With a fully fit squad, what is our best xi according to you?

I look forward to the time when Bruno is not an automatic starter. He makes picking a balanced 11 impossible
 
.....................HOJLUND..............

GARNACHO....MOUNT...........AMAD

................MAINOO......UGARTE........

SHAW ....MARTINEZ...DE LIGT.....DALOT

..........................ONANA...............
 
Not sure how people are putting Zirkzee ahead of Hojlund!

Mine is
Onana
Dalot Martinez De Ligt Shaw
Ugarte Bruno
Mount
Garnacho Hojlund Amad

I think a mid block would work fine, no crazy pressing just win the ball in a solid shape and work the ball wide through simple passing, no need to rush crazy counter attacks. And one main thing, tell Bruno to sit back a bit rather than charge forward constantly.
 
George The Best said:
No doubt about it. De Gea probably saves 2 of the ‘Pool goals. Henderson also, but he was an arrogant pr*ck.
Click to expand...

De Gea had some bad games for us, no denying that whatsoever, but even at his lowest point when his gloves were covered with grease he was a superior keeper to what we have now. His wages were obscene but in terms of pure keeper ability we've off worse now than before.

The thing is, Onana's footwork isn't all that impressive. The tradeoff was supposed to be superior football to recycle the ball and start attacks in exchange for inferior shot stopping. It just hasn't worked out for us and I hope we get to see Bayandir at least in cup games this season.
 
Onana
Mazaroui De Ligt Martinez Dalot
Ugarte Mainoo
Bruno
Garnacho Amad
Hojlund

Wouldn't be opposed to seeing a back 3/5 when Yoro is fit. Written off Shaw with the amount of injuries he has. Rashfords lack of tracking back and general decline last season and Amads potential sees him on the left for me. We really are relying a lot on Ugarte to come in and sort the balance out in midfield and not leave massive gaps all over the place. An injury to either him or mainoo and that midfield is looking very worrying.

Also relying a lot on the potential of the young front 3 to find their feet in front of goal a lot more. I feel in general we do have a relatively young squad and maybe missing that bit of advice from older experienced players. I don't feel Casemiro is that type of leader or has that personality to lead the younger players. I was expecting him and Varane to lead this team and inspire the younger generation and give us structure and a spine but they have failed in that respect. Same with the other 30 year old+ players such as Maguire, Evans, Lindelof, Eriksen. Maybe Bruno to some extent has the qualities but the lack of in game management between the players really shows I feel. I remember a quote by Matic some years ago saying something like 'our only really good players are young'. Seems we're in that boat again.

Feels like a long season ahead of us already, expecting a 6th-8th finish. Lack of goals, lack of balance and lack of adaptation.
 
Diamond might work

-----------------------Garancho-----------------Hoijlund------------

--------------------------------------Bruno-----------------------------

------------------Mainoo---------------------Casemiro-----------------

--------------------------------------Ugarte------------------------------------

--Shaw---------------Lisandro-------------Deligt--------------Maz----------
 
Noc-Z said:
.....................HOJLUND..............

GARNACHO....MOUNT...........AMAD

................MAINOO......UGARTE........

SHAW ....MARTINEZ...DE LIGT.....DALOT

..........................ONANA...............
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This but with Bruno instead of Mount
 
Dominos said:
This is my team too.

But have to say still some major weaknesses in the team.

- Goalkeeper... yeah, he's harshly judged, but not great
- Lack of pace at centre back
- At some point Shaw will no longer hold the reputation of his best self, after all these injuries it's almost impossible we see peak Shaw ever again
- Current Mainoo, Amad, Garnacho and Hojlund should really be bench players deferring to more experienced quality players who are in their prime (but obviously we don't have any)
- Hollywood Bruno ensuring we'll never hold possession of the ball for more than 5 seconds


I'll reserve judgement for Ugarte. Our strongest position is right back, Dalot and Mazrauoi good options.
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Definitely after with those weaknesses especially shaw purely due to injuries. The one argument in favour of the team is to imagine just a single world class player in one of the key positions. Eg that team but Haaland up top, or vinicius or mbappe left forward. Rodri in midfield.

I don't think it's as far away as people think
 
Onana
Dalot — De Ligt — Martinez — Shaw
Ugarte
Casemiro — Mainoo
Amad — Hojlund — Garnacho

Squad balance still horribly out of kilter. Such good recruitment.
 
Onana

Dalot
De Ligt
Martinez - although I'd give Maguire the position for the next match after that Lisandro performance.
Shaw

Ugarte
Mainoo
Casemiro - lack of options currently for the 3rd midfielder, think hes still better than Collyer despite having a day where he wasnt.

