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

KikiDaKats said:
From the little I’ve seen so far, not sure whether I’ll ever be able to call for a best 11 but my preferred 11 will be:
Onana
Yoro - De Ligt - Shaw
Masr - Ugarte - Mainoo - Anthony
Amad - Mount
Rashford

I’d love to see how this team will cope or execute the current plan. Time to look at Anthony as a left wing back.
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Rashford has been in the 1st team for 9 years and has never produced as a striker. Mourinho said 5-6 years ago that Rashford isn't a striker. Don't understand why anyone thinks Rashford as a striker is a good idea.

And Antony..oh boy
 
sideshow_bob said:
From the little we've seen so far, don't think Shaw beats out Martinez for me. Feel like Mount hasn't achieved more than Zirkzee in his starts. The latter ties our attack better imo.

Also, does Amorim prefer his wing backs on the "wrong foot" so they can play passes into the middle or play the long cross field ball easier?

Rashford just can't play back to goal. He's simply not a no. 9. Yoro looks more mobile than all our defenders so should be the one to play central & step into midfield when required.

So guess for now would like to see:

Onana

De Ligt - Yoro - Martinez

Anthony - Ugarte - Mainoo - Mazraoui

Amad - Zirkzee

Hojlund
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I like the look of that 11 to be honest. It just shows the Amorim has bits already available to work with for now.
 
EnviedRed said:
Rashford has been in the 1st team for 9 years and has never produced as a striker. Mourinho said 5-6 years ago that Rashford isn't a striker. Don't understand why anyone thinks Rashford as a striker is a good idea.

And Antony..oh boy
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I am a fan and fools like me are still entitled to our opinion. Mourinho did not invent football and his opinion has no bearing on what I want to see.

Valencia was a winger that developed limitations after his injury and his conversion worked out well. Antony is still young and an athlete, why can he not be tried there? Or just your blinding hatred, stopping you from wanting things to work out well for every individual involved with the club?
 
EnviedRed said:
Rashford has been in the 1st team for 9 years and has never produced as a striker. Mourinho said 5-6 years ago that Rashford isn't a striker. Don't understand why anyone thinks Rashford as a striker is a good idea.

And Antony..oh boy
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That’s because he’s currently better striker than Hojlund. While Zirkzee isn’t a no 9, he’s a false 9.
 
Onana
Yoro de ligt martinez
Amad ugarte mainoo maz
Bruno zirkzee
Hojlund

I'd go with that personally. I'd love amad to ve behind the striker but he's also our best full back and we need him there.

Yoro looked good against Arsenal, in moments. When he gets his fitness back, his pace will be useful. I'd usually go shaw instead of martinez but the glass man is never fit.

Hojlund needs service, needs to be chasing the opposition down. With bruno and zirkzee behind him, I think he would get more chances. Watching Rashford in that role and also in the first 11 is just too painful. He still does not look interested.

Ugarte is badly needed, mainoo looked good to, hopefully could rotate with mount and Bruno drops more centrally and mount sits in the 10.
 
Yoro looks like a great one in the making. De Ligt is pretty decent but I have never seen him as a top defender. Might be enough. They are both definitely better than Martinez. You haven't had a top cb pairing in a while. This might be the closest it has been.
 
Onana
Yoro De Ligt Martinez
Mazraoui Ugarte Mainoo Shaw
Amad Hojlund Bruno
​
Admittedly, it lacks pace but it has tenacity and great composure on the ball from most players.
 
Biggest questions from our current squad are

On the occasional weeks Shaw and Martinez are fit at the same time - which of them plays left centre back? As surely we can't expect Shaw to last as a wing back.
Will Maz stay back 3 or gravitate to the right wing back role?
Who will be the second 10 next to Bruno from all the wingers?
Who will be the main striker?

If we stick to this formation we'd need a striker and a specialist left wing back as the most urgent signings.
 
