Best XI since 1991

[steve26272]

1st place on the bench goes to Dean Saunders, class, but especially, if not only for this.



2nd place goes to Paul Peschisolido

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

-----------------Kelly-----------------

---Jagielka--McGrath--Cahill---

Walker-------------------------Quinn

------Dane--Cowans--Brown-----

-----------Deane--Beattie---------

That's who I'd pick as my best, not necessarily my favourite.

 

[Silent Blade]

I'd contend that Kelly was more solid, Tracey was more spectacular, Tracey had a mad charge in him.

He wasnt good at dealing with backpasses and had a poor understanding with Roger Nilsen and the pair would blame each other!

 

[McGrath]

-----------------Kelly-----------------

---Jagielka--McGrath--Cahill---

Walker-------------------------Quinn

------Dane--Cowans--Brown-----

-----------Deane--Beattie---------

That's who I'd pick as my best, not necessarily my favourite.

Quinn... is that Stephen or Wayne in the left wing back role?

 

[Cassius Kray]

This question must come up all the time, but I've still really enjoyed this thread. A bit too young to really remember the likes of Hodges etc so my team would be:

Kelly
Borborkis
Jags
Morgan
Naughton (I know he didn't play on the left that much but he was excellent that season and there aren't that many options)
Ndlovu (Devlin was a possibility)
McCall
Brown
Whitehouse (amazed that anyone has left him out)
Deane
Sharp (we've had lots of good strikers, many who may have been technically better than Billy. Fjortoft and Beattie came close, but Sharp has not only scores a bucketload of goals for the club, but also captained a promotion winning side and bleeds red and white)

Attached is how everyone has voted. Kelly, Jags, Brown, Whitehouse and Deane are pretty much a consensus.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

He wasnt good at dealing with backpasses and had a poor understanding with Roger Nilsen and the pair would blame each other!

We were blessed, both were top keepers. Tracey had amazing reflexes and was a very good sweeper keeper but there was always a bigger risk with him. Kelly was more solid but I do like a sweeper keeper as it enables the team to push further up, so Tracey for me

 

[JJBlade]

Difficult

I tried, to choose players that I could remember as much about as possible

I can remember Currie and Woodward and the early 70's teams but only vaguely

My memory of them is a bit sketchy and comes mainly from those older than me

In more modern times I'd say

Kelly

Borbokis
Jagielka
Maguire
Walker

Brown
Cockerill
Hodges
Whitehouse

Deane
Beattie

Subs Agana, Holdsworth, Tracey, Naughton, Cowans, McGrath, Fjortoft

 

[blades78]

Tracey was by far the better keeper before he got injured.

Tracey had too many rushes of blood in my opinion. We were spoilt for choice during the Bassett era though, especially with Mel Rees

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Quinn... is that Stephen or Wayne in the left wing back role?

Wayne. Not seen a better left wing back for us since his first season.

 

[McGrath]

I'd have to get

Wayne. Not seen a better left wing back for us since his first season.

Been trying to think of decent United left backs apart from him, but unfortunately they're all just steady eddies apart from Chris Armstrong

 

[blade67]

---------------Kelly
Walker Maguire Jags McNaughton
Bradshaw---Brown -Hutchison - Whitehouse
------------Deane ------Beatie

Subs:

Tonge, Borbokis, Hodges, W.Quinn, Tracey, Hulse, McGrath,

At left back do you mean Naughton?

Left back is the problem isn't it?

Nilsen, Armstrong, W Quinn, Whitehouse, Walker, Naughton , Naysmith and Unsworth have been mentioned, 1/2 of them aren't left backs and the other half were here only for a short time or were average .

I think everywhere else there is plenty of competition

Kelly

Walker Jags Mcgrath Naughton

Brown Hodges McCall Whitehouse

Deane Beattie

Plenty of good players missed out in that side but the fact I've picked a right back who played 1 season at left back is telling about a lack of quality in that area

 

[robbiez666]

At left back do you mean Naughton?

Left back is the problem isn't it?

Nilsen, Armstrong, W Quinn, Whitehouse, Walker, Naughton , Naysmith and Unsworth have been mentioned, 1/2 of them aren't left backs and the other half were here only for a short time or were average .

I think everywhere else there is plenty of competition

Kelly

Walker Jags Mcgrath Naughton

Brown Hodges McCall Whitehouse

Deane Beattie

Plenty of good players missed out in that side but the fact I've picked a right back who played 1 season at left back is telling about a lack of quality in that area

You're indeed correct. I put him ahead of Quinn as the Kyles played well together. Although, if memory serves me correctly, Walker was at left back and Naughton at right?

Quinn and Borbokis would have to be wingbacks as well. Borbokis stank at RB

 

[Jon P]

Sorry mate but as good as Sharp is I'd have James Beattie and Brian Deane ahead if him. Jan-Aage would be right up there too, as would Sharp don't get me wrong. Jagielka, Kelly, Deane, Beattie, Brown and Walker are certainties for most surely!? Agana was on the way down in 91 sadly, due to injuries. Fleck is my view is the most likely to feature in a best of XI.

My first 11 would be as follows:

1 Kelly
2 Walker
3 Unsworth - not my favourite Blade in the world but in my view was better than Nilsen, when Unsworth played in the promotions season.
4 Cahill - if not loan players than Harry, although JOC runs him very close and a mention to Morgs and Holdsworth
5 Jagielka
6 Fleck
7 Devlin
8 Brown
9 Beattie
10 Deane
11 Whitehouse

You can have Kelly. Not sure the others would make it.

