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[Discussion] Squad Depth and the players filling them (self.reddevils)

tocitusMemphis が 投稿

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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).

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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?

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[–]tocitusMemphis[S] 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Any mistakes in the above, please reply to this comment rather than fill up the thread.

[–]Launch_a_poo 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Current first choice team? Doesn't really matter, it's going to change most weeks anyway. But De Gea, Smalling, Shaw, Martial and probably Rooney are going to be playing most games. Others like Schneiderlin could feature more regularly too and Mata depending on whether we get Chelsea Mata or LVG Mata next season. But there will probably be additions in the attacking midfield positions so Mata will have to perform consistently well to keep his place, same go's for Rooney. If the Summer go's well we should have a RW and maybe another CB and even a ST to add to this list.

Formation is whatever the manager decides really. It isn't about cramming as many good players onto the pitch as possible. It has to work. 433 and 4231 seem prevalent.

Fellaini should be moved on even though he can be a force off the bench because fans just aren't going to accept him. Dead wood youth players who are never going to make it too. Powell, Blackett, Keane etc. Our squad is thin as it is and with a new manager looking likely you don't want to rock the boat too much, but it's possible Jones will leave as well if he doesn't sort his injurys out.

I would add players as opposed to reshuffling the squad with 10 players in, 8 players out. As long as the attacking players are willing to stay and compete with the players that are likely going to come in.

Players you've missed maybe McNair and maybe Fosu Mensah but you could get away with keeping them out.

EDIT: Also, great post btw

[–]DatGuyRichMartial 12/12. HE'S DONE IT. 3ポイント4ポイント  (2子コメント)

Phil Jones HAS to be sold this summer. He is a complete and utter joke. I can't even remember the last time he played? He limped off in an U21 game after being out for a month and now hasn't been seen since!

Seriously there has been no news or update about him for a long while. At this rate Shaw will be back before Phil is

[–]TheBlackSun8Herrera 1ポイント2ポイント  (1子コメント)

Damn it makes me sad thinking about this. I still remember his marauding runs forward in his first season with us, really thought he would be an important player for us.

[–]monsterm1dget -1ポイント0ポイント  (0子コメント)

I'd liked to see him as a CM =/

[–]Soten14Martial 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

We have to pick up at least one CB, RB, RW, FWD this summer. It would also be wise to pick up a new Central Midfield Stud to replace the old and wise.

[–]jake_gilly 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Edit: layout

De Gea

Darmian Smalling Blind Shaw

Herrera Schneiderlin

Memphis Mata Martial

Rooney

[–]TheBlackSun8Herrera 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

I don't think you can really guess at the starting lineup for next season at the moment. We have too many holes in the squad that will hopefully be filled during the transfer window.

Hell we don't even know who the manager next season will be, or if we will have a sporting director which could vastly change our business dealings on the football side of things. So much depends on who's in charge come summer, and who they rate/ don't rate. It's going to be a very interesting summer window.

In my opinion the only players who have guaranteed to start status long term are DDG, Smalling, Martial... And maybe Shaw depending on how he looks coming back from the broken leg. Every other player hasn't quite proven enough to have a spot locked down.

[–]Dawnriderdevil 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

  • Current best team in my humble opinion. [In form]

De Gea

Darmian-Smalling-Rojo-Shaw

Blind

Depay-Schneiderlin-Herrera-Martial

Rooney

  • We need a new CB,RW and probably a box to box midfielder. Move on players like Young,Fellaini,Jones. Keep Valencia as he still a handy asset.

  • Ideally i would like an experienced CB like Sokratis, Griezmann who can play multiple positions and Ross Barkley. Out of that i think Barkley is probably the most realistic. I can't see the other two leave their club next season.