Few controversial selections maybe but I wanted to prioritise energy, tenacity and work rate from the start of the game and bring on the "finishers" later, when spaces start to open up.

GK - Onana
LCB - Shaw
RCB - Yoro
CB - De Ligt
RWB - Anthony
LWB - Mazraoui
CM - Mainoo
CM - Ugarte
#10 - Mount
#10 - Bruno
CF - Hojlund

Prefer Shaw over Martinez personally in that LCB role but it's close and I'd be happy with either.

De Ligt over Maguire at CB and Yoro at RCB. Ugarte as the destroyer, Mainoo as the ball carrier.

Anthony will be the most controversial one. I just think he's a fantastic "defensive" winger, who also can retain the ball well under pressure. He's scrappy, he works hard...he obviously lacks end product at this level, but that needn't be such a big issue at RWB. People are quick to mock him but we finished 3rd the season he started every week and he has shown flashes of quality.

Diallo is great, he's also scrappy and tenacious and more of an obvious threat than Antony...but he's lightweight and still learning. I'd rather bring him on after an hour when the game is opening up.

Mazraoui is like Dalot but better, so he's nailed on for LWB. I want my wing backs on the "wrong" side, so they're playing into the middle when they have their backs to goal.

Bruno and Mount for their energy in the #10s and Hojlund for the same reason at CF. As the game progresses, I'd be using Garnacho, Rashford and Zirkzee from the bench to come in as the game becomes stretched. Rashford and Garnaco for their pace and direct running, Zirkzee for his vision and ability to pick a pass.

So that'd be me...thinking about if from a squad perspective...how do we start the game, how do we finish...what players are suited to what part of the game etc....
 
Lentwood said:
Few controversial selections maybe but I wanted to prioritise energy, tenacity and work rate from the start of the game and bring on the "finishers" later, when spaces start to open up.

GK - Onana
LCB - Shaw
RCB - Yoro
CB - De Ligt
RWB - Anthony
LWB - Mazraoui
CM - Mainoo
CM - Ugarte
#10 - Mount
#10 - Bruno
CF - Hojlund

Prefer Shaw over Martinez personally in that LCB role but it's close and I'd be happy with either.

De Ligt over Maguire at CB and Yoro at RCB. Ugarte as the destroyer, Mainoo as the ball carrier.

Anthony will be the most controversial one. I just think he's a fantastic "defensive" winger, who also can retain the ball well under pressure. He's scrappy, he works hard...he obviously lacks end product at this level, but that needn't be such a big issue at RWB. People are quick to mock him but we finished 3rd the season he started every week and he has shown flashes of quality.

Diallo is great, he's also scrappy and tenacious and more of an obvious threat than Antony...but he's lightweight and still learning. I'd rather bring him on after an hour when the game is opening up.

Mazraoui is like Dalot but better, so he's nailed on for LWB. I want my wing backs on the "wrong" side, so they're playing into the middle when they have their backs to goal.

Bruno and Mount for their energy in the #10s and Hojlund for the same reason at CF. As the game progresses, I'd be using Garnacho, Rashford and Zirkzee from the bench to come in as the game becomes stretched. Rashford and Garnaco for their pace and direct running, Zirkzee for his vision and ability to pick a pass.

So that'd be me...thinking about if from a squad perspective...how do we start the game, how do we finish...what players are suited to what part of the game etc....
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So basically what you're saying is, we have no attacking output on that right side? To say Amad is still learning? He's not much younger than Antony and at Antonys age, Amad is doing more than the other has ever done. If I were to predict, I'd say you didn't want ETH gone in the first place.
 
romufc said:
I disagree. I dont think there has to be a best 11 to compete for top 4. We have good squad depth where multiple positions are interchangeable.

There will be a core group of players that will become part of the best xi, like Mazroui, Yoro, De Ligt, Onana, Ugarte, Bruno but I can see him rotating the high action positions.

