Top 10 United players 12/13

Cina said:
I really haven't seen anything great from Cleverley this season. I was expecting better, that's for sure.
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Cleverley finally being given a settled role next to Carrick was the catalyst for our superb form across the middle part of this season - the period when we really won the league. No, he's not been spectacular, but he still has a lot to do with us having the chance to make it 20 this evening. It's also worth noting that his being dropped has coincided with our somewhat less convincing performances since going out of the CL.

It's always the same with him, basically. When he plays, the team plays better, and most people seem to recognise it at the time. When he doesn't play, the team plays worse, but too many fail to recognise that it's all the unspectacular stuff that he does day in day out with such consistency which is missing from those performances.
 
The way Cleverley tales off in games puts him at a disadvantage here, in all fairness. Not that he's the only one guilty of that by any means, but it's that as well as our inability to dominate games in the centre.

Definitely agree that the most confident I've been in this team this season is when he was next to Carrick in the centre.
 
Kid Cunto said:
Evans has been consistently good, his performances have been on par, at least, with Vidic and Ferdinand, two world class centre backs.
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Yes, he has been consistently good. Yes, he's potentially been on a par with Ferdinand, although Ferdinand's superb form since Vidic returned possibly gives him the edge. But no, he's not been on a par with Vidic. When Evans and Ferdinand were our first choice at the back, we were conceding way too many goals. When Vidic came back, basically replacing Evans, it stopped.

Don't see this as an attack on Evans. I'm a huge fan of his, and in general I see him as more than ready to replace Ferdinand as our first choice at the back. But you can't deny that he got almost all his football this season at a time when we weren't defending well enough, and there's only so many excuses you can make for that.

Vidic doesn't get on my list because he just hasn't played enough. Rio sneaks on because although he was playing when we were conceding lots, he has also been excellent post-Christmas when we've been tight at the back (whereas Evans hasn't played much during this period.)
 
Carrick, RVP, DDG and Rafael seems to be pretty consistent at the top of peoples lists. I guess we all can agree on this part at least.

It's the next 5-6 that are "difficult"(except for the inclusion of Evra, who's been fantastic).
 
Brightonian said:
Yes, he has been consistently good. Yes, he's potentially been on a par with Ferdinand, although Ferdinand's superb form since Vidic returned possibly gives him the edge. But no, he's not been on a par with Vidic. When Evans and Ferdinand were our first choice at the back, we were conceding way too many goals. When Vidic came back, basically replacing Evans, it stopped.

Don't see this as an attack on Evans. I'm a huge fan of his, and in general I see him as more than ready to replace Ferdinand as our first choice at the back. But you can't deny that he got almost all his football this season at a time when we weren't defending well enough, and there's only so many excuses you can make for that.

Vidic doesn't get on my list because he just hasn't played enough. Rio sneaks on because although he was playing when we were conceding lots, he has also been excellent post-Christmas when we've been tight at the back (whereas Evans hasn't played much during this period.)
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Yeah, some good points. I just feel Evans has played a more important role this season then some may give him credit for.
 
For me:

1) RVP
2) Carrick
3) Rafael
4) DDG
5) Evans
6) Evra
7) Rio
8) Vidic
9) Rooney
10) Hernandez

I think the top 8 in particular have been absolutely crucial for us this season and made a big impact for us when we desperately needed it.
 
Kid Cunto said:
Yeah, some good points. I just feel Evans has played a more important role this season then some may give him credit for.
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That's fair enough. Basically I see him being in the position of the boss at a company where the underlings feck up. No, he wasn't really responsible, but ultimately a defender can't be said to be playing well if the team concedes lots of goals. It doesn't affect how much I rate him, because in lots of those games he was excellent. It just makes it difficult to justify putting him on lists like these.

He'd probably be at 11 or 12 for me anyway.
 
1. Carrick
2. van Persie
3. de Gea
4. Rafael
5. Evra
6. Ferdinand
7. Vidic
8. Rooney
9. Kagawa
10. Hernandez

Honourable mentions for Evans and Jones, and in particular, Welbeck, who would be on there had he scored a few more.
 
1. Van Persie
2. Carrick
3. De Gea
4. Rafael
5. Vidic
6. Evans
7. Evra
8. Rooney
9. Hernandez
10. Kagawa
 
1. David De Gea
2. Michael Carrick
3. Rafael Da Silva
4. Robin Van Persie
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Jonny Evans
7. Patrice Evra
8. Nemanja Vidic
9. Javier Hernandez
10. Wayne Rooney


I originally had Welbeck in there, but forgot to include Evans so had to take him out of the list unfortunately. If we were counting just 2013, I think Welbeck would be in there ahead of Rooney and Hernandez. Just missed out. Kagawa has also been very impressive, but hasn't featured in enough games to warrant an inclusion. Rafael Da Silva would probably be #1 if not for his injury, causing a dip in form. And finally, De Gea is above Carrick because of circumstance, having proved the entire country wrong, being easily the best keeper in the land this year. Very hard for me to decide between the top 2.
 
1. Carrick
2. van Persie
3. Rafael
4. de Gea
5. Rio
6. Evans
7. Cleverley
8. Evra
9. Rooney
10. Welbeck

Honourable mentions to Hernandez(who did score lot of goals considering number of games he started, but tbf Fergie not using him in big games says he is not THAT important, but fair play to him, good season behind him) and Vidic(who didn't play enough games, but was great in those he played).
 
1. Carrick
2. van Persie
3. Rafael
4. de Gea
5. Vidic
6. Rooney
7. Evra
8. Ferdinand
9. Evans
10. Chicharito

Hard to leave Cleverley out. Top 6 picked itself, outside of that there were a few with an equal-ish shout.
 
1) Carrick
2) RVP
3) Evra
4) Rafael
5) de Gea
6) Rooney
7) Evans
8) Vidic
9) Rio
10) Hernandez

I can't put Rio above Vidic or Evans this season, not a chance. Evans is probably the most well-rounded defender we've got and for me, was the better of the two (when paired with Rio).

Vidic has been the catalyst for recent clean sheets, no doubt about it...but I still think we've got to take our hats off to Evans and say he's been the key man in defence. Of course the only issue with that is, not one of them has started 30 games this year so in that respect it's difficult to rank them.

Evans: 18 games started in the league, 9 clean sheets (50%)
Vidic 16 games started, 8 clean sheets (50%)
Rio: 24 games started in the league, 7 clean sheets (30%)

I know stats don't always tell the full story, but for me I just don't think you can say Rio has been as good as Jonny Evans this year. But of course, people are entitled to a differing opinion.
 
Basically the same as I posted in the season ratings thread. But with Vidic missing so many games it hurts his contribution to the team, even if his rating when he was available is above nearly everyone, imho.

1. Carrick
2. RvP
3. Rooney
4. DDG
5. Evans
6. Rafael
7. Evra
8. Vidic
9. Hernandez
10. Rio
 
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