You can change the british style, but you can't take away the british fighting spirit, engine, drive, passion and core of the team.
First what is in common of Sir Busby's team, Sir Alex Ferguson team and United future dominating and winning Era?
Like dominating
Spanish teams in Europe with
Barcelona and
Real Madrid.
+ Main core of Barcelona = CB:Puyol, CM: Busquets, Iniesta and Xavi = Spanish top level of football players, still Spanish = the core of team, Foreign players comes and goes. But they are staying for decades
+ Real Madrid = GK:Casilas, CB: Ramos = Spanish top players = the core of team. Foreign players comes and goes. But they are staying for decades
Now a dominating German team with a core of German top players in Bayern Munich :
+ Bayern Munich dominating team and era = GK Neuer, Lahm:FB/RB, CM: Schweinsteiger = Main core of the team and stay there for decades
And United own examples?
+ We start with Sir Busby : Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Denis Law & More = main core of the team = stay there for decades
+ Sir Alex dominating Era : CB: Bruce, CM: Robson & Ince, CF: Hughes = Core of british players
Later generation = Class of 92, Giggs, Roy Keane, Rooney, Yorke & Cole = British players = main core of the team
Others british dominating teams from England:
+ Arsenal = Seaman, Adams, Keown, Ashley Cole = british players
+ Chelsea first period with Mourinho = Terry, Lampard, Cole = played and stayed there for more than a decade = the core of the team = one of main factors behind the success of a team
+ Liverpool winning champion league first and second time = Steven Gerrard, Henderson, Trent Alexanderson, Robertson = british players = the core of the team
+ City with Pep = Walker, Stones, Foden = One of the main factor = the core of the team
+ Arsenal with Arteta? He get to bring a british top player in Declan Rice too of course. You get to have the main factor and ingredients.
Now we will talk about a future dominating Manchester United. Can United go withouth one of the main factors and ingredients. The core of the team. British players? Of course NO.
From out of now where. Erik Ten Hag was chasing and chasing Frenkie De Jong all summer long. But at that time. I bet he didn't know anything about a boy call Kobbie Mainoo. But me, who was and has following United academy from Mephis and Januzaj times in the Academy. Knew Mainoo had something to help the first team in the future.
But to be honest. If Mainoo is and meant to be in the first team in the future. Nothing is able to stop that path. No matter how hard peoples was trying.
So with Mainoo, first of one of the main factor. IF, a team with Mainoo in the team. We know. There will be more of British players coming and on theirs way to United first team.
And internally within the club/United, in the academy. There are some players that and did gave me really good confidence, that they maybe be part of dominating future United team. Like class of 92 and all examples above. You can't and Mainoo can't do on theirs own. You need top teammates playing with you.
At this moment. Young players that and gave me highest confidence are =
+ Finley McAllister : A creative ball controlling CM player. In the mould and category of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Born in 2006
+ Shea Lacey : A pacey, skill winger/wide player with air and eyes for goals. Good to set up others too.
Born in 2007
And if Ten Hag is and will staying. I am hoping he will go and have guts to go for a proactive 433 total football. Now Ten Hag is not taking risky choice. We he is sticking to 4231/4411 formation.
Again let us remind the ages of maybe, maybe. Key factors and main core of a future dominating team in the future. If those young boys. From the academy. Can deliver what they did so far, on the highest level and biggest stage. Old Trafford and Theatre of Dreams. Together like Sir Busby, Sir Alex class of 92 and Rooney. Barca tik taka football, Real Madrid fast, direct and effience football. They can be the main core and ingredients of the team.
Kobbie Mainoo. 2005. CM/8 = creative and offensive cm player = better with ball than without
Finley McAllister. 2006. CM/8 = creative and offensive cm player = better with the ball than without
Shea Lacey. 2007. RW = Pacey, flair and skill ful RW with eyes for goals and assist passes
I will come back with this later.
+++ And HERE i will bring another British young and top player in Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace. Honestly before 2024 i didn't knew who this boy was. Me, who didn't scout and following championship and lower leagues.
He brought from Championship league with Blackburn to Palace 01.Feb.2024. And just 3 months later. He and Palace hit the top form, around a month before the Euro squad selection.
With results like those: It really starts with Liverpool strong away victory
14.04.24 Liverpool away victory 0-1
21.04.24 West Ham Home victory 5-2
24.04.24 Newcastle home victory 2-0
27.04.24 Fulham away 1-1
06.05.24 A really weak Manchester United/line up. Home victory 4-0
11-05.24 Wolves Away Victory 1-3
19.05.24 Aston Villa trashed Villa at home. 5-0
Wharton did started in all those games. His Palace career started with many looses. But it just the naturally times you need to adapt and get use to the intensity, physical and speed of premier league. But if you beat Liverpool away, at Anfield. It got to give you some boost of confidence. Yes from that date. 14.04.24. Around a month before the Euro selection. The timing couldn't be better = 6 victories and 1 draw.