For instance, in a big game or important game, he may start Garnacho 10 one game and Rashford in another game.

Away from home we may go defensive and play Mazroui RWB and Amad 10 and if we play the same team at home will be an attacking player.

We will have a core 7/8 but the others will be rotated.
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You have no idea if Yoro will be part of that. He played once.
 
SungSam7 said:
So basically what you're saying is, we have no attacking output on that right side? To say Amad is still learning? He's not much younger than Antony and at Antonys age, Amad is doing more than the other has ever done. If I were to predict, I'd say you didn't want ETH gone in the first place.
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I have been one of the most vocal and consistent ten Hag out voices on here since we lost 0-1 at home to Palace
 
Feck knows, but I'd like to see:

Hojlund
Mainoo Amad
Garnacho Bruno Ugarte Dalot
Shaw Maguire Mazraoui
Onana
 
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KikiDaKats said:
I am a fan and fools like me are still entitled to our opinion. Mourinho did not invent football and his opinion has no bearing on what I want to see.

Valencia was a winger that developed limitations after his injury and his conversion worked out well. Antony is still young and an athlete, why can he not be tried there? Or just your blinding hatred, stopping you from wanting things to work out well for every individual involved with the club?
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Rashford has been in the 1st team for 9 years and has NEVER produced as a striker under 5 different managers. Your immature commentary about Mourinho is completely irrelevant and only shows that you can't debate me based on facts..because the facts show I am right.

Rashford has also said he prefers not to play as striker.

We literally have 9 YEARS of evidence that shows Rashford can't play as a striker but you want him to continue there. Thank God you aren't in charge.

In terms of Antony..it's already obvious that he isn't good enough..so no debate needed. Feel free to post Antony stats to prove me wrong..if you can hahaha. It's Antony. Stop
 
EnviedRed said:
Rashford has been in the 1st team for 9 years and has NEVER produced as a striker under 5 different managers. Your immature commentary about Mourinho is completely irrelevant and only shows that you can't debate me based on facts..because the facts show I am right.

Rashford has also said he prefers not to play as striker.

We literally have 9 YEARS of evidence that shows Rashford can't play as a striker but you want him to continue there. Thank God you aren't in charge.

In terms of Antony..it's already obvious that he isn't good enough..so no debate needed. Feel free to post Antony stats to prove me wrong..if you can hahaha. It's Antony. Stop
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Btw English might not be my first language but I don’t think “fact” and “opinion” mean the same thing.
Facts:
1. Mourinho did not invent football
2. As a fan I have a right to hold an opinion
3. You did not have a scooby about what I said to write me the love letter of yours
My Opinion:
1. In this new formation, only the striker position suits Rashford.
2. I don’t have to believe a coach that’s not delivered what I expected of him.
You:
1. Are a 4 year old with a calculator in your hand trying to watch a game
2. You are not funny and belittling people doesn’t mean your point is right.
 
Onana
Yoro De Ligt Mazraoui
Amad Ugarte Mainoo Dalot
Bruno Rashford
Hojlund
​
I don't think Martinez is suited to playing on the left of a 3 in this system defensively.
 
AdNani said:
Onana
Yoro De Ligt Mazraoui
Amad Ugarte Mainoo Dalot
Bruno Rashford
Hojlund
​
I don't think Martinez is suited to playing on the left of a 3 in this system defensively.
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I am not worried about Rashford but the people on this board still have faith in him....they are too thick not to see the reality with him. real shame to be hoenst
 
KikiDaKats said:
Btw English might not be my first language but I don’t think “fact” and “opinion” mean the same thing.
Facts:
1. Mourinho did not invent football
2. As a fan I have a right to hold an opinion
3. You did not have a scooby about what I said to write me the love letter of yours
My Opinion:
1. In this new formation, only the striker position suits Rashford.
2. I don’t have to believe a coach that’s not delivered what I expected of him.
You:
1. Are a 4 year old with a calculator in your hand trying to watch a game
2. You are not funny and belittling people doesn’t mean your point is right.
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No it is a fact that Rashford isn't a striker. In fact, I guarantee you can't post any Stats where Rashford has produced as a striker in 9 years. Prove me wrong. Go.