I'd say:

Kelly
Boborkis Jagielka Dellas Nilsen
Ndlovu Brown McCall Whitehouse
Deane Beattie
​

Guys, it was a starter for ten - I didn't even complete the 11 haha

 

[RealMcCoy]

Stephen Quinn

 

[John Street West Terrace]

3-5-2 for me , so many names you want to put & feel guilty leaving em out , I agree that some players played there best football either before or after leaving us , so based on time in our shirt .

Kelly

Jagielka. Morgan Holdsworth

Borbokis Brown McCall. Cowans Whitehouse.

Deane. Fjortoft

Summary :
Kelly ... Best alround keeper by a country mile in this era , could def had played for a top 6 club
Jags .. class act & always turned in a performance ( even in goal ! )
Morgs .. not the fastest ... but great organiser & capt. very underestimated
Reg ... great alround centre half particularly in the back 3 of spackmans team
Vas .. great attacking fullback & could defend also ( take note brayford )
Whitehouse ... what a great left sided player ,gave him it on work rate & consistency over hodges and equally as good in 442 ( Bassett ) 352 ( kendal/ slacks )
Brown .. best attacking midfielder I've seen in utd shirt of this era & liked a tackle prob a little too much !
McCall ... a class act pulled all the strings in that 2003 side showed how badly we missed him in Wolves match at Cardiff
Cowans .. again a class act he and Paterson were a great combination in centre mid .. great passer & link player
The front two I've chose because they did it at a higher level
Deane ... don't really need to say much speaks for itself
Fjortoft ... i was gutted when McDonald sold these two on same day .. fkg McDonald I want to kill him .

I would have loved to have seen the fitter faster Evans of 2012 back at championship level year after as he was way above the league 1 that season & I liked Hulse .. when he broke his leg at Chelsea that was the turning point for us .

You could name 5 more line ups and they be similar , very difficult but enjoyed recalling some of this lot in action

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Too many going for Walker on the strength of the player he is now rather than the player he was for us. Naughton was better than Walker at the time, as BushBlade has already mentioned, yet he doesn't get a mention. Same goes for Harry, he did OK for us but most of his games were in L1. I don't think I've seen the best XI for us posted yet, apart from my selection of course.

I disagree about walker. I said after the po final against Burnley that I thought he was better than and would go further than naughton. I didn't include him because he only played 6 games as our player but during his loan spell the following season he was superb. Our playoff hopes died when spurs recalled him.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

I'd have to get


Been trying to think of decent United left backs apart from him, but unfortunately they're all just steady eddies apart from Chris Armstrong

As an out and out left back I thought Naysmith was outstanding when he hit form.

 

[McGrath]

As an out and out left back I thought Naysmith was outstanding when he hit form.

Injured a lot though and was a Robson signing

 

[McGrath]

Kelly

Geary
Morgan
Jagielka
Armstrong

Bryson
Brown
Whitehouse
Hodges

Hulse
Deane

I didn't realise at first but these all played in the Pram for us except Brown who I can't leave out after 'that's season.

It was difficult picking a striker alongside Deano but I thought Hulse was absolute quality and we'd have stayed up if he hadn't have bust his leg at Chelsea.

Can't believe Morgan isn't in everyone's team. Best captain and leader in my time watching the Blades

 

[mattbianco1]

I don't think Walker and MAGUIRE should be in. We got 1 season from Walker and Maguires games for us were largely in the 3rd tier.

Based on their future achievements in the game they have to be in the team but if we base it on that logic, Simon Francis and Leon Brittan should be in.

 

[McGrath]

Also best manager Bassett. I think Wilder is the bees knees but he needs back to back promotions to match Bassetts achievement

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

Injured a lot though and was a Robson signing

Robson signed lots of good players, that wasn't his problem.

 

[McGrath]

Robson signed lots of good players, that wasn't his problem.

It's the same bind the pigs are in though... signing 'names' who are probably over the hill, coming in earning loads more than other players and not giving as much effort

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

It's the same bind the pigs are in though... signing 'names' who are probably over the hill, coming in earning loads more than other players and not giving as much effort

Speed, Cahill, Beattie, Ehiogu - id sign them all again.

 

[B14Nco]

Late to this but...

Kelly
Walker Jags Cahill Naughton
Matt Phillips Fleck Brown Hodges
Deano Jan Age Fjortoft

Would smash the lot up.

subs
Jamie Ward
Peter Nuds
James Beats
Tonge
Morgs

 

[snootyfenooty]

Kelly

Geary
Morgan
Jagielka
Armstrong

Bryson
Brown
Whitehouse
Hodges

Hulse
Deane

I didn't realise at first but these all played in the Pram for us except Brown who I can't leave out after 'that's season.

It was difficult picking a striker alongside Deano but I thought Hulse was absolute quality and we'd have stayed up if he hadn't have bust his leg at Chelsea.

Can't believe Morgan isn't in everyone's team. Best captain and leader in my time watching the Blades

Almost matches my selection that. Agree 100% with your comment about Morgan, his inclusion is more than just about his playing ability and should be 1st name on the list. Armstrong is a good shout btw, I think he slipped under most people's radar.

 

[Geordie Blade]

Tracey
Borbokis Gayle Jagielka Nilsen
Bradshaw Brown Whitehouse
Hodges
Deane Fjortoft

Subs: Kelly, Pemberton, Armstrong, Ward, Tonge, Bryson, Beattie

 

[SirNibletsO'Korne]

John Ebrell anyone?Brian Gayle or Shaun Murphy?
Anyroad,Agana would always be in any Blades XI for me regardless...

 

[JOEYDEE]

Quite simply,and hopefully next seasons starting eleven. ....