United Squad

osterdal

Full Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2000
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(First team only.)

Goalkeepers: Barthez and Carroll
Is two keepers enough? I don't think so. Who else do we have? Ben Williams? New boy Luke Steele?

Defenders: G Neville, P Neville, Blanc, Rio, Silvestre, Brown, O'Shea
Now's the time to form a great back four. Let the same four players play as many games together as possible. All positions are covered for but for maybe LB. Is this for Pugh? Or maybe Tierney?

Midfielders: Beckham, Veron, Keane, Giggs, Scholes, Butt, Fortune, Chadwick
World class. But why hasn't Luke travelled to Norway?

Forwards: Forlan, RVN, Solskjaer
Injuries might be a problem. Forlan could also be used to cover for Becks or Giggs (an option I like). But still, I think we need an other striker. Be it a proven or an unproven guy, if we'd like to play 4-4-2 we need a fourth striker. If only as backup.
 
Originally posted by osterdal:
<strong>
Defenders: G Neville, P Neville, Blanc, Rio, Silvestre, Brown, O'Shea
Now's the time to form a great back four. Let the same four players play as many games together as possible. All positions are covered for but for maybe LB. Is this for Pugh? Or maybe Tierney?</strong><hr></blockquote>Is Ronny Johnsen going to be offered a one year deal again? If yes, I can see Wes being used as RB (then Gazza's back-up later when he returns) and Phil backing-up Micky.
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With Rio on board, and Veron, Ruud and Forlan can only get better after their first season, I'm confident that we are definitely stronger than last season. Though if we compare with the team which won the treble, the current team is obviously weaker in the front line. As osterdal said, injury will be a problem. Another problem is we lack someone on the bench who can change the game when he comes in.
 
1. We actually have three four keepers. There is also Luke Steele and Ben Williams. ;)

2. Daniel Pugh I've heard is a center back. Meaning that Phizza and Wes will back up Gary and Mickey.


3. Djordic looks set to be our fourth striker next season. That is why he was included in the Amsterdam Tournament party to test him there. I think he could be taught how to be a forward in the Giggs mould but with better finishing ofcourse. (especially since Ruud and Ole Gunnar are set to be his tutors.) :)
Else if he dosen't fit in qucikly . I believe Di Canio will be brought in.

4. Systems won't be a problem. Europe and some tough premiership games shall have a 4-5-1/4-4-1-1. Otherwise expect alot of 4-4-2 matches rotated between Ole- Ruud/ Ole- Forlan/ Ruud-Forlan/ Ruud- Djoric partnerships e.t.c.
 
You forgot your "thus says the chief" catchphrase.
 
so your saying that yorkie and cole are better than ruud and forlan..............i don't think so
but in the treble winning season i agree we had a better keeper, defence and midfield(as our midfielders were younger and better players then they are now)
 
Originally posted by Giggsy rulz4eva:
<strong>but in the treble winning season i agree we had a better keeper, defence and midfield(as our midfielders were younger and better players then they are now)</strong><hr></blockquote>

The only player who is over 30 is Keane. Beckham, Giggs, Scholes are in their prime at 27-29. We also have Veron who is 25.

I agree that our attacking players are better. RVN is a better player than both Cole and Disco. However, we don't have a Sheringham type player who can go deep and change the way we attack. Enter Paulo di Canio?

United's problem in the last few years has been defence.
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quote: "so your saying that yorkie and cole are better than ruud and forlan..............i don't think so
but in the treble winning season i agree we had a better keeper, defence and midfield(as our midfielders were younger and better players then they are now)"

-yorke may be disco today but he was worldclass in the treble season. Overall we had 4 very good strikers. Today we have 2 very good strikers and a young player with the potential to become a very good one. So we had more options in attack in 1999.

- better keeper? maybe though Barthez is a good one and Schmeichel was already not at his peak in 1999. Imo he hadn`t the same class anymore, he had in the mid 90s. Though he was of course still good.

- better defence? was correct compared to last season. We will see now what happens with Rio on board.

better midfield ? players too old? :eek: :confused: Nonsense imo. Only keano is over 30 and I wouldn`t say that he has lost something.

So imo the current team has individual more or less the same strength as the treble team. Though that doesn`t mean we will 3 trophies again. People should remember that we were lucky at times in 1999 and only won the league by one point. If we would had avoid defeats against Bolton and Boro and had a little more luck with injuries of keyplayers at the end of the season. we could had well end up winning it all. You see the difference between success and failure is often very small.
 
Laurent Blanc, who wore the number six shirt last season, switches to his favoured number five, with Phil Neville given number three following the departure of Denis Irwin to Wolves.

Promising youngsters Michael Stewart, Bojan Djordjic and Kirk Hilton, who returns from a loan spell at Royal Antwerp, are promoted to more prestigious shirt numbers, 17, 23 and 28 respectively.

from 4thegame.com
 
I think Forlan could be a revelation in midfield.
 
Originally posted by Livvie20:
<strong>I think Forlan could be a revelation in midfield.</strong><hr></blockquote>

He looked really good tonight, didn't he? And he spent most of the night playing as a midfielder not as a striker. Interestingly, after the match in an interview with MUTV, Fergie commented on how well Diego played...as a winger and when he played as a striker. He then went on to say that Diego will give him different options. I wouldn't be surpised to see him filling in for Becks and Giggsy this season.
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Originally posted by Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber:

2. Daniel Pugh I've heard is a center back. Meaning that Phizza and Wes will back up Gary and Mickey.

According to the official site he is a midfielder and in the team sheet for Valerenga he appeared to be included in midfield.
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beckham, giggs and scholes were better in 99 then they are now
 
Originally posted by Giggsy rulz4eva:
<strong>only 2 real strikers?
what about solkjear the super sub</strong><hr></blockquote>

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laugh Out Loud]" />

:rolleyes:
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The no.9 shirt is still unoccupied. So may be Fergie really has someone in his mind.
 
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