Bruno
Garnacho
Hojlund

Think the 3 man midfield makes us a lot more solid and improves our buildup play, however its not what ETH likes as he wants to skip a lot of the midfield action and get the wingers off and running early. So he wants 2 wingers with pace to break down the sides and Bruno releasing them from his AM position.
 
Assuming we have a manager that actually wants us to play with a normal midfield:

GK - One of those huge inflatable wavy men things you get outside Car garages... or Tom Heaton's corpse

Dalot
De Ligt
Martinez
Shaw

Assuming he's a good footballer - Urgate
Mainoo
Bruno

Garnacho
Amad (though if Rashford can actually hit form he's a shoo-in)
Hojlund


Under ETH though Mount has to be in there, as he's seemingly the only player that can make us not be the most open football team on the planet.
 
SER19 said:
For the most part, fully fit

....................Onana..........

Dalot...De Ligt...Martinez...Shaw

.....................Ugarte..........
............Fernandes....Mainoo.....

...Diallo.........Hojlund.....Garnacho...

But for some games, especially versus better teams or tougher away games

....................Onana...........
Dalot.......De Ligt..Martinez...Shaw...
.....................Ugarte.......
...........Casemiro......Mainoo.....
..................Fernandes........
........Hojlund...............Garnacho...
Click to expand...
I like the first team but why would you put Casemiro in against the better teams or tougher games when his weaknesses would be exploited even more.....if anything he only makes the team when we are playing the weaker teams.
 
These suggestions are drumming home just how few goals we have in this side. It's a real issue. And with a less than ideal shot-stopping GK it's a recipe from disaster.
 
I'd probably get booed, but I just can't bring myself to put Onana at goal.


-----------------------------Bayındır------------------------------
-----Dalot------De Ligt------Martinez-------Shaw-----
-----------------------------Ugarte--------------------------------
-----------------Mainoo-----------Bruno----------------------
----Amad-------------------------------------------Garnacho
----------------------------Hojlund-------------------------------
 
If were looking at the best side, then I think Heaton is a better stopper than Onana. I don't think it would matter who was in front of Onana, he's a weak goalkeeper and will cost us goals. So I would have.

Heaton

Maz. De Ligt. Martinez Dalot

Ugarte Mainoo

Garnacho Bruno Amad

Hoijlund

I'd be tempted to swap Bruno for Mount though, very tempted.
Love Shaw, but he's too unreliable now.
 
Bondi77 said:
I like the first team but why would you put Casemiro in against the better teams or tougher games when his weaknesses would be exploited even more.....if anything he only makes the team when we are playing the weaker teams.
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I think in this case he wouldn't be so exposed, ugarte would be doing the things casemiro is poor at now, and that's a nice unit of 3 for possession and control i think
 
The inverted defender system Pep and Arteta have used to be by far the best two teams in the league over the last few years feels like it could help buttress our midfield, while allowing the attacking players to continue pressing from the front.

We would stay in our nominal 4-2-3-1 set-up, morphing into the 4-2-4 system out-of-possession, but when we have the ball, allowing Martinez to step into midfield alongside Ugarte could be a way to increase the technical ability in the middle of pitch while offering more protection. It also means Martinez's lack of pace is less exposed as you have Shaw (if fit, and that's obviously a big if) covering that flank.

Onana
Dalot - - - De Ligt - - - Martinez - - - Shaw
Ugarte - Mainoo
Amad - - Fernandes - - Garnacho
Hojlund

With Martinez inverting to create:

Onana
Dalot - - De Ligt - - Shaw
Ugarte - - Martinez
Amad - Fernandes - Mainoo - Garnacho
Hojlund

And then dropping back into defence out of possession:

Onana
Dalot - - De Ligt - - Martinez - - Shaw
Ugarte - - Mainoo
Amad - - Fernandes - - Hojlund - - Garnacho
​
This system is essentially what Arsenal play in and out of possession (4-2-3-1 invertsion with the ball/4-4-2 without) and it's precisely why Arteta wanted Martinez in 2022, but ended up with Zinchenko instead.
​
 
Does a 3412 work?

Onana
Yoro De Ligt Martinez
Dalot Mainoo Ugarte Shaw
Bruno
Garnacho Hojlund

We'd certainly be a lot more solid defensively, and be interesting what we do on the counter with attackers able to stay high up the pitch, and with pace to attack.
 
I'd quite like to see this at some point

Onana
Dalot - De Ligt - Martinez - Shaw
Ugarte
Mainoo - - - - Mount
Fernandez
Garnacho - - - - - - Hoijlund​
 
Onana

Dalot
De Ligt
Yoro
Shaw

Ugarte
Mainoo
Bruno

Amad
Hojlund
Garnacho
 
Martinez got a lot of free pass. Played badly for the first 3-4 games and yet in the best 11 ahead of Maguire and Yoro most of the time.
 
