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Ok so last few days of the International break are winding down and we've got a bit of a lull whilst we try to find out what players are injured and who can play this weekend

I thought I'd put something together to generate discussion about the squad both in terms of depth, how those players are performing this season and try to generate discussion about possible weaknesses to improve moving forwards, gaps to fill etc

I appreciate this may be seen as a shitpost or like it has too much information in it but I wanted to try something as this subreddit has been fairly hostile over the last few months and discussion seems to be at a bit of a low. With this in mind I'd appreciate if people actually tried to put effort into their comments, and didn't just downvote others based on their opinions.

Players will be allocated by the position they have occupied the most, not by the one they should be in

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Goalkeeper

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals Conceded	Clean Sheets	Points Per Game
David De Gea	25	2011	2019	38	37	15	1.63
Sergio Romero	29	2015	2018	10	6	6	1.90

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No problems here. Provided De Gea is kept during the summer there should be no need to change as De Gea is one of the best in the world and Romero is a more than capable deputy.

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Right Back

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Clean Sheets	Points Per Game
Matteo Darmian	26	2015	2019	34	0	0	13	1.65
Ashley Young	30	2011	2018	23	0	3	6	1.78
Antonio Valencia	30	2009	2017	12	0	1	5	1.83
Guillermo Varela	23	2013	2018	11	0	1	2	1.64

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A more problematic position. Darmian had a strong start to his Utd career but has been more inconsistent since. Is the best defender we have at RB but is poor going forwards (odd because in Italy he was often a wing-back so you'd expect him to be better going forwards). Varela is the opposite - good going forwards, quick and energetic however can be a liability defensively. Valencia is an all-round great athlete who can have great games at RB (provided the opposition don't exploit his positional weaknesses). Young has featured at RB more than any other position this season - he's a willing runner and, going forwards, is a threat down the right. Defensively has been solid but you get the impression he cannot be a long-term option.

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Left Back

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Clean Sheets	Points Per Game
Marcos Rojo	26	2014	2019	19	0	2	8	1.74
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson	19	Academy	2016	12	0	1	6	1.67
Luke Shaw	20	2014	2018	8	0	1	4	2.00

Various players have covered down the left this season (Fosu-Mensah, Riley, Blind, Young, Darmian) but these 3 have been the most featured. Rojo is a solid player - aggressive but I'm still unsure what I actually think of him. He's not that great going forwards, isn't quick and does stupid things sometimes. CBJ has been great - very young but has an incredible cross on him. Definitely one to keep in the squad for rotation. Luke Shaw has had an unlucky season - started off very brightly and showed himself to be one of Utd's better players in the opening matches with the unfortunate injury stopping what was promising to be a very good season. Going forwards it'd seem like Shaw and CBJ are enough.

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Centre-Back

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Clean Sheets	Points Per Game
Chris Smalling	26	2010	2019	44	2	0	18	1.64
Daley Blind	26	2014	2018	46	2	3	18	1.67
Phil Jones	24	2011	2019	13	0	0	2	1.85

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Smalling and Blind has been the dominant partnership this season with Jones out injured for the majority of it. Smalling has been a great performer this year - a powerful and fast defender who has cut a lot of the silly errors that used to dog him out of his game. Blind has been his foil - neither powerful nor fast but reads the game fairly well and is very comfortable with the ball at his feet. Every time I'm just about ready to condemn the idea of Blind at CB he seems t step up and make me re-think. Jones has missed the majority of the season through injury and, unless he can start to start fit, may be on his way out. These season has seen the débuts of Fosu-Mensah and Poole at CB and it'll be interesting to see if they feature more in the future (regardless of who is in charge next season).

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Central Midfielders

For the ease of use I have combined defensive midfielders with central midfielders.

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Clean Sheets	Points Per Game
Ander Herrera	26	2014	2018	33	5	5	10	1.85
Michael Carrick	34	2006	2016	33	0	1	11	1.64
Morgan Schneiderlin	26	2015	2019	32	1	1	15	1.88
Bastian Schweinsteiger	31	2015	2018	31	1	2	11	1.87
Marouane Fellaini	28	2013	2018	28	2	1	5	1.29

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A mixed bag for the midfielders - Schneiderlin's stats have been stronger than his apparent performances (don't get me wrong, I'm not saying he's been poor just that the stats we've seen thrown around make him out to be a one-man army). Herrera and Schneiderlin are our most mobile midfielders and, in my opinion, should really be starting most matches - possibly with someone like Schweinsteiger or Carrick sitting behind them both (in a more classic 4-3-3). Fellaini has been deployed as a central midfielder in recent times, much to the ire of supporters. Definitely need some fresh legs in midfield, depending on the formation deployed next season.

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Attacking Midfielders/Wingers

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Points Per Game
Juan Mata	27	2014	2018	45	8	9	1.76
Jesse Lingard	23	Academy	2018	29	6	4	1.66
Memphis Depay	22	2015	2019	39	7	6	1.62
Andreas Pereira	20	"Academy"	2018	11	1	0	1.91
Adnan Januzaj	21	"Academy"	2018	6	1	0	2.17

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One of our weakest areas - wingers + AMs. Mata is liable to disappearing in matches and Lingard isn't talented enough to be first choice in a team if they want to challenge for the title (in my opinion). Memphis has been disappointing, Januzaj hasn't impressed since Moyes and Pereira hasn't really been given a chance, managing just 371 minutes in 11 appearances. Definitely an area that needs changing and improving with a RW a must and, if this formation is continued with, likely a #10 too.

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Strikers

Player	Age	Joined	Contract Expiration	Matches Played	Goals	Assists	Points Per Game
Wayne Rooney	30	2004	2019	32	14	4	1.78
Anthony Martial	20	2015	2019	46	13	8	1.51
Marcus Rashford	18	Academy	2017	8	5	1	1.75

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Rooney has been disappointing for most of the season, coming into form at the beginning of 2016 before becoming injured. Martial has been excellent - settling down well and flicking between ST/LW through-out the season. He has been one of the better performers and looks like he will become a great player. Rashford has come in from the academy and scored some big goals - 5 goals in 8 matches in a brilliant return and hopefully he'll continue to develop.

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Points to consider

• What do you think is our current first choice team (when fit and in form) and what should be our formation?

• Who do you think should be moved on in the summer from the team and what positions should be looked at?

• Who have I unfairly missed off the above squad list?