Current Best XI: ----Carroll/Howard---- (neither have staked a claim as of yet) G. Nev - Rio - Silv - Heinze Ronaldo - Keane - Scholes - Giggs ---Rooney --- Ruud--- Subs: Howard/Carroll, Smith, Saha, Klebs, O'Shea, Fletcher Subs- Smith: Can come in almost anywhere and do a job Saha: Straight striker Klebs: Cover at attacking midfield O'Shea: Cover at d-mid or anywhere on the backline Fletcher: Cover for any job in the midfield
I don't know about the forwards but the back four should be like this: G. Nev- Rio- Heinz- Silvester It is almost a felony to put Silvester in the heart of the back four.
-------------Saha-----Ruud ----------------Rooney Giggs------------------------Ronaldo -----------------Keane Heinze---Silvestre----Brown---Neville ------------Carroll I think we need to make use of Rooney's tremendous work ethic. Bench Smith should get into every single game Scholes OR Klebs are out attacking midfield options off the bench ---Play Scholes in place of Rooney if Saha's form falters and let Rooney partner Ruud ---with Saha making way. Brown is our best back up defender for now... ---but in the future Spector may be the be the man on the bench. Howard as backup GK Rossi OR Richardson... Fletcher has had his chance, he aint a winger.
Scholes makes chances, and I'd rather have him setting up Ruud and Rooney over Saha. We just saw on Saturday what it looks like with a hollow midfield after all.... And leaving the aging Keane by himself to anchor the middle? Switch out Smith for Saha, move Rooney up with Ruud if you want that extra attacker in the midfield (if your going to drop Scholes...)
Mine is different, yet. And I assume by Best XI, you don't mean current form (or else I'd drop Ruud). -----Ruud--Smith----- Giggs--Scholes----Ronaldo ---------Keane----------- Heinze--Rio-Brown--Neville ------Howard/Carroll----- Bench: Rooney, Saha, Fletcher, Silv, Howard/Carroll
...............Rooney...RvN Giggs...........Scholes..........Ronaldo ....................Keane Heinze...Silvestre....Rio........Neville ..............Carroll/Howard And we have to regain the ambition to outscore the opposition instead of sacrificing our attacking play to achieve a clean sheet
I agree with you whole-heartedly. I dont think we should play a 4-4-2, i think we should go with the 4-1-3-2 every game whether in the League or Europe (although maybe 4-4-2 is more suited away from home in the league). With Scholes playing in the centre off the front two, we can take him off after an hour for example and throw Rooney in. With his work rate and tremendous movement, he can rip the tiring defense apart with his pace too. On the bench, i'd have: Howard/Carroll (whichever one isnt in the first XI), Silvestre, O'Shea, Saha, Rooney. I realise that there isn't a specialist midfielder in that list, but O'Shea can be cover for defensive mid, and Rooney can play virtually anywhere in attacking mid.
--------Howard/Carroll------- G.Nev----Rio---Brown---Heinze ------------Keane---------------- Ronaldo---Scholes------Giggs-- -----Smith/Rooney- Ruud------- I put Smith/Rooney because, truth be told, they should BOTH be starting. But, there's really just no room for both of them. So, the solution is to vary who starts depending on the kind of defence/team we will be facing. This, however, comes with one VERY important exception. When we are playing a game where we are going to need our absolute BEST effort (like...say...this Sunday), play Smith.
-----------Howard-------------- G.Neville---Rio----Sil/O'shea---Heinze --------Keane/Dj2-------------------- --------------Scholes------------- Smith-------------------Ronaldo/Giggs---- --------Rooney--------------------- ---------------RVN----------------- I got Smith on the wing. Its probabley not his best spot but one that would give him a chance to play. Giggs and Ronaldo would compete for time, compeition might be the only way for someone to emerge as the clearest choice. I'll get burned on this one, but I cannot forget O'shea. i am too stubborn to say he's finished. I'd liek to see him at left back rather than centreback though. However Heinze is much better there. Carrol does so well. But Howard really impressed me. he just needs to get his confidence back and get back to the basic game that did it for him earlier.
Its best XI, not favorite 11... you cannot play Howard or O'Shea based on current form and its hard to see anything wrong with what Carroll has done since getting his shot compared to all the gaffes this season and last that Howard has made. O'Shea of course deserves no mention in defence as Rio, Silvestre, and Brown are all better CB's.
Okay..I beg your humble forgiveness for having an opinion. The lineup you suggest, G. neville, Rio, Sil, and Heinze seems to be doing a great job lately huh? We have kept 2 teams from scoring against us. Meanwhile in the attack we have not scored either. So maybe an experiment is becoming justified. Howard I agree with you, but changes to the other 10 need to happen.
Wilf McGuinnes' best 11, and the one he hopes United play with against the Arse, is Motts' first post's formation, with Carroll in goal.
Sorry if u got offended mate... but clearly our defense, 7 goals allowed in the prem and 2 in the last 5 matches overall has nothing wrong with it. I stand by my Howard comment... I can see the Smith on the wing bit, but I would hope that he would not be there permanently but rather only when Giggs/Ronaldo is rested/off form.
Howard Neville Ferdinand Silvestre Heinze Ronaldo Scholes Keane Giggs Ruud Saha Subs-Rooney,Smith,Flecther,Djemba,Spector,Carroll.