Current team vs 2018/19 Promotion team

[Champagneblade]

Supposing Wilder is still fairly wedded to his 3 at the back and he’s looking at creating his glory days of the Duffy in the 10 team. How far off is he right now with the options?

GK. Henderson…Grbic
WB. Baldock…Bogle
WB. Stevens…Norrington-Davies
CB. Basham…Ahmedhodzic
CB. Egan…Egan
CB. O’Connell…Robinson
CM. Norwood…Souza
CM. Fleck…Brooks
AM. Duffy…Hamer
CF. McGoldrick…McBurnie
CF. Sharp…Brewster

Obviously you’ve got Arblaster, Osula, potentially Jebbo but have gone for the more senior player and worked on the assumption at this point Archer goes back and of course so do McAtee and Larouci.

Looking at this side by side, you don’t know how good some of the younger lads will be at a level lower than this year but I’m thinking only Anel and Gus might push for a spot in the 18/19 promotion team and even then it’s 50/50 for me.

Am I being harsh? Has 100s of millions left us worse off than a team assembled on chocolate buttons?

 

[Rudders]

I think it just proves how good and what superb value for money that Wilder promotion side was. The only player I would swap is Souza instead of Norwood

 

[Working Class Hero]

There isn't a single one of today's team that gets in to that one is there? That's quite frightening, but also shows just how good that team was when you consider half of them were in our League One side and they all cost peanuts.

 

[finlaytheblade]

I think potentially we have more goals in us ! Stability in midfield is weaker which we have to work on.
Defensively same as midfield .Wilder has the opportunity to mould us into a good championship team with surgery and a bit of investment.
We have a group of young players coming through !
Not ready to carry us to promotion,some exciting players that need time to mature a bit and then who knows.
Prince if he was honest which I think he is knew relegation was the most likely outcome from this season , he should be able to invest in a few recruits this summer.
Don't think Wilder came back to fail he would know (just looking at the squad and table ) staying up this season was a long shot! With what we have selective contract renewal and investment in new players should give us a shot at it ! In Wilder we trust again !!!

 

[BladesNo9]

Not 1 single player or the manager in the present set-up gets into that team, none of em!!
It was the best prolonged period of time I have witnessed watching United, now consigned to history and great memories, where Wilder should have let it remain.

 

[Bell4]

I think it just proves how good and what superb value for money that Wilder promotion side was. The only player I would swap is Souza instead of Norwood

Souza wouldn’t get on the bench .

During our first season back Norwood was superb - leagues ahead of Souza

 

[joe casey]

Souza wouldn’t get on the bench .

During our first season back Norwood was superb - leagues ahead of Souza

Agreed - like Souza but the form of that team that year he;'d be at best 4th choice behind Norwood, Fleck and Lundstrum

 

[Working Class Hero]

Not 1 single player or the manager in the present set-up gets into that team, none of em!!
It was the best prolonged period of time I have witnessed watching United, now consigned to history and great memories, where Wilder should have let it remain.

If he feels the same sense of bitterness that I do about how success was ripped away from us by COVID, then I can completely understand why he couldn't let himself leave it there.

 

[JPBrods]

We need another Ndiaye/McGoldrick next season to be competitive. Someone who can influence play by themselves by winning the ball back high up the pitch and then either having the skill or strength to hold on to it and move it on to players joining the attack.

 

[crazyblade1889]

As others have said the all 11 were far superior and if you compare the bench then some of the starters now wouldn’t even make the bench in 2018 when we had Coutts, Lundstrum, Dowell, Madine, Hogan.

 

[crazyblade1889]

Looking at this to what we have now it’s clear that Wilders stubbornness and stupidity has put the club back 10 years!

 

[Pintor75]

Agree with most comments, but You can go on forever looking back, who knows JOC could have gone to another premiership team and we would have struggled anyhow, other teams had to cope with covid, like saying Illiman could have saved us this year, we'll never know, that team who won promotion went down the year after, why?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Not 1 current player gets in that team based on attitude alone.

