Best XI since 1991

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One of each from me as a start-
GK - Kelly
Defender - Morgan
Mid - Fleck
Striker - Sharp
 
Alan Kelly for sure. The rest is tough, but following names would be up there to consider at least.

Fleck.
Hodges.
Hutchison.
Deane.
Fjortoft.
Borbokis.
Jagielka.
Agana
Brown
Beattie
Saunders
Ndlovu
 
A difficult one and a question where you probably have to ignore the league we were in at the time and put them in on performances also.

Mine would be;

Kelly
------
Borbokis
Jagielka
Morgan
Nielsen
-----
Ndlovu
Brown
Fleck
Whitehouse
----
Deane
Beattie or Sharp
 
Think it must be a sentimental vote regards Sharp.

It can be difficult to compare but Ched was easily a far better striker in 2012 compared to Sharp from last season. Ched stood out a mile as being far far too good for league 1.

Although I do agree what made Sharp special was his influence, mentality and captains role.
It might sound daft but maybe it was Sharp (including Wilder obviously) that had a massive effect in giving the team our best team spirit and team effort I've ever known.

However realistically we should only be putting PL players in the team as logically the players from the PL seasons must be better than Fleck, Sharp, Ched etc.
 
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These types of posts usually get bogged down in sentimentality. The obvious choices are players from the 90's and 00's premiership teams with one exception in Brownie, who was a class above. So, very sorry Billy, Fleck and co, the candidates are:

Kelly
(Kenny)
Geary
Bradshaw
Morgan
Jags
Whitehouse
Brown
Monty
Deane
Hulse
Hodges

Beat that!

*Edit: soz Sheffsteel , was typing mine as yours was posted and there's a bit of duplication. Same wavelength tho'
 
Last edited:
Best keeper has been Alan Kelly, no question in my mind. Wish McGrath played a bit more, but I agree with itsinyerblood. Jags, Brown and Deane all have to be included.
 
snootyfenooty said:
These types of posts usually get bogged down in sentimentality. The obvious choices are players from the 90's and 00's premiership teams with one exception in Brownie, who was a class above. So, very sorry Billy, Fleck and co, the candidates are:

Kelly
(Kenny)
Geary
Bradshaw
Morgan
Jags
Whitehouse
Brown
Monty
Deane
Hulse
Hodges

Beat that!

*Edit: soz Sheffsteel , was typing mine as yours was posted and there's a bit of duplication. Same wavelength tho'
Click to expand...


Opinions...but I'm looking at their impact on the club as well as their actual ability.
So much as I loved him, Monty is nowhere near. Same for Gerry and Morgan. Great characters, superb pros and gave their all every game. But miss out on ability.
Holdsworth was a better defender than Morgan.
 
itsinyerblood said:
Cowans
Speed
McGrath - don't care that he only played a few games, he still wore the shirt and showed everyone what a class player he still was. Best defender this club has had.
Click to expand...

Agree, when we signed McGrath, in the twilight of his career with dodgy knees I was sceptical
But watching him play was like watching a truly world class past master in action, never realised he was that good.

It always used to make me laugh how he was so slow but such an effective defender for us.
It was like watching a magic act because he always seem to know where the ball was going before the opposition crossed it or passed it.

When you have world class positioning and anticipation then you don't need pace.
 
No mention of Nathan Blake so far as a possible partner for Deane? One of my favourite players at the time, though I subsequently learned he was a bit of a cunt. Was fairly prolific for us though.

We had a cat who we called Nathan after him. The cat was all black. That feels a bit racist, now.
 
Sheffsteel said:
Agree, when we signed McGrath, in the twilight of his career with dodgy knees I was sceptical
But watching him play was like watching a truly world class past master in action, never realised he was that good.

It always used to make me laugh how he was so slow but such an effective defender for us.
It was like watching a magic act because he always seem to know where the ball was going before the opposition crossed it or passed it.

