How does this squad compare to our 2005/06 Promotion winning squad?

[Chali 2na]

I didn't realise I was having a go at you chali, I wasn't having a go at anyone in particular , I was trying to be sarcastic about the few telling us that armagedon will ensue if we persist with getting in front of ourselves ,soz.

Sorry mate, I wasn't implying you were having a go at me and I didn't realise you were being sarcastic.

I thought you were saying that because this team hadn't achieved as much as 05/06, it wasn't as good. (Which is an understandable opinion)

 

[United Aren't Back.]

This season's is better than 2005-06, 1989-90 and 1970-71

The main things for me are we had Woodward and Currie.
No one in the current squad is anywhere near either of them.
Football styles have changed; wingers now a thing of the past.
Woodward era for me definitely.
Deane and Agana were on a par with McGoldrick and Sharp too.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I’ve just spent the last hour and a bit watching the 97/98 season review on YouTube. I’d forget how good a finisher JAF was, how many great goals we scored & how many goals Tracey ‘nearly’ saved.

 

[allypallyblade]

97/98 a better squad on paper agreed. The key difference in all of them is the management, Wilder and Knill have worked miracles.

Worth adding that Bassett did consecutive promotions albeit in a very different era and arguably with greater transfer restrictions. After promotions Hodges was bought with what we now call crowdfunding in effect.

Bassett and Wilder had equally distinctive philosophies. Know who I would rather watch.

 

[PokerBlade]

Would love to see Jags and Morgan in this side. Geary's pace could've been great too.. Still think Kabba could have been a world beater if he weren't crocked but fucking hell was he crocked. Those are the players that I think could have slotted right in, the rest might not be better or worse but I don't see them fitting. Maybe Tonge could've had a shot at the Duffy role but I was never his biggest fan.

I'm not sure which is objectively better since both look like finishing in the same position, but if I had a choice I'd take the current one every time. I can't go back to Warnock football. He wouldn't have a clue how to win a game with our current lot. 541, gerritup to Madine.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

WE STILL NEED TO GET PROMOTED FIRST

That said interesting question. I’ve no doubt this squad has a better style and comfort on the ball as well as the bottle

My combined team would be

Kenny
gillespie Jags morgan JOC Stevens
Norwood fleck
Duffy
Sharp mcgoldrick

That said id be willing to listen to arguments for tonge, kabba, Quinn and Armstrong . wouldn’t be bad options to have now tbf

Kenny over Henderson?
Never rated him myself

 

[Niceguyeddie]

I agree about Jagielka but I thought you were joking about Tonge, I'll drop him in the same slot as Kabba, his day was very rare, very rare indeed.

No it wasn't, don't rewrite history

 

[Sheffsteel]

I enjoy the comparison thing but prefer to do it numerically:
Henderson 8 < 9 Kenny
Baldock 7 = 7 Geary
Stevens 8 > 7 Armstrong
Egan 8 > 7 Morgan*
O’ Connell 9 < 10 Jagielka
Fleck 8 > 6 Monty*
Norwood 8 > 6 Tonge
Duffy 8 > 8 Ifill
McGoldrick 8 > 5 Shipperley
Sharp 9 > 7 Kabba*
Wilder 9 > 8 Warnock*

* Morgan - nowhere near Egan but a great Captain and that niggly git that put opposition players out.
* Montgomery - ok at Championship but his ability to nullify top class players was very useful for team like United in the Premiership.
* Kabba - on his day a 10, those days were rare.
* Warnock - technically not a patch on Wilder but his motivation skills are second to none.

Excellent summary, agree with almost all of that.
Apart from I’d have Shipperley at 8. He has close similarities to McGoldrick in that both players were far better then I expected, great hold up play, with intelligent link play. Shipperley was slow but one of our better players.

I’d probably decrease Sharp down to 8 and put Kabba up to 8.
Sharp is a better finisher but can’t score goals by himself like Kabba could.
Actually Sharp is probably more suited to our passing style than Kabba because this team can create chances for him.

 

[Sheff de party]

There are many similarities

Neil Warnock & Chris Wilder - Both Blades

Kenny & Henderson - Both have swagger and a cockyness about them

Both teams had players you wouldn't associate with a Promotion winning team.

Which ones the best in your opinion?

Is one of the similarities that both teams are “Bottlejobs every fucking time?”

 

[8lade]

I agree about Jagielka but I thought you were joking about Tonge, I'll drop him in the same slot as Kabba, his day was very rare, very rare indeed.

It retrospect he did his best work the season before. So I’ll concede that one.

He had a great day out v West Ham

No it wasn't, don't rewrite history

I'm struggling to think of another match where he was particularly influential

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

He had a great day out v West Ham

I'm struggling to think of another match where he was particularly influential

Apologies, I’m getting my dates wrong. To my mind, Tonge did his best stuff in the 02/03 season.

 

[Elsecar_Blade]

Crazy talk.

Jagielka has 40 senior caps for England and was proficient at CB, FB, CM and GK. JOC, at 25 has had 3 seasons in the championship. At the same age Jag’s was on his 2nd season in the prem, and a year later his first full cap.

