
X-formation-tactics.png


300px-Benfica_vs_Man_Utd_1968-05-29.svg.png

300px-Man_Utd_vs_Bayern_Munich_1999-05-26.svg.png

300px-Man_Utd_vs_Chelsea_2008-05-21.svg.png
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Suprised to see you go with Tevez over Rooney and I'm guessing the Vidic over Stam is to keep the partnership?
 
Why is Scholes in all these lineups and not Keane?
 
P-Nut0712 said:
Suprised to see you go with Tevez over Rooney and I'm guessing the Vidic over Stam is to keep the partnership?
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Aye, Tévez was a relatively easy choice to lead the line with the elimination of Law, though he did play in a wonky striker carousel with Rooney - which made it hard to pin down one particular position. Many won't agree with this sentiment, but Tévez is a superior player to Rooney when you consider the entirety of their respective careers, and was marginally better than Wayne from from 2007 to 2009 at United, even though Rooney did score a couple more goals. With individualistic goalscoring wide attackers like peak Best and Ronaldo, you need someone who can unselfishly bring them into play apart from supporting the system in terms of tenacity and 'running for 90 minutes' workrate up front - and Tévez edges Rooney on both counts, IMO. Similar-ish bulldog skillsets - chased down every ball and had a great hunger about them, but I just have a preference for Carlos - who was also a slightly better dribbler in congested areas. As for the second part, you're right with the partnership preservation part. Considered Evra for similar reasons, but then decided against it in favor of that extra drop of defensive quality and consistency.
 
Invictus said:
Aye, Tévez was a relatively easy choice to lead the line with the elimination of Law, though he did play in a wonky striker carousel with Rooney - which made it hard to pin down one particular position. Many won't agree with this sentiment, but Tévez is a superior player to Rooney when you consider the entirety of their respective careers, and was marginally better than Wayne from from 2007 to 2009 at United, even though Rooney did score a couple more goals. With individualistic goalscoring wide attackers like peak Best and Ronaldo, you need someone who can unselfishly bring them into play apart from supporting the system in terms of tenacity and 'running for 90 minutes' workrate up front - and Tévez edges Rooney on both counts, IMO. Similar-ish bulldog skillsets - chased down every ball and had a great hunger about them, but I just have a preference for Carlos - who was also a slightly better dribbler in congested areas. As for the second part, you're right with the partnership preservation part. Considered Evra for similar reasons, but then decided against it in favor of that extra drop of defensive quality and consistency.
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That's quite interesting as all the reasons you include Tévez are the reasons I included Rooney :lol:

I can't agree on Tévez being better through that period though. Rooney was majestic at times and although it's all fell apart since of we're talking peaks I have Rooney above Tévez for his all round game.
 
I never watched the '68 team personally and I'm not going to pretend like I know how good they really were. :)
 
Invictus said:
Aye, Tévez was a relatively easy choice to lead the line with the elimination of Law, though he did play in a wonky striker carousel with Rooney - which made it hard to pin down one particular position. Many won't agree with this sentiment, but Tévez is a superior player to Rooney when you consider the entirety of their respective careers, and was marginally better than Wayne from from 2007 to 2009 at United, even though Rooney did score a couple more goals. With individualistic goalscoring wide attackers like peak Best and Ronaldo, you need someone who can unselfishly bring them into play apart from supporting the system in terms of tenacity and 'running for 90 minutes' workrate up front - and Tévez edges Rooney on both counts, IMO. Similar-ish bulldog skillsets - chased down every ball and had a great hunger about them, but I just have a preference for Carlos. As for the second part, you're right with the partnership preservation part. Considered Evra for similar reasons, but then decided against it in favor of that extra drop of defensive quality and consistency.
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Agree with all of that. By the way, not many people admit this but remember the CL semi's v Barca, and when we played them at home.. is it me or was that Tevez, flanked by Nani/Ronaldo combo, the perfect counter-attacking trio you'd want to pit against a Barca. For me Rooney was overrated as a top level striker in a big game in the tactical sense.. he is much more easier to contain than a Tevez. In the 09/10 season, he became a proper 9.. but based on 2008, at that stage he wasn't good enough a central striker to beat Tevez in this regard.

