Manchester United Best and Worst XI

The last two Best and Worst XI posts i've done have seemed to spark some good debate, so i thought i might go for a club Best and Worst XI, maybe different club each week if everyone enjoys it so i'm gonna started with Manchester United!

- Best taken from 4dfoot.com - Worst taken from bleacherreport.com

Best XI
GK: Peter Schmeichel
RB: Gary Neville
CB: Jaap Stam
CB: Nemanja Vidic
LB: Roger Byrne
RW: George Best
CM: Duncan Edwards
CM: Bobby Charlton
LW: Ryan Giggs
CF: Eric Cantona
CF: Denis Law

I like to have Keane, Bruce, Scholes in but i don't know who i'd take out!

Worst XI
GK: Massimo Taibi
RB: David May
CB: William Prunier
CB: Pat McGibbon
LB: Quinton Fortune
RW: Jordi Cruyff
CM: Eric Djemba-Djemba
CM: Juan Sebastian Veron
LW: Ralph Milne
CF: David Bellion
CF: Diego Forlan

Maybe have Danny Wallace up front! I also disagree with the fortune selection, I'd stick Heinze in for a dick and nearly joining Liverpool!

David May was ok, wasn't he?

That's a good 'best' team. Scholes and Ronaldo missing out seems scandalous though.

No Bryan Robson either.

As much as I love Schmeichel, I actually think van der sar was a better keeper all round. Also think Irwin could easily push for that LB position as well

Stella wrote:David May was ok, wasn't he?

That's a good 'best' team. Scholes and Ronaldo missing out seems scandalous though.

No Bryan Robson either.

But who would you take out to put the like of Robson, Scholes and Ronaldo? Are they better than Edwards, Charlton and Best?

I liked David May might replace him with Wes Brown, always thought he was useless!

VDT wrote:

Stella wrote:David May was ok, wasn't he?

That's a good 'best' team. Scholes and Ronaldo missing out seems scandalous though.

No Bryan Robson either.

But who would you take out to put the like of Robson, Scholes and Ronaldo? Are they better than Edwards, Charlton and Best?

I liked David May might replace him with Wes Brown, always thought he was useless!

Maybe Scholes for Edwards, due to longevity?

It's hardly longevity, its not like Edwards give up at a certain age because he couldn't hack it anymore

gazzyD wrote:It's hardly longevity, its not like Edwards give up at a certain age because he couldn't hack it anymore

I never said it was his fault, just that from what I've read/heard, he was potentially a great player but for obvious reasons, never had the chance to prove it.

No qualms with him being picked ahead of Scholes, just I would swap these two.

Mind would be:

Schmeical
Neville
Stam
Vidic
Irwin
Ronaldo
Scholes
Charlton
Giggs
Best
Law

Its back to the same discussion as on the other thread. What do you class as worst? There are a lot worse players that have been made included on the list but many more of those included have under achieved from what was expected of them.

Either way I would argue obertan should be included.

Plus david may generally was a centre back. You could have endless youngsters that had one or two games that couldn't hack it and fell away.

Macheda

I think Roy Carroll gets in because although Taibi was bad, Carroll was just hilarious. Barthez was also prone to the odd gaff or too but Carroll gets in because of that Pedro Mendes shot.

Wouldn't have Vidic in there, in recent years I think Ferdinand, Bruce and Pallister alone were better defenders.

I've got to go with Ghosty here. I think Bruce and Pallister would be the ideal centre pair.

Cracking thread.

United have certainly had many extremely good players over the years. The Best XI in the opening post is hard to argue with although going back to the '50s and '60s Tommy Taylor and Dennis Viollet can consider themselves a bit unfortunate to miss out. Their goal scoring achievements and general play merit their continuing high reputations.

I would also give a shout in central defence to Martin Buchan. Commanded with style and calm throughout most of the '70s and into the early '80s.

No points for originality here but if you want someone to come off the bench, look no further than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As well as a tremendous goal scorer, the ultimate team man.

As for the Worst XI, I agree with the general view that you have to disregard the young lads who played the odd game but never really made it and instead concentrate on (1) the pretty ordinary players who might be regarded as lucky to have played so long or (2) those who were signed with great expectations but never lived up to them.

In the first category, I would plump for Mike Duxbury and Ashley Grimes who always looked like they belonged more at Crewe than Old Trafford.

In the second, Peter Davenport and Jesper Olsen shouldn't be forgotten although older supporters may wish they could be. Probably worst of all though was Double winner George Graham signed from Arsenal. He never hit it off at United and was viewed by many as a contributory factor to their relegation in '74.