He is a bit of a worry. His positioning seems out of sorts some of the time and he is quite rash. Add to that his injury worries and he's not far off Eric Bailly. He gets in above Maguire for me though as that guy is just a walking slow calamity and Yoro is 18 and probably a future starter with De Ligt.
 
Onana

Dalot —- Yoro —- De Ligt —- Martinez

Mainoo

Amad —- Ugarte —- Fernandes —- Mount

Hojlund​

Subs: Bayindir; Mazroui, Shaw, Maguire; Casemiro, Eriksen; Garnacho, Rashford, Zirkzee

Notes:

- Dalot pushes high and creates width on the right.
- Back four becomes back three in build up, Martinez tucking in, and pushing on into inverted CB/DM role.
- Mainoo is the player most capable of receiving ball from CBs under pressure and starting the build up. He often comes deep to get it.
- Ugarte does his best ball winning higher up the field, like Kante.
- Mount is technically much better than Rashford and more creative. Much better work rate too. Can tuck in and help midfield when required.
- Amad is our most technically gifted forward and a real threat coming in off the right.
- Hojlund runs in behind, runs the channels, great at holding it up.

- Garnacho is the primary alternative and could easily take one of the wide berths, still think he’s best off the bench.
- Rashford needs to fight for his place.
- Zirkzee needs time to adjust, and provides a different option to Hojlund, without totally disrupting the system.
- Mazraoui unlucky to miss out, but gets tons of games on both sides.
- Shaw is our best left back but so injury prone that it’s unwise to build a system that relies on him.

Tactical assumptions:

- High line.
- Aggressive front foot pressing.
- Two lines of four, defensively, very difficult to break down.
- Compact unit with team moving up and down as a unit with little space between the lines.
- Formation looks like Fernandes and Ugarte as two #10s, but that’s not the system. It’s more like a 6 and two 8s that are aggressive. The 6 occupied the space between the lines, the two 8s press aggressively along with the two wide players and forwards.
- In attacking situations, Bruno pushes on, Ugarte stays deeper in the 8 position ready to counter press/intercept when ball is lost.
- Have gone for (a) most technical players capable of playing possession game. Shunning low percentage plays. (B) Pace in the center of the back line to enable a high line and keep shape compact. (C) High work rate amongst first line of press (Amad, Ugarte, Bruno, Mount, Hojlund). (D) Mitigating weaknesses. Mainoo doesn’t have the engine yet to get up and down the field. In a high press/high line system, even as the 6, he’ll be operating in the opponents half when keeping possession, but he’d rarely push beyond the 8’s in front of him because you don’t want him trying to recover back towards his own goal. His job is to recycle possession, keep the ball flowing through midfield, provide constant passing options to other midfielders, and recycle second balls.
 
Ekeke said:
Onana

Dalot
De Ligt
Martinez - although I'd give Maguire the position for the next match after that Lisandro performance.
Shaw

Ugarte
Mainoo
Casemiro - lack of options currently for the 3rd midfielder, think hes still better than Collyer despite having a day where he wasnt.

Bruno
Garnacho
Hojlund

Think the 3 man midfield makes us a lot more solid and improves our buildup play, however its not what ETH likes as he wants to skip a lot of the midfield action and get the wingers off and running early. So he wants 2 wingers with pace to break down the sides and Bruno releasing them from his AM position.
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I would go with this too. Fernandes Playa regularly on the right for Portugal. Give him the licence to come inside with Dalot providing width.
Mainoo and Casimero can take turns joining the attack while the other covers the RB area with Ugarte sitting back to provide cover for the CBs.
 
Onana..
Dalot, De ligt, Yoro, Shaw..
Mainoo Ugarte Mount.
Garnacho Bruno Rashford.

I think that's how ETH wants to play.
 
Bayindir

Dalot
De Ligt
Martinez
Shaw

Ugarte
Mainoo
Bruno

Amad
Hojlund
Garnacho
 
---------------------------------Onana
Mazra/Dalot------de Ligt----Martinez-------Shaw
-----------Casemiro----Ugarte---Mainoo/Bruno
Amad-------------------------------------------------Garnacho
-------------------------------Hojlund/Bruno

That's how I'd like for us to lineup. With Casemiro given more license to play as a box to box, Ugarte sitting, Mainoo tasked with progressing the ball (or Bruno if he can be disciplined enough to stick to his position, and not treat the ball like a hot potato). Amad because I think it will prove worth it sticking with him, he's got more ability on the right wing than any other player in the team. And Garnacho because he can actually score goals and he works hard for the team. Occasionally I'd play Bruno as a false nine.