 

[finlaytheblade]

Souza wouldn’t get on the bench .

During our first season back Norwood was superb - leagues ahead of Souza

They do different jobs so can't compare the two.
Souza probably one of maybe 2 likely to get a Premiership club not a given though.

 

[reedy63]

Why is Wiler stubborn, the prince is the stubborn one. everyone knows you need millions to stay in the premier league. the prince should have done something about it at the beginning of last season. but he did fuck all and look at the mess we are now in.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

The best of Anel and the best of mcburnie might get in ( mcburnie for either Sharp or mcgoldrick) but I would love to see Wilder with a fresh start and pre season with the squad we ended January with at the start of a season. Not saying 9th is likely but it's undoubtedly got more talent on paper just circumstances have really taken a toll

 

[Fjortoft's Aeroplane]

If you're keeping Egan in current team then you've got to keep Baldock in too.

Also Brewster is our 5th choice really , normally behind Diaz and the others. Maybe it's too early to be sure, but I think Diaz in the Championship would be even better than having McGoldrick... just have to hope he can be made permanent.

 

[s20Blade]

I think it just proves how good and what superb value for money that Wilder promotion side was. The only player I would swap is Souza instead of Norwood

One of our main assets that season was Norwood switching the play

 

[JackSUFC]

18/19 was the best team we've had in my lifetime, especially as a collective.

Maybe you'd say McActee could displace Duffy but even that's debatable based on form and what they brought to the team.

To suggest anyone else from the current team gets in is outrageous.

 

[Wilderat Heart]

That team was a terrific championship side. Premier league though no chance. take away the 3 centre halves, in their pomp all were fine. Give me Basham in that line up over Anal every time and O'Connell for me was a far greater loss to that side than anything covid did. When we go down we have to have one eye on building a team that can compete at least if they get promoted. Too slow, too small, the premier league has changed out of all recognition size, pace, power everywhere. Souza goes into that team to replace Lundstrum, Duffy was the first player ditched and not just because of the money. We can't play a 10 with a two man midfield behind them of Norwood and Fleck, even at their best Wilder knew that. Push the fullbacks into midfield? they'll be too busy defending because we have no midfield. McBurnie like it or not gets in because of his size. Ndaiye walks into that side probably for Billy. What is frustrating is the what might have beens, Put any of our current players into a confident organised side like that one they might actually look as good at that level. Look how good Anal looked, Trusty was highly rated at that level as was Hamer. I am less worried about our team next year than some because I think some of our youngsters look really promising. That side was terrific, for me certainly better than the one that got promoted last year. Not getting Doyle, losing Ndaiye and to a lesser extent Sander and our wretched luck with injuries has made this a step too far. We need to build a team with one eye on physical strength and power and also endurance. Before long the top end championship sides will be largely similar to mid table premier league sides in terms of pace and power. We need to build a team to compete with that and I don't think that team has enough now. Then brilliant, not a criticism of any of those players but unfair to our current squad to assume they are all better players.

 

[Geordie Blade]

I think it just proves how good and what superb value for money that Wilder promotion side was. The only player I would swap is Souza instead of Norwood

You're comparing Souza now against Norwood now. Souza now vs Norwood then isn't even a contest.

 

[Wilderat Heart]

You're comparing Souza now against Norwood now. Souza now vs Norwood then isn't even a contest.

You think Norwood now is that different? he hasn't slowed down or become less mobile,that was never his game. Give him no out ball and press him he remains the same player. A player no other promoted side kept. If I was to put Souza into that side it would probably be for Fleck to keep Norwood's passing. That's why we needed Doyle. I doubt Souza would be as good for us as Fleck was then but put him in that side, I couldn't say for sure. We will never know.

 

[crazyblade1889]

You think Norwood now is that different? he hasn't slowed down or become less mobile,that was never his game. Give him no out ball and press him he remains the same player. A player no other promoted side kept. If I was to put Souza into that side it would probably be for Fleck to keep Norwood's passing. That's why we needed Doyle. I doubt Souza would be as good for us as Fleck was then but put him in that side, I couldn't say for sure. We will never know.

