Another season beckons and Manchester United fans will be hoping that after a couple of false dawns, this will be the year in which they claim the Premier League title. Under new management for the third time in as many seasons, the Red Devils will hoping to come out strong as they stake a claim for their 14th Premier League trophy.
Jose Mourinho might not be the special one but he is the one who has overseen a transfer revolution at Old Trafford. After lobbying for star players and failing to secure their signature, this summer saw United splash the cash on several marquee players including Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even breaking the world record fee for Paul Pogba.
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Here is what Manchester United’s best XI will look like:
Goalkeeper
David de Gea
As the three-time reigning Manchester United Player of the Year, there can be little doubt as who is the undisputed No.1 at the club. While the fact that a goalkeeper has won the Player of the Year award for three consecutive years might seem a little troubling, especially for a club of Manchester United’ stature, there can be little denying that in that time, the Spaniard has become one of the best goal keepers in the world, if not the best.
So, when you have the best in the business as the last line of defence, you can’t complain. With Mourinho’s preference for a solid defence, he can’t have asked for a better keeper to be in goal as he takes charge for the first time in the Premier League as Manchester United’s manager.
What makes de Gea so special is not just his insane reflexes and ability to stop shots from any distance but the fact that he is an excellent distributor of the ball and is one of the best keepers with the ball at his feet, which is a massive boost for any side looking to build from the back.
Defenders
Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw
Antonio Valencia might have begun his career as a right winger and signed as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo who left for Real Madrid but there were early signs that he could go eventually become a defender. With his ability to track back, strength and speed, he has all the attributes to play as a right back.
While it is true that he isn’t always the greatest when it comes to covering for a centre back or positioning himself at the right place to intercept balls or stop attacks, his pace and strength make him someone who can always recover if someone makes a mistake.
The fact that there aren’t many forwards who can out-run him puts him at an immediate advantage. His ability to contribute to the attack and provide crosses from the right flank even allows the right winger to cut in as the width will always be provided.
The centre back pairing for Manchester United should be Eric Bailly and Daley Blind. The new signing Eric Bailly already showed that he can get into the team and start performing right away with his Man of the Match performance in the Community Shield against Leicester.
With plenty of pace, strength and ability to head the ball, Bailly is ideally suited for life in the Premier League. While he might take some time to get used to the physicality of the league and will need to curb his enthusiasm at times, he still has all the raw materials to go on to become the first-choice centre back for United for years to come.
While there can be little doubt about who the better defender is among Chris Smalling and Daley Blind, the position in which they play matters a great deal as well. Smalling is undoubtedly the better defender but as Bailly is already playing as the right-sided centre back the need for someone to play on the left side arises.
With that being the case, Blind is obviously better suited to playing on the left, not just because he is left-footed but also because his positioning, ability to cover for any rush of blood from Luke Shaw and ability to create from the back means he gets the nod over Smalling, who is more suited to be a like-for-like replacement for Bailly.
While Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw can all play at left back, there is no doubt that Luke Shaw is the No.1 choice at left back. Such is the demands of the modern game that full backs need to be strong offensively and fast if they are to succeed. Shaw certainly has both qualities in spades.
Before his injury last season, Shaw showed just why United made him the most expensive teenager when he moved from Southampton to Manchester United. With bags of pace, excellent positional skills and a wonderful eye for a cross, Shaw ticks all the boxes as far as full backs as concerned.
All he needs to go this season is simply remain fit and he will go on to fulfill his potential and nail a regular spot in the England side as well.
Midfielders
Central midfielders: Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba
The arrival for a world record fee might put a lot of pressure on Paul Pogba’s 23-year-old shoulders but considering his performances for Juventus and the way in which he handled the pressure of playing a European Championship at home highlights. Even if his fee seems a bit excessive for a central midfielder, the fact that he helped Juventus to four consecutive Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia and helped them reached the UEFA Champions League final speaks volumes about his ability.
If there is one thing that United have lacked for sometime now, it is a central midfielder with the physique and power to go from one end of the pitch to another while also providing an offensive spark. While Ander Herrera tried to do that, he has shown himself to be a player who is more suited to playing further forward than as one of the box-to-box midfielders and that is why the Frenchman takes his place in the side.
Alongside Pogba, as the other half of a double-pivot will be Michael Carrick. While it is true that he hasn’t been appreciated as much as he should have been for England, during his time at United, the Englishman has been at the heart of a hugely successful period for Manchester United.
While it it true that Carrick is 35, there can be little doubt about his importance to the side. And his manager certainly understands that as he said: ”[He is] Stable, intelligent, to play as one man in front of the defenders, give us all the stability, he knows everything. Tactically, very intelligent.“
The acquisition of Pogba means that they have the perfect player to complement Carrick’s tactical intelligence. With his strength, creativity and ability to drive forward, Pogba will enjoy the runner-passer pivot with Carrick, which Mourinho will be hoping works to perfection as the season progresses.
Attacking midfielders: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial
When Manchester United signed a young player from AS Monaco as the transfer window was drawing to a close last summer, not many could have predicted the impact that he would go on to have. Anthony Martial may not have been expected to play every match but such was his immediate impact that he won the support of Old Trafford instantaneously.
As the season wore on, he couldn’t quite keep up his incredible start but there can be little doubt about who United’s most effective forward last season was. With his pace, ability to effortlessly glide past defenders as if they did not exist and finish with a calmness that belied his years.
While he is unlikely to play as the central striker with the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he will start most games, from the left flank. On the other flank is a new arrival in Henrikh Mkhitaryan. While the Armenian attacker can play anywhere across the forward line, the presence of Rooney means he is more likely to start on the right.
With plenty of pace and ability to pick a pace, the 27-year-old, who was signed from Borussia Dortumund will feel at home on the right, where he will be afforded the luxury to cut in and sometimes even play through the middle and swap with Martial on the left.
The Armenian attacker’s versatility will be a key asset for United as he provides fluidity in attack and the option of switching formations even through the game.
Playing as the central attacking midfielder will be the club captain Wayne Rooney. Although he didn’t have the greatest season last time around, some of it can be attributed to the fact that he was played in multiple positions throughout the season.
While it is true that he didn’t have the greatest this time around either in the Community Shield, his link-up with Zlatan was apparent already. The only reason why he gets the nod ahead of Mata and even Herrera is his combination with Zlatan and the fact that both players can switch places and occupy the No.10 and striker role at different points of the same game, which affords the side a unique flexibility.
Forward
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
While Marcus Rashford enjoyed a breakout season last year at Manchester United, the arrival of Swedish striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic means that he will have to be content with a place on the bench to begin with. The 34-year-old striker, who was signed from Paris Saint-Germain may not have age on his side but what he does have is a unique skill set that makes him a nightmare for defenders to deal with.
Whether it is scoring goals from acute angles or trying the most ridiculous skills and pulling it off as well, Zlatan is a striker unlike any other. And it certainly does help that he is coming on the back of his best-ever scoring return in an season in his career. In the 2015/16 season, the 34-year-old scored 50 goals in 51 games for the French champions and while it might be too much to expect him to repeat that at United, the fact that he has scored at least 30 goals in each of his last five seasons means he guarantees goals.
And with United recording less than 50 league goals last season, an injection of goals will surely be welcomed at the club. He may not play the full 90 minutes in every game but out of the forwards that United currently possess, he is the one who is best equipped to guarantee at least 25 goals this season and that is why he takes his place in this side ahead of Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford.
