What is United?

[sitati_kituyi]

What is the core of Manchester United's team nowadays? We all know that when we won the treble in 99 it was mainly down to a superb midfield: Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Beckham.

We still have three of these now, but with Keane often playing defence nowadays, Scholes up behind the striker and Giggs being forced to run into the middle and even to the right just to get in on some of the action, would it be safe to say that this is still what our team is built on?

It seems to me that right now, United are without a core that you would call the rock of our squad. Not that our playing style has changed, no! We are still masters of the calm build-up and it should win us the league this year, but who would you call our key playmaker?

It would be nice to think that Keano is still the man pulling all the threads, but while he still participates quite effectively in many attacks, he is not the player he was back then.

I'm thinking a solid defence with Rio as the captain at the heart of it will be our strong point in coming years. Rio for me is perfectly cut out to be our next captain.

So from what I've said above, it seems United are still a "team in transition". This need not be an excuse for another unsuccessful season, though. With the squad we have, when at full strength, we should be able to overcome any team if each player is having a good day. But I long for the day when we'll still look and play strong enough to prevent a loss to Chelsea at the bridge without Ruud, Saha and Ronaldo.

:eek: I've gone on and on here and all I mean to ask is this: Do you think we have a strongest point on the field currently, or do you think we will develop one in the near future WITH THE PLAYERS WE ALREADY HAVE AT OT?

[Dark Savante]

What is the core of Manchester United's team nowadays? We all know that when we won the treble in 99 it was mainly down to a superb midfield: Giggs, Keane, Scholes, Beckham.

Ohh I think it was a little bit more then that :)

Schmeichel - one of the best keepers in the world at the time
Stam - Rock solid at the back and had an excellent, albeit stressful chemistry with Schmeichel
Ronny J - Fast determined and studious..excellent foil for Stam the destroyer
Irwin - Totally consistent LB. Never made mistakes and therefore ultra reiable adding calm to the entire team..rarely even caught out on the counter which in turn meant Giggs could pretty much go where he wanted
Cole & Yorke - Most effective partenrship the PL has ever seen made so many confusing runs they could push an entire defensive four backward.
Keane - was stellar and the engine for the team.


We still have three of these now, but with Keane often playing defence nowadays, Scholes up behind the striker and Giggs being forced to run into the middle and even to the right just to get in on some of the action, would it be safe to say that this is still what our team is built on?


The biggest difference imo is that Keane is not what he was...That Keane would galvanise this squad. His energy and desire wont be seen again, period, and we, as a club must learn how to adapt and not look for a 'new Keane' (he doesn't exist) but take a different approach and accept that Giggs can no longer skin his marker and RB etc, with such frequency.

I think our team now relies on Rio, Scholes and Ruud as they are the ones who have consistently delivered over a concerted period of time. If we're not careful Ronaldo is going to be the crutch of the team and it is very dangerous to do that to a 19 year old.

What I believe we have lost is teamwork and smoothness to our play. The general cohesion of this new Utd is nowhere near what we have been used to in the past. Obviously to create cohesion we need a consistent 1st team who can play week in and week out with each other. Consistency will breed familiarity and when that 1st team is established we can see what this new United is made of. We've not had a chance to put out an 11 for any longer period of time and that will hurt any team no matter the quality. Alot of the new guys have not gone thru a full inception into the Red Machine yet and until they do we're not really going yo know what they are made of. Until Djemba really knows Keane's, Scholes', Giggs' games and they know his we aren't going to know what we he is capable of and I think that goes for a lot of other new guys.

The vets are struggling with this also because they are used to playing with people who know their style of play inside out and instinctively know what to do

[B]
It seems to me that right now, United are without a core that you would call the rock of our squad.

Ruud, Scholes and Rio are heavily relied upon imo. Keane, Giggs and Ronaldo are the next set of 'go to guys'

[B]
Not that our playing style has changed, no!

I think it has! And massively! We used to play with more verve then Arsenal are doing. Our football was the most aggressive on the entire continent and we used to lay onslaught on any oppositions goal if we sensed blood. At the time Juve were the best club in Europe and even they feared our waves of attack.

[B]
but who would you call our key playmaker?

Scholes, without a doubt. Ronaldo is still quite maverick in his play and is not the player I would look to to supply killer ball(s) Scholes can do this ad infinitum if he isn't picked up, quickly. Once he turns to face a defence he becomes a massive problem.

[B]
It would be nice to think that Keano is still the man pulling all the threads, but while he still participates quite effectively in many attacks, he is not the player he was back then.

Indeed. I think he just needs to be utilised differently, he can still do a huge job for United but he needs a team around him now as opposed to how he was like a 1man army in the past..again, it comes down to prolonged playing time together for Keane to get to know and more importantly trust the new guys and let them do their jobs whilst he concentrates on his.

[B]
I'm thinking a solid defence with Rio as the captain at the heart of it will be our strong point in coming years. Rio for me is perfectly cut out to be our next captain.

If he comes thru this season as he was doing at the start of the last one then yes, maybe, but for now he has it all to do, again. He messed up big time and the vets are gonna want a return from him this year as do the fans and the manager.

[B]
So from what I've said above, it seems United are still a "team in transition". This need not be an excuse for another unsuccessful season, though. With the squad we have, when at full strength, we should be able to overcome any team if each player is having a good day. But I long for the day when we'll still look and play strong enough to prevent a loss to Chelsea at the bridge without Ruud, Saha and Ronaldo.

That's going to take at least a season or two. Depends on whether this squad can become part of the Red Machine or not. I hope they can.

[B]
:eek: I've gone on and on here and all I mean to ask is this: Do you think we have a strongest point on the field currently, or do you think we will develop one in the near future [B]WITH THE PLAYERS WE ALREADY HAVE AT OT?
Our strongest point is Ruud imo because he can work alone and doesn't rely on those around him to score as long as he gets the ball somehow...what I mean by this is that every other key player in our team is part of a collective and if one part of that particular collective messes up it can look bad on said person.

e.g if Rio plays stellar but his CB partner or GK make elementary mistakes it looks bad on Rio. If Scholes' partner messes up or does not supply him the ball he cannot create or ghost...Ruud can score goals in a 4-5-1 as the lone target man, he doesn't need a partner per se he just needs an adequate supply and he'll do the rest and in a game Man U should be capable of some kind of ball into the box.

Once the new team is settled we'll see if any emerge as something special (I'm not talking about Ronaldo)

[DutchFootballRulez]

All ManU needs is consistency... it sounds like a load of isht when you say it, but its absolutely true that circumstances other than football ability dictated ManU's football last season and even the start of this season... there were absolutely too many injuries and suspensions... its really hard to cope with, at one point they had almost an entire team injured... and if having all the defenders get injured at once was not bad enough the team was rarely ever whole. In fact, at no point during last season for more than 2 weeks did ManU have its entire team healthy/not suspended... ie... OGS and Scholes were injured during the start for quite awhile... Rio missed half the season... Keane was out for some time, the team never had a chance to really get going because someone was always either learning to play a new position due to depth problems created by injuries/suspensions. After last seasons crazyness now u have all the strikers save one injured... It must really be frustrating as a fan...