I’ve seen Tonge be unplayable against premier league teams. Norwood is a different type of player admittedly, but he’s yet to hit those heights with us in the limited time he’s been here. When he felt like it Tonge sparkled.

Jags didn’t have 40 caps when we went up though. I’m comparing JOC to Jags 2006 - I rate JOC as highly as Jags at that time. Would not surprise me if JOC went on to play for England.

Ollie’s consistency wins over Tonge for me. I agree that Tonge could be unplayable but he wasn’t even a regular in that team until post Christmas IIRC and, when he was, we stumbled a little through February. Comparing Norwood 18/19 to Tonge 05/06, it’s Ollie every single time.

 

[Niceguyeddie]

He had a great day out v West Ham



I'm struggling to think of another match where he was particularly influential

He was one of our best players in that run of form that took us about ten points clear of the drop

 

[TomHeffernan]

How is it even possible to go from the worst side I’ve ever seen to the best side I’ve ever seen in less than 3 years.

I’ll tell you how. Take a bow Mr Wilder. Absolutely outstanding

 

[S64 Blade]

I remember some poor performances that season under Warnock. Leicester, Coventry and Plymouth away were all very poor and of course we got battered at home by Watford.

That team did seem to have a bit more 'steel' in terms of being able to grind out results at the death, but that's probably just because they weren't good enough to get the winner sooner, more than anything.

I think out of that side, I'd only take a small handful for this team. I'd maybe go as far as to say only Jagielka would get a starting place.

 

[Astone_Blade]

Jags didn’t have 40 caps when we went up though. I’m comparing JOC to Jags 2006 - I rate JOC as highly as Jags at that time. Would not surprise me if JOC went on to play for England.

Ollie’s consistency wins over Tonge for me. I agree that Tonge could be unplayable but he wasn’t even a regular in that team until post Christmas IIRC and, when he was, we stumbled a little through February. Comparing Norwood 18/19 to Tonge 05/06, it’s Ollie every single time.

I rate JOC highly and he has every chance of being a future England international, but 05/06 Jags wasn't just our best player, he was the best in the division. Totally agree on Tonge though, he was massively inconsistent and never achieved what we all thought he could after 02/03.

 

[Silent Blade]

The 70-71 promotion team side which was very nearly unchanged, became the 71-72 1st division leaders - P10, W8, D2, L0 and in a way achieved a lot finishing in 10th

This present team is good, but haven't achieved the same level as that Harris team did.

The year 1971 is still the best ever for obvious reasons. I am saying that this season's is better than in 1970/71 season.

You say that this team hasn't achieved the same level as Harris did. Remember that the PL is definitely a lot tougher than the old 1st division has been so if we go up this season then avoiding relegation from the PL will be a higher achievement than finishing 5th in 1961-62.

 

[8lade]

Remember that the PL is definitely a lot tougher than the old 1st division

I doubt there was a single overseas player in the top tier back then whereas if United get promoted it'll probably double the number of Britons who play regularly in the Prem next season!

 

[Big Hitter]

There are many similarities

Neil Warnock & Chris Wilder - Both Blades

Kenny & Henderson - Both have swagger and a cockyness about them

Both teams had players you wouldn't associate with a Promotion winning team.

Which ones the best in your opinion?

Quite frankly the 70/71 side would put this current team out of business. Woody, TC Dearden, reece Tudor, et al. Brilliant.

 

[Big Hitter]

Said it on Twitter last night ... Wilder is one win from immortality as United manager. Will have the Kop named after him IMO. The Chris Wilder Kop has a nice ring to it. His side is, IMO, better than Warnock and Bassett’s sides and plays amazing football. No contest.

Henderson > Kenny
Baldock = Geary
Stevens > Armstrong/Unsworth
Egan/Basham > Morgan
O’ Connell = Jagielka
Fleck > Monty
Norwood > Tonge
Duffy > Ifill
McGoldrick > Shipperley (much as I loved him)
Sharp = Webber/Kabba
Wilder > Warnock

No contest.

Not Better than Harris's 70/71 side.. no way

 

[Big Hitter]

This season's team is better allround. In 1970/71, Hodgy "had lost it" and we were letting in soft goals so Harris had to sign a keeper in January also we needed a midfield enforcer to allow TC to move further up. There is not much weakness in any area for this season's team. Agree that the best two players for both seasons combined are TC and Woody. This season;s Championship is much harder than 2nd division in 1970/71 also we have more points per game this season than in 1970/71

Yeah but we were on 2 pts a win then ?

 

[Bayingblade]

Apologies, I’m getting my dates wrong. To my mind, Tonge did his best stuff in the 02/03 season.

He did, when he was out on the left and had McCall and Brown in support. He had a notion that he could play in centre midfield but he couldn't, far too lightweight and very hit and miss. Warnock was wrong to move him IMHO.

A shame because as a left sided midfielder, he was often unplayable.

 

[Silent Blade]

Yeah but we were on 2 pts a win then ?

1970/71 21 wins, 14 draws = 77 points if it is 3 points for a win

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

I'd argue that the 97/98 side under Spackman was better than Warnocks team.