Two completely different players. When we have a lot of the ball and can play it out from the back Norwood is fantastic, particularly when you can get the full backs up the pitch. Souza is more mobile and can get the tackles in but his ball distribution is generally poor. In a side pushing for promotion as we were in 2018/19 I know which player I’d rather have.

 

[ton-up]

Looking at this to what we have now it’s clear that Wilders stubbornness and stupidity has put the club back 10 years!

That is some conclusion to come up with, considering he also built that side in the first place.

 

[crazyblade1889]

That is some conclusion to come up with, considering he also built that side in the first place.

He did yeh. Wilder prior to getting to the prem was awesome. He should then have admitted his limitations and given up control over transfers, instead he acted like a spoilt child which led to some ridiculous signings. We’ve wasted tens of millions on absolute rubbish. Does that undo all the hardwork he did in us getting there? Maybe not, but it’s put us in the situation we are today.

 

[MojoMuffin]

Baldock and Enda. Christ alive. Those two together were the absolute gravy.

The biggest thing about that team was an unequivocal togetherness that didn't just cope with, but thrived on underdog mentality and fought for every tackle, throw-in and corner. The consistency of performance game after game with a trusted understanding of each other made it all work. Norwood didn't even need to look up, just ping it out to the wings and let the wing backs put the center halves through.

Just fuck off naaaah. You've got me tearing up.

 

[100% part time blade]

Baldock and Enda. Christ alive. Those two together were the absolute gravy.

The biggest thing about that team was an unequivocal togetherness that didn't just cope with, but thrived on underdog mentality and fought for every tackle, throw-in and corner. The consistency of performance game after game with a trusted understanding of each other made it all work. Norwood didn't even need to look up, just ping it out to the wings and let the wing backs put the center halves through.

Just fuck off naaaah. You've got me tearing up.

Enda had an amazing calendar year: 2019. In those 12 months he was top class.
The first season in the championship - he got some stick on this board; then even at the start of the promotion season there were some moaning.
Then for a year he was great and just got better.
When we came back after the brief COvid layoff and played in front of empty seats his form dipped, and in the relegation season nobody played well. Then he never got that form back. Can’t remember ever seeing a player have such an apparent rapid rise and subsequent dip over that sort of timescale.

 

[Sheffsteel]

The reality is non of 18/19 team were even close to PL standard hence why there’s never been any PL interest in any of them.

Just shows what can be achieved with playing like a team and being so well drilled that everyone knows where everyone will be without even looking.

Players weren’t up to much but that’s one of the best teams I’ve ever seen, what we achieved by challenging for a Champions league spot was a miracle. Amazingly it wasn’t about outbattling teams, incredibly our league 1 players went away to Arsenal and Spurs and outplayed them.

In fact we went loads of matches undefeated away in London that season.

 

[CPB]

I reckon that this rebuild this summer may result in us changing tack from the 3-5-2.

If we do we will start to go 433 and 451 when being defensive I'd think. Which would mean targeting wide forwards.

Tricky though because hasnt the academy been setup to play 352. But that's not a setup you want to just have to stick too forever. Made sense whilst we were getting alot of success with it of course.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

I reckon that this rebuild this summer may result in us changing tack from the 3-5-2.

If we do we will start to go 433 and 451 when being defensive I'd think. Which would mean targeting wide forwards.

Tricky though because hasnt the academy been setup to play 352. But that's not a setup you want to just have to stick too forever. Made sense whilst we were getting alot of success with it of course.

Maybe, but there’s a reason we played it when we dominate the ball and sides sit in. From the evidence we’ve seen so far though, Wilder isn’t wedded to it and he will look at alternatives if it can be effective.
Our problem is the defence is too shit to play a 4 in this league, unless we’re playing Burnley or Luton.