SAF's Greatest Manchester United XI

Discussion in 'Manchester United' started by 433tom, Nov 6, 2006.

  1. 433tom

    433tom New Member

    Jun 16, 2006
  2. Achtung

    Achtung Member

    Jul 19, 2002
    Chicago
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: SAF's Greatest Manchester United IX

    Sky chose a 4-3-3? :rolleyes:

    This one will take a lot of thought...
     
  3. 433tom

    433tom New Member

    Jun 16, 2006
    Re: SAF's Greatest Manchester United IX

    Hopefully nobody will notice I mistakenly said greatest 9 in the title of the thread. :)

    Thanks for the fix.
     
  4. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Keeping with the United 442 (Sky's attempt was stupid, there's no point not playing 442)

    ----------------------Cole
    -------------Yorke
    Giggs---------------------------------Ronaldo
    -----------Keane---------Scholes
    Irwin----------------------------------Neville
    ------------Pallister---------Bruce
    -------------------Schmikes
    This XI isn't about overall skill, its about chemistry and the best team.

    Ronaldo makes this team based on my opinion that he's the best RW that Fergie's had. Pally and Bruce, Yorke and Cole, Giggs and Irwin, some great partherships there.

    If I were to pick a 442 based simply on performance for United without regard to what kind of unit I was building then...

    -------------------------Ruud
    ---------------Cantona
    Giggs----------------------------------Ronaldo
    ------------Robson--------Keane
    Irwin-----------------------------------Neville
    ------------Stam----------Bruce
    -----------------Schmikes

    It kills me not to put Rooney into either XI but while he'll certainly get there soon enough, he's not yet at the level of Cantona and there's perhaps one strike pairing ever with more synergy than Yorke/Cole.

    Ronaldo's presence in both XIs isn't just down to his skill/play a lot of it has to do with his position. Becks occupied the RW spot for so so long that only Kanchelskis really comes in with a chance to oust Ronaldo and he was replaced by Becks so... you know... I'm picking Ronaldo.
     
  5. Achtung

    Achtung Member

    Jul 19, 2002
    Chicago
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ---------Schmeichel---------
    Neville--Pallister--Bruce--Irwin
    --Robson----Keane----Giggs--
    -----------Scholes-----------
    --Cantona----van Nistelrooy--

    That's obviously based purely on performance, rather than simply the team that would perform best. It's not a "pure 4-4-2", but its close enough. You get a little bit of the square peg in a round hole, but overall I think that team works.
     
  6. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    --Schmeichel---
    Gazza-Bruce-Pally-Irwin
    Becks-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
    ----Robson----
    ----Cantona----
     
  7. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    hmm... captain Marvel playing ahead of Keane AND Scholes??? Very interesting.
     
  8. sdotsom

    sdotsom Member+

    Manchester United
    Mar 27, 2005
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Schmeichel

    Neville -- Stam -- Pallister -- Irwin

    Beckham-- Keane -- Scholes -- Giggs

    ---------Robson----------
    -------------------Cantona------

    I'm leaving out some quality players, such as RvN, Brucey...this is just my opinion.
     
  9. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, if Carrick can play ahead of Scholes.... :p

    You should see my bench:

    Van Der Saar
    Hughes
    Ruud
    Ince
    Kanchelskis
    Stam

    Hard to leave Solskjaer off the bench...
     
  10. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    It's too hard. :(
     
  11. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Go ahead, express yourself.
     
  12. Republic of Mancunia

    Aug 24, 2004
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    You've got one too many as it is. :p

    Put Ole on there and you can have a Champs League stylee bench.
     
  13. Cevno

    Cevno Member+

    Aug 27, 2005
    Shifting.
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    agree with the sky team but i would put sparky or becks in the team in the place of rooney.but i would definetely have ole and sheringham on the bench.
     
  14. Rakim_22

    Rakim_22 Member

    Manchester United
    Netherlands
    Sep 6, 2004
    Florida
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    LMAO :D
     
  15. zeusxor

    zeusxor New Member

    Nov 28, 2005
    Lahore, Pakistan
    Lol ! :D

    ---Schmeichel---
    Gaz-Stam-Vidic-Irwin
    Ronaldo-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
    --------Cantona-------
    ---- ----Rvn---
     
  16. Father Ted

    Father Ted BigSoccer Supporter

    Manchester United, Galway United, New York Red Bulls
    Nov 2, 2001
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    Schmeichel
    GNeville-Bruce-Pallister-Irwin
    Beckham-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
    Cantona-Ruud