When you have world class positioning and anticipation then you don't need pace.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more fella. Bobby Moore wasn't exactly the fastest defender I've watched, but his positioning and sense of where a ball would go enabled him to become as good as any defender this country has had. McGrath was one of those players born with a second sense, and as you say, the fact that he made it look so easy is testament to his quality. I know there are those who argue against his inclusion simply because he played so few games for United. Strikes me as an odd argument, so those players who played more often yet failed to impress should get a vote? McGrath was one of the very best, not to include him is both negligent and reveals the poorest of judgement where players are concerned.
 

itsinyerblood said:
Cowans
Speed
McGrath - don't care that he only played a few games, he still wore the shirt and showed everyone what a class player he still was. Best defender this club has had.
Click to expand...

For me it's not just about who were the better players, but also

  • time spent at the club
  • their importance on the team
  • team's success, including which level they played at
  • ability > work rate
  • being a youth player is a positive

So far I've got:


Alan Kelly

Kyle Walker Harry Maguire Phil Jagielka Roger Nilsen

Michael Tonge Michael Brown Glyn Hodges Dane Whitehouse

Brian Deane Billy Sharp
​

Struggling a bit at right midfield and Deano's partner. I've squeezed Tonge in, although it wasn't exactly his main position. Bradshaw, Ward and Ndlovu were other options. A lot of our strikers have done well for one season, or a bit more.
 
itsinyerblood said:
Couldn't agree more fella. Bobby Moore wasn't exactly the fastest defender I've watched, but his positioning and sense of where a ball would go enabled him to become as good as any defender this country has had. McGrath was one of those players born with a second sense, and as you say, the fact that he made it look so easy is testament to his quality. I know there are those who argue against his inclusion simply because he played so few games for United. Strikes me as an odd argument, so those players who played more often yet failed to impress should get a vote? McGrath was one of the very best, not to include him is both negligent and reveals the poorest of judgement where players are concerned.
Click to expand...

I think McGrarh is a special case.
If you could actually have these players then you probably WOULDNT have McGrath is your side because he was always prone to injury, rumoured drinking issues and dodgy knees meant he never trained.

Regarding special cases.
The BEST goalkeeping displays I've ever seen at BL was the career of Mel Rees.
For more impressive than Kelly, Tracey etc but as it was such a short number of games then his performances are likely to have tailed off.

Mel Rees had 8 or 9 out of 10 displays every match.
However home to Liverpool and away to Everton he had 10 out of 10 displays.
No other United goalie has ever consistently achieved such high scores (not even Kelly).
 
Bergen Blade said:
For me it's not just about who were the better players, but also

  • time spent at the club
  • their importance on the team
  • team's success, including which level they played at
  • ability > work rate
  • being a youth player is a positive

So far I've got:


Alan Kelly

Kyle Walker Harry Maguire Phil Jagielka Roger Nilsen

Michael Tonge Michael Brown Glyn Hodges Dane Whitehouse

Brian Deane Billy Sharp
​

Struggling a bit at right midfield and Deano's partner. I've squeezed Tonge in, although it wasn't exactly his main position. Bradshaw, Ward and Ndlovu were other options. A lot of our strikers have done well for one season, or a bit more.
Click to expand...

Interesting criteria Bergen, but as I wrote in a later post, the fact that McGrath played so few games shouldn't be a reason to exclude him. He was head and shoulders above other defenders and that has to count for something. Same applies to Gordon Cowans, he exuded quality and lifted our performance.
 
Sheffsteel said:
I think McGrarh is a special case.
If you could actually have these players then you probably WOULDNT have McGrath is your side because he was always prone to injury, rumoured drinking issues and dodgy knees meant he never trained.

Regarding special cases.
The BEST goalkeeping displays I've ever seen at BL was the career of Mel Rees.
For more impressive than Kelly, Tracey etc but as it was such a short number of games then his performances are likely to have tailed off.

Mel Rees had 8 or 9 out of 10 displays every match.
However home to Liverpool and away to Everton he had 10 out of 10 displays.
No other United goalie has ever consistently achieved such high scores (not even Kelly).
Click to expand...