Mourinho not inventing football is completely irrelevant considering that Rashford has not produced as a striker under 5 different managers. You think you are being funny but the immature responses only prove that you can't actually back up anything you are saying. Your joke just isn't funny, you need new material.

Rashford himself said he doesn't want to play as a striker. If he was a great striker then he would want to play there..common sense tells us that.

Here is another fact: Antony is an awful player. I guarantee that you can't post any stays to prove me wrong. But prove me wrong. Go.

Post the stats, data, etc to prove your point. If you can't..which you can't then you have no point.

Facts > Opinions.
 
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EnviedRed said:
No it is a fact that Rashford isn't a striker. In fact, I guarantee you can't post any Stats where Rashford has produced as a striker in 9 years. Prove me wrong. Go.

Mourinho not inventing football is completely irrelevant considering that Rashford has not produced as a striker under 5 different managers. You think you are being funny but the immature responses only prove that you can't actually back up anything you are saying. Your joke just isn't funny, you need new material.

Rashford himself said he doesn't want to play as a striker. If he was a great striker then he would want to play there..common sense tells us that.

Here is another fact: Antony is an awful player. I guarantee that you can't post any stays to prove me wrong. But prove me wrong. Go.

Post the stats, data, etc to prove your point. If you can't..which you can't then you have no point.

Facts > Opinions.
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I wasn’t cracking a joke in my reply and I’m in no competition for relevance.

I stated what I’d like to see as the manager is busy tweaking and testing players. You choose to say am not entitled to but now I have to bring facts to the table for you.

How is this real? You want stats and data, do your own investigations. Football is a situational activity and if your preference is to discuss football based on data and stats, good on you but fools like me it’s all about context. Wanting to see a certain player in a specific position is an opinion based on my own view of the game.
 
Onana
De Ligt - Maguire - Mazraoui
Dalot - Ugarte - Casemiro - Malacia
Amad - Bruno
Zirkzee​
 

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


No idea how to answer this. Amorim is an under-qualified manager wedded to a single tactic. Yet, despite his talent, we clearly do not have the players to fit his preferred system.

Licha plays best on the left of a back-four. Dalot plays best as a RB. Rashford cutting inside from the left-wing. Casemiro in a midfield double-pivot. We could go on, and on.

Either Amorim can somehow crowbar these players into his base or he will have to reinvest, which means he'll likely hire his old pals from Sporting. Where did we last see a United manager try to promulgate their system hiring his old charges?

Of course, Amorim is only five matches into the job and the United job is always enormous. He'll
need time. But, we do not have the requisite squad for what he's trying to accomplish and won't do without investment.
 
Crostien said:

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


No idea how to answer this. Amorim is an under-qualified manager wedded to a single tactic. Yet, despite his talent, we clearly do not have the players to fit his preferred system.

Licha plays best on the left of a back-four. Dalot plays best as a RB. Rashford cutting inside from the left-wing. Casemiro in a midfield double-pivot. We could go on, and on.

Either Amorim can somehow crowbar these players into his base or he will have to reinvest, which means he'll likely hire his old pals from Sporting. Where did we last see a United manager try to promulgate their system hiring his old charges?

Of course, Amorim is only five matches into the job and the United job is always enormous. He'll
need time. But, we do not have the requisite squad for what he's trying to accomplish and won't do without investment.
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Under qualified manager? Wedded to a single tactic?

Stop being so bloody negative.

He was the most promising manager out there - and at least he does have a vision unlike a certain other manager - which we’ve already started to see.
 
Maz - Yoro deLigt - Shaw
Cas-Ugarte-Maino
Amad-Hojlund-Garnacho

There isn't really a right answer. The team deeply lacks quality whichever 11 you put out, but I'd love us to have solidity in midfield for once.
 