If we had played the same trio in the final the year after, we'd have had a better shot.. than playing Rooney on the left.

We handed the initiative to Barca by playing Ronaldo up front and having a non existent wing, in Park and Rooney.. absolutely no pace or trickery with which to counter-attack.
 
P-Nut0712 said:
Right so the challenge is to make the best XI you can come up with using the starting line ups from our three european cup final success'.

The only stipulation is that you need to have a minimum of 3 players from each team. Mine would be as follows.

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Stam Irvine
Stiles
Scholes Charlton
Best Rooney Ronaldo

Feel free to add your own and discuss changes.
Click to expand...

Proper midgets in your midfield. Stiles 5ft 6, Charlton 5ft 6 and Scholes 5ft 5.
 
MyOnlySolskjaer said:
Proper midgets in your midfield. Stiles 5ft 6, Charlton 5ft 6 and Scholes 5ft 5.
Click to expand...

But all 3 are up there with our greatest players and none can be left out. I'd have Keane in if possible but he didn't start. Anyways 3 midgets seemed to work for Barcelona so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
 
If you can shuffle 'em around as you please, based on nothing but the fact that they appeared in one of the three winning finals, you can go many ways.

If you consider their quality at the time of appearing, it becomes more tricky. And if you consider which position they actually played in relevant finals, it becomes even more tricky.
 
P-Nut0712 said:
Right so the challenge is to make the best XI you can come up with using the starting line ups from our three european cup final success'.

The only stipulation is that you need to have a minimum of 3 players from each team. Mine would be as follows.

Schmeichel
Neville Ferdinand Stam Irvine
Stiles
Scholes Charlton
Best Rooney Ronaldo

Feel free to add your own and discuss changes.
Click to expand...

OMG at that front 5!!!!
 
ypsipeos said:
VDS
Neville Rio Vidic Evra
Hargreaves
Best Scholes Charlton Giggs
Rooney

From VDS to Hargreaves, this defensive line is the best we have ever seen. Irwin is better than Evra and Stam was at the same level (maybe better) as Rio and Vida. But all of them together, was something special.

The midfield is class and full of goals. A British one, too.

Prime Rooney was class, too and full of confidence and passion, something Ronaldo was missing back then, when he played big games of course.

In a 4-4-2 I would bring one of Giggs, Scholes or Charlton out and use Ronaldo upfront.

Edit: forget it. 4-4-2 it would be Yorke Cole upfront.
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Hargreaves never really established himself as a class DM for us. His best outings for us were on the right wing/back.
 
Eriku said:
Hargreaves never really established himself as a class DM for us. His best outings for us were on the right wing/back.
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The Cl final was the only time he played on the right wing. And think the semis against Barca was the only time he played RB.
 
Schmeichel
Neville Stam Rio Irwin
Best Keane Charlton Giggs
Ronaldo Law

I'm putting keane in cos of juve and cos I'm from cork
 
-------------------Schmeichel---------------------
G.Neville----Ferdinand------Stam--------Irwin--
Beckham--------Crerand--Charlton------Best---
---------------Ronaldo------Rooney----------------
 
Some people putting Tevez in their lineups - he wasn't even that good for us!

-------------Schmeichel-----------
Neville-----Vidic----Rio------Dunne
Ronaldo--Charlton--Scholes--Best
-----------Yorke--------Cole-------

All about partnerships for me. Yorke-Cole was arguably the best strike partnership we have seen. Everyone knows about Vidic-Rio. I liked the Neville-Ronaldo combination down the wing as well. Charlton-Scholes were obviously not a real life partnership but it's difficult to leave these two out. Dunne included just because I needed one more from the '68 team.
 
Myn would be?

Big Pete
G neviile ferdinand vidic evra
scholes carrick charlton
best rooney ronaldo
 
I will just take the entire 2008 starting XI and take on all comers.

Absolutely loved that group of boys.
 
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