I'm smiling.....I'll staunchly defend McGrath. He had his devils, which makes his level of performance even more remarkable. Those players who tried hard, made every effort, yet failed to rise above a level of ordinary or mediocre, well if that's regarded as acceptable then we're missing something. McGrath was better than most of 'em rolled into one, so cut him some slack and put him in the team, he deserves it simply because he was that good.
 
Sheffsteel said:
I think McGrarh is a special case.
If you could actually have these players then you probably WOULDNT have McGrath is your side because he was always prone to injury, rumoured drinking issues and dodgy knees meant he never trained.

Regarding special cases.
The BEST goalkeeping displays I've ever seen at BL was the career of Mel Rees.
For more impressive than Kelly, Tracey etc but as it was such a short number of games then his performances are likely to have tailed off.

Mel Rees had 8 or 9 out of 10 displays every match.
However home to Liverpool and away to Everton he had 10 out of 10 displays.
No other United goalie has ever consistently achieved such high scores (not even Kelly).
Click to expand...

Agree about Rees, a sad and poignant case of someone whose time was cut short. On the basis of the quality he showed, he should still be considered for inclusion.
 
Sorry, but to put Sharp above Agana, Blake, Fjortoft, Hulse, Evans is taking the P.

He's had a decent season granted, but he wasn't in the same league as these guys.

Even flo bagged double figures in the Prem, I very doubt Sharp would.
 
Scooter_mcgavin said:
Sorry, but to put Sharp above Agana, Blake, Fjortoft, Hulse, Evans is taking the P.

He's had a decent season granted, but he wasn't in the same league as these guys.

Even flo bagged double figures in the Prem, I very doubt Sharp would.
Click to expand...
Didn't Agana get sold in 1990 though? Which rules him out.

As good as Walker has become, I think Naughton was the better right back for us, at the time.
 
Sheffsteel said:
Think it must be a sentimental vote regards Sharp.

It can be difficult to compare but Ched was easily a far better striker in 2012 compared to Sharp from last season. Ched stood out a mile as being far far too good for league 1.
Click to expand...

As did Sharp last season and that was his second consequecutive stellar season re. top scorer (2015-16, 21 League goals, 2016-17, 30 League goals, whereas Ched 'only' had his 2011-12 season with 29 League goals - all three stats. were in Division One - so comparisons are valid). Plus, last season, Sharp had the burden of captaincy and kept himself fit and suspension-free, missing just 2 League matches in each of the last two seasons. It could be argued that Brown only did it for one season, but so did the (unmentioned) Kabba and Peschisolido.
 
Scooter_mcgavin said:
Sorry, but to put Sharp above Agana, Blake, Fjortoft, Hulse, Evans is taking the P.

He's had a decent season granted, but he wasn't in the same league as these guys.

Even flo bagged double figures in the Prem, I very doubt Sharp would.
Click to expand...


Agana played his best football before 1991.
Blake is a contender. But he only played a few games in the relegated 1994 team, then was part of a very indifferent 94/95 season, and the poor first half of the 95/96 season.
Fjørtoft did very well, but was only with us for a year.
Hulse had one good season, cut short by his terrible leg break, and he never scored for us again.
Evans was a big money signing. He had one (well, almost one full) great season, in the third tier.

The likes of Littlejohn, Kabba, Webber, Bent, Shipperley, Beattie all did well at certain times, but I think it's difficult to include them in such a XI.
 
Kelly
Parker McGrath Tiler Naysmith

Stuart Hutchison Cowans Hodges

Deane Saunders
 
Hutchison was absolute garbage for us. A goal scoring midfielder who didn't score. He also threw the towel in far too easily.

Pick him on his overall career if you must, but he was crap for us. So was that other Bladey myth Gillespie.
 
Surprised you've got Maguire in there. Morgan or Gayle much better imo. Harry only played in the 3rd tier.

Up front, I'd have Hulse, Beattie and Fjortoft ahead of Sharp
 
Simonsen

McMahon Page Davis Ullathorne

Montgomery Santos Gannon Carney

Marcelo Suffo
 

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