    Subs:
    VDS
    Stam
    Rio
    Ronaldo
    Robson
    Yorke
    Cole
    OGS
     
  17. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I like this team better than mine. I'll take it. :D
     
  18. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    Best:

    ----------Schmeichel
    ------Pallister----Stam
    Gaz--------------------Irwin
    ------Keane---Scholes
    Beckham--------------Giggs
    -------Yorke
    --------------Cole


    Most Influential:

    ----------Schmeichel
    ----------Rio----Bruce
    Gaz-----------------------Irwin
    ----------Keane---Ince
    Kanchelskis--------------Giggs
    -----------Cantona
    --------Van Nistlerooy
     
  19. Stud83

    Stud83 Member+

    Jun 1, 2005
    DS, can you please explain the best vs. influential separation? How exactly is Scholes less influential than Ince or Beckham less influential than Kanchelskis?

    I'd go with this:

    ----------Schmeichel
    ------Bruce--------Stam
    GN-----------------------Irwin
    -------Keane---Scholes
    Beckham--------------Giggs
    ------Cantona---Ruud
     
  20. ButlerBob

    ButlerBob Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 13, 2001
    Evanston, IL
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How can everyone leave out McClair? I kept going back and forth on if he should be in or out of the starting 11 and ended up putting him on the bench.

    Gk Schmecichel
    D Irwin
    D Bruce
    D Rio
    D GNeville
    M Giggs
    M Keane
    M Robson
    M Beckham
    F Cantona
    F Van Nistlerooy

    Bench
    McClair
    Hughes
    Ince
    OGS
    Anderson
    Sharpe
    Pallister
    Leighton
    Kanchelskis
    Yorke
    Schoales
    Sheringham
     
  21. holytoledo

    holytoledo New Member

    Jan 13, 2005
    Wasn't going to post in this thread but was quite bored in class today so I decided to have a go.

    ---------Schmeichel (surprise)
    G.nev---stam----pallister---irwin
    Kanchelskis--Robson-Keano--Giggs
    -----------Cantona----------
    --------------RvN-----------

    subs:
    VDS
    Bruce
    Ince
    Scholes
    Beckham
    Solskjaer
    Sheringham

    This is quite difficult. Left out Rooney, Ronaldo etc. because they are so new to the team.
     
  22. Dark Savante

    Dark Savante Member

    Apr 24, 2002
    Become the Tea Pot!!
    The best: That is the side sans Palli' that shat on Europe and if we had Scholes and Keane for that final, we would've hammered Bayern. If we could have kept that team together I firmly believe we could have won another EC or two.

    Influential: At one time or another those players were a world unto themselves for us and were the absolute crux, as individuals, in the collective result of the teams that they were in. Without Ince, Keane would not be the player he became and those early 90's teams would have had half the drive and passion. It goes on for each one mentioned except Gaz, but he has been there so long(RB) it'd be daft to put anyone over him.

    A player like Scholes needed a player like Keane next to him, a player like Beckham needed Gaz backing him up, a player like Cole needed a foil like Yorke. In other words, 'the best' team was truly a team and as a collective were immense. As individuals, you would not put it on any of them not in the influential team to hold forte alone. Whereas, in the individual aspect, none of those players in the influential team (Sans Gaz) needed anyone to enhance their own game or relied on another cog to make their game better. Ruud, Catona, Ince, Keane, Kanchelskis, Giggs, Irwin, Bruce, Rio, Schmikes at their pomps needed no one else.. one-man armies, the lot of them. I definitely would not say that about 'the best' team.
     
  23. Karloski

    Karloski Member+

    Oct 26, 2006
    England
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I agree.

    That Midfield during the late nineties was the envy of the world. Any of the big clubs would have payed 30million+ for any of those four. The fact that each one had different attributes is what made it work.

    I like the central defence pairing of Bruce and Stam. Bruce was a great leader and Stam strong, fast and consistent. G Neville and Irwin were ultra reliable also.

    It would have been great to see Cantona playing with Ruud. Cantona would be pulling the strings and Ruud finishing things off. Football Bliss.
     
  24. 433tom

    433tom New Member

    Jun 16, 2006
    Butler Bob.. You left out your-all time Academy side :)
     
  25. Uniteder

    Uniteder New Member

    Nov 27, 2005
    Anyone care to help ? In a bit of a rush

    All time ******** all XI

    GK : Massimo
    DL : O'shea
    DC : Twetty
    DC :
    DR :
    MR : Cruyff
    MF : Djemba Djemba
    MF : Miller
    ML : Krich
    FW : Nevland
    FW : Bellion
     

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