The problem with this lineup is it requires Shaw to be available. And a consistent centre back pairing. It also requires Mainoo and Casemiro to be more durable. And Hojlund to stay fit. But I like this shape and lineup, with Onana being the weakest spot there IMV.
 
The problem with all these line ups is that they don't even look particularly good on paper.
 
DWelbz19 said:
Onana
Dalot — De Ligt — Martinez — Shaw
Ugarte
Casemiro — Mainoo
Amad — Hojlund — Garnacho

Squad balance still horribly out of kilter. Such good recruitment.
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Actually wouldn’t mind this except just letting Mainoo roam as the furthest forward midfielder and letting him find pockets around the box. It would for sure be solid defensively b
 
3-5-2 prolly the best choice as we focused on strengthening defence this summer:

Onana

Yoro De Ligt Martinez

Mazraoui Mainoo Ugarte Fernandes Shaw

Hojlund Rashford


Alternatively, Xmas Tree:

Onana

Mazraoui De Ligt Yoro Shaw

Mainoo Ugarte Eriksen

Mount Fernandes

Hojlund
 
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Interesting that no-one has Zirkzee in there. Have we just bought him to be an impact player ? I am still really unsure about him but he can't be as big a waste of space as Antony
 
Onana
Dalot De Ligt Martinez Shaw
Ugarte Mainoo
Amad Bruno Garna
Hojlund
​
The hope is that the we have excellent ball players in that back 5, it will hopefully compensate for Ugarte's lack of progressive passing, Mainoo can pass progressively but he does not do it enough though will carry the ball forward and move the team up in the pitch, Amad is not as direct as Garna so it is good to have different approaches in both flanks, and hopefully Bruno & Hojlund develop a better understanding of each other.
 
lex talionis said:
It's good to see at least a few posters recognize we have a problem at keeper as well.
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I haven't seen enough of Bayindir to be sure that he's the answer, but I'm convinced that Onana isn't a Manchester United level goalkeeper. Assuming I take a chance on Bayindir

Bayindir
Dalot,
De Ligt
Licha
Shaw
Ugarte
Buno
Mount
Amad
Rasmus
Garnacho

We're asking too much of Mainoo right now, he should be a rotation / bench option.
 
On current-ish form (or expected form a bit after injuries/integration in squad):

Onana

Mazraoui De Ligt Martinez Shaw

Ugarte Mainoo

Amad Bruno Garnacho

Højlund
 
Pretty much picks itself I think if everybody is fit.

----------------------------Onana--------------------------
Dalot------------De Ligt-----Martinez----------Shaw
-------------------Ugart---------Mainoo----------------
Amad---------------Fernandes---------------Garnacho
--------------------------Hojlund-------------------------

The only real difficulty for me was leaving Yoro out, but as we haven't actually seem him, he can't get a mention.

Obvious weaknesses at Gk, Wingers and potentially at CF.
 
I'm a fan of Bruno from an attacking point of view - he's a little too hit and miss since his first 18 months or so here, but at least he's always looking to make things happen and is capable of making things happen.

However, I think we look far more solid and less easy to run through when Bruno isn't in the #10 role. You can crowbar him in out wide or as a false #9, but then he's less effective going forward and it removes an attacking player who is more suited to those roles.

So it's a real tricky one picking an XI as we'll always have a big flaw - if put Bruno at #10, we're wide open defensively. If you put someone like Mount there (should he be fit long enough!), we're a more solid unit but look even less of a threat going forward.

I guess the potential 'best' XI, in the very unlikely scenario they'd all be fit and on form, would be...

Onana

Mazraoui De Ligt Martinez Shaw

Ugarte Mainoo

Garnacho Bruno Rashford

Højlund

However Shaw's always injured, Martinez and Hojlund often are in recent times, Rashford can go full seasons without showing the top form he's sometimes capable of, Fernandes creates a problem defensively, etc...

I'd probably go with Amad instead of Rashford, with Garnacho switching to the left. But I do think we need an alternative #10 - one who offers similar to Bruno's attacking threat and great injury record, but who also, like Mount, offers the work rate not to leave us so open and vulnerable. That's a big ask of course. So maybe we actually need the three attacking players to improve their end product and just go with another hard working midfielder and be more like the Liverpool side. On that basis, I'd probably go with (should Mount ever stay fit)...

Onana

Mazraoui De Ligt Martinez Shaw / new LB

Ugarte Mainoo Mount

Amad Hojlund Garnacho

We'd have a more solid base. But it requires increased end product from our young front three and the attacking full backs. And we'd require a genuine attacking left footed full back on that side - be that Shaw or a new one.
 
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