Of current players, I am a long, long way from being convinced by Rafael. I'm aware Liam - who probably has a much better knowledge than me - considers he's much improved this season. I accept he's decent going forward but in defence he still seems to switch off too often, standing around looking like a dopey schoolkid about to suck his thumb when he should be backtracking with his man.

Anyway, a game of opinions.

No Johnny Carey?

Any Man Utd best-ever team excluding Duncan Edwards "can't be serious".

The op's team looks a little questionable at Centre Back to me; certainly agree that Martin Buchan would be a good alternate, and Bill Foulkes & Ferdinand would be dangerous to underestimate.

While, for sheer courage, Harry Gregg would be #1:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18074583

Not to be patronising, but anyone who hasn't heard this would be doing themselves a disservice not to click on the link.

kwinigolfer wrote:No Johnny Carey?

Any Man Utd best-ever team excluding Duncan Edwards "can't be serious".

The op's team looks a little questionable at Centre Back to me; certainly agree that Martin Buchan would be a good alternate, and Bill Foulkes & Ferdinand would be dangerous to underestimate.

While, for sheer courage, Harry Gregg would be #1:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18074583

Not to be patronising, but anyone who hasn't heard this would be doing themselves a disservice not to click on the link.

Not a shoe in, for reasons I have mentioned. Look at the competition he has.

Other way round Stella; look at the competition the others have, Duncan Edwards.

Robson
Keane
Scholes
Edwards
Charlton

There are some damn fine footballers there, kwini.

Damn fine indeed Stella, and none of them were Man Utd first choices within weeks of their 17th birthday, or had played 18 times for England by just over 21-y-o.

Friend of mine played against him in a Youth Cup tie, still reckons he's the best player of any age that he's seen, still marvels at the power of his shot. And never a hint of malice, let alone a booking.

To be fair, Whiteside was a Man Utd first teamer at 17/18 and had played in a world cup. He never fulfilled his potential though.

Ah, but do you think he would have played in the World Cup for England?

Just feel that Edwards had achieved enough of substance to be given credit for something more than just being a childhood prodigy.

Would actually feel that, for balance, Robson should be in the team with the early version of Charlton playing further forward - a bit extravagant to have Best, Giggs and a midfield Charlton in the same team. Think I'd have Best sitting next to Ronaldo on the bench!

kwinigolfer wrote:Ah, but do you think he would have played in the World Cup for England?

Just feel that Edwards had achieved enough of substance to be given credit for something more than just being a childhood prodigy.

Would actually feel that, for balance, Robson should be in the team with the early version of Charlton playing further forward - a bit extravagant to have Best, Giggs and a midfield Charlton in the same team. Think I'd have Best sitting next to Ronaldo on the bench!

Definitely.

A lot of what you hear/read is that of "He would have been an all time great". I'm sure he would have but we will never know. Again, no problem with him being in, but, I love Scholes (not actually) and him and Keane were good together. Robson was another hero. Not because of Utd, more for his England displays. it was him or Souness for most of us playing in the 80's and I preferred Robbo.

kwinigolfer wrote:

Would actually feel that, for balance, Robson should be in the team with the early version of Charlton playing further forward - a bit extravagant to have Best, Giggs and a midfield Charlton in the same team. Think I'd have Best sitting next to Ronaldo on the bench!

Kwini - my great uncle was a professional footballer throughout most of the 1920s and into the early '30s. He was very much an early journeyman but played at the top level for a time in both England and Scotland with some leading players of that age.

That really hasn't got much to do with anything other than that it gave his opinions credibility in my young eyes which remains to this day. I remember him telling me around 1980 that one of the best two players he ever saw either as a spectator or as a player was George Best. My great uncle was well aware of the media hype still then surrounding Best but was judging him on purely footballing criteria. You'll therefore excuse me wanting Best to start.

The other player? That was the largely forgotten and ultimately tragic Hughie Gallacher. My great uncle viewed him as superior to 'Dixie' Dean from the same era, both on and off the pitch. Incidentally, my great uncle always referred to Dean as Billy; the media, even in those far off days, having apparently invented the name of ''Dixie''. Apologies for going off topic but thought it might be of a bit of interest to you at least.

I realise I didn't even put up my own team...

From what I can remember/seen on Youtube, I'll go for...

Cantona doesn't get in because having him and Ronaldo in the same team would just not work. Schmeichel should be there but Van der Sar was a hero of mine, plus he and that defence set the clean sheet record. Van Nistelrooy gets in over others because as I've mentioned numerous times he is my favourite player ever.


Wes Brown has to be in the worst team ever because he was rubbish. Absolutely rubbish. I'd also have Tevez in the worst team because I never actually saw him do anything.