Now, in short what Adam Wharton brough and did to help to lift Crystal Palace performances? From sacking theirs manager just right after they brought Adam Wharton. Roy Hodgson on 19. February got sacked by Palace.
What Wharton did to lift and help Palace performances:
+ He is good tackler and a really good ball winner. Average 3 succesful tackles each game. 1.3 avg interception
+ He is really good at controlling the ball
+ He has a precise left foot
+ He is really calm with the ball. High level of composure
+ He has the perfect balance beeing aggressive without the ball/the pressing and calm and composure when he has the ball/win it back. That switch from aggressive to cold. That balance. He has it
+ Consistent mood and intelligence player/football vision and understanding
+ So with his teammates. Pacey, skill full and sharp attacking players, special wingers. He served them on a consistent level. When he win the ball. He delivering it quickly to Palace super fast and skill ful players, that were effience against team with high line defend like Liverpool, Villa, United slow and old defenders.
In others words. Having the trio in Olise, Eze and Mateta. Made is ball winning and interception ability really good. They really made out of Wharton ball winning ability into goals. So we can say. They depend on each others. Those trio made Wharton looked really good and otherwise.
Crystal Palace line up, just with the players have been mentioned. The core of Palace team/line up in a 4411 counter attack set up:
Olise - Wharton - Hughes - Eze/Mitchell + Ayew + Mateta. Playing a high line with your defend against those pacey, sharp and skill ful players in Eze & Olise. With a really good ballwinner in Wharton. Who was precise with his forward passes too. It is and unknown suicidal tactic. Playing right into Palace trap.
And that are exactly what Adam Wharton will bring to Manchester United. A future dominating United Era? Wharton & Mainoo = for the next decade and more.
Then let us bring back United really promising young players from the academy. How United future team. Maybe in 3- 5 years time could be look like. A potential proactive 433 total football.
Kobbie Mainoo. 2005. CM/8 = creative and offensive cm player = better with ball than without
Finley McAllister. 2006. CM/8 = creative and offensive cm player = better with the ball than without
Shea Lacey. 2007. RW = Pacey, flair and skill ful RW with eyes for goals and assist passes
Adam Wharton. 2004. A controlling, creative and balance cm player with high level of ball winning ability and interception.
Alejandro Garnacho. 2004. LW
So in a potential 433 proactive and total football line up and set up :
Lacey - McAllister(8) - Wharton (6) - Mainoo (8) - Garnacho/Rashford + Højlund/Zirkzee
In this 433 line. Wharton will control, shield, balance, bind and spread the passes around. With runners cm/box to box in Mainoo and McAllister. 2 pacey and sharp wingers. Will make United have the players that suit the roles best.
There you have. Now i will summarize the 2 topics of this post. Under the main topic which is
United team building:
1. What has United future dominating team in common with, NOT only with past British dominating team in both domestic and in Europe. Both Spanish and German teams
2. What Adam Wharton brought and did to help to lift Palace performanes? And what and will he do the same to help and lift United performances in the future?
So again. Football history has been showing us. To be a dominating team in your country and in Europe. Your team have to. A core and main ingredient and factor of your homegrown players or for United and Liverpool. Like Roy Keane, Giggs, Irwin and Andrew Robertson = British players. In your team. I can't imagine a future United without a single British players in the line up.
It's why Kobbie Mainoo from many years back, from the academy. Slowly build his way up to the first team.
And at this moment. I do rate Adam Wharton as a i really good CM in premier league and top level of football in general. Has what it takes, to be part of main core and ingredients of a future dominating team.
With hopefully others British young United players coming up in McAllister and Shea Lacey. At least 4 top players will be really good.
So with the profiles, abilties and criteria of Adam Wharton. Half year back most of us didn't knew who he was.
First with Kobbie Mainoo few years back winning FA youth cup. Then short later from a unknown player. If United are gonna to dominate with Kobbie Mainoo. I think Wharton is on his way/the path to Old Trafford too. Mainoo can't do it alone, as a lonely British players in the line up. I get to be more.
"Legend never walk alone "....This qoute is to future United legends too.
From Sir Bobby, Best and Law. Trough Class of 92 + Giggs and Rooney----------> future United dominating team. Only Kobbie Mainoo in the line up? Not a chance....More British future United legends....are on the marching...to Old Traffod and first team. I predict Adam Wharton is one of them