Coxy said:
Under qualified manager? Wedded to a single tactic?

Stop being so bloody negative.

He was the most promising manager out there - and at least he does have a vision unlike a certain other manager - which we’ve already started to see.
Click to expand...

Yes, Amorim is indeed promising, but he's never managed in a Top 5 league or featured in the business end of the CL. He's also hell-bent on 343. So under-qualified and wedded to a single tactic.

The 'vision' will go to waste if we are not careful. We need results. Hard results, over a consistent basis.

Not being ten Hag maybe good but it is not good enough.

Nowhere near.
 
Been thinking about this more and more, and I don’t think this 343 is all that much different to the 3241 City played when they won the CL. People getting too wrapped up in formations.

For me we badly need a partner for the deeper midfield roles next to Ugarte. I think Mainoo probably has to play as one of the advanced midfielders.

I’d actually consider Mazraoui for it. Casemiro/Eriksen don’t have the legs for it and Maz is comfortable across the defensive line.

I don’t think it’s a particularly great side, but this is what I’d be playing against City at the weekend.

Onana
Yoro - de Ligt - Martinez
Mazraoui - Ugarte
Amad - Bruno - Mainoo - Garnacho
Hojlund​
 
I don't really understand why we aren't trying Amad at LWB and Mazraoui/Dalot at RWB. It would give us much more nature width whereas at the moment we have Dalot inverting and Garnacho pulling wide from his 'no 10' role. We also saw that Maz/Yoro are going to be competing for RCB if we don't use Mazraoui at RWB.

I'd personally try the following. Bruno is also significantly better in the LAM position rather than the RAM role.

Onana

Yoro
De Ligt
Martinez

Mazraoui
Ugarte
Mainoo
Amad

Mount or Garnacho
Bruno

Hojlund

I'd also like to occasionally see Bruno as a sole no 10 with Rashford or Zirkzee fully paying alongside Hojlund.

Regardless, if you get Amad and Mazraoui/Dalot hugging their natural wings then that stretches the pitch and creates bigger channels for the likes of Garnacho, Rashford & Hojlund to run into. Garnacho and Rashford aren't a crossing threat and while Amad is good on the right he'd be able to cross from the left more naturally than Dalot.
 
With how things have turned, are “best” xi’s as seen in here still what people believe in or has your view changed since?
 
right now i think we need de ligt yoro and maguire just to defend set pieces so i would probably play mazraoi and diallo at wing back. perhaps maz at CB for yoro and try antony at left wing back.

ugarte and bruno in midfield, bruno not suited to being an attacker but we need his creativity and hard work. mainoo is not at it. We badly need more energy in CM off the bench.

hojlund is our only striker as far as im concerned. rashford is probably better in certain games where we can break but he is more or less gone and that is okay.

garnacho and mount behind, far from ideal and i think we badly need another 10 as we don't have a single player suited to playing this role.

would have been interesting to see sancho in the team !
 
Fortitude said:
With how things have turned, are “best” xi’s as seen in here still what people believe in or has your view changed since?
Click to expand...
i think we need as much aerial ability at the back as possible, and i think bruno would be more suited to CM as that second CM is actually quite attacking. We need at least one winger at wing back because we are so conservative otherwise. Again without pace in the 10 positions we look very conservative too.
 
GK: Onana

RCB: Yoro
CB: De Ligt
LCB: Martinez

RWB: Mazraoui
LWB: Shaw

DM: Ugarte
CM: Casemiro

AMC: Bruno
AMC: Amad

STK: Hojlund
 
I would pick our "old" formation, because we do not have the players for this new formation:


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

Mazraoui.De Ligt.Maguire.Shaw
................Mainoo.Ugarte...........
.........................Bruno....................
Amad.............................Garnacho
........................Højlund.....................
 
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