What is Manchester United's best starting XI ?

David Moyes

Not much of changes have happened at Old Trafford this summer, other than the management of course. But David Moyes is still sorting out and trying to understand the best starting XI for his Manchester United side. Having reinforced the midfield with just one player in the form of Maroune Fellaini, Moyes us yet to figure out the best playing position for the Belgian. With another Belgian, Adnan Januzaj signing contract extensions with the club, Moyes has done a good job in retaining the promising youngster who almost single handedly won the game against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Moyes is also giving him chances to feature in the starting eleven and making sure he gets to learn from his experienced team mates including Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie.

With the system at Old Trafford still jittery, the new boss is looking to steady the ship by opting for the right formation and the right players to execute it perfectly. Even though, Moyes faced lot of criticism for having under utilized the services of Kagawa and Hernandez, he seems to be using them in the right positions and get United’s title hopes back on track. Moyes has been following the same 4-2-3-1 that Fergie used to play with two midfielders supporting the defense, as the two wing backs march ahead to support from the flank. Fellaini, being the only new face, has featured only in five league games so far and he is yet to get into the groove and form that he had under Moyes at Everton. With so much of headache for Moyes, lets see what would be the ideal side for him to go ahead for the rest of the season and why.

Goalkeeping and Defense

De Gea has cemented his place as the No. 1 in the United side limiting Lindergaard’s appearances to just one match in the Capital One Cup. He has been terrific with his saves and has average saves of 2.36 per game, only behind Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, who has 2.73 saves per game. He has also made up for some of the defensive blunders that has happened due to United’s defensive errors. In the defense, Rio Ferdinand has slowed down alot and has not been able to give his 100 percent to the club. With Rafael being injured for most of the season, Smalling has been roped into replace him as the Right back with Vidic, Evans and Jones being the preferred combination at center back. Vidic and Evans combination seems to the one working well for Moyes with Vidic’s solidity and Evans versatility helping United to drive from the back.

Midfield

This is the main area of concern for Moyes. Carrick is the solid as ever in the midfield, playing as the deep lying playmaker and keeping the United midfield ticking from the back. With Carrick set to be out for six weeks, the real headache for Moyes has just begun. He needs to sort out the midfield issue and figure out how to utilize Fellaini during this critical period. Fellaini, the 27 mil man, has performed much below what he can. This may be the right time for the Belgian to peak and perform well to cement his place in the United Eleven. Fellaini has started in only 2 games so far this season and employed in varied roles in all the six games in which he has featured. Unlike his role in Everton were he played in an advanced role, Fellaini will be playing in a much more deeper role under Moyes at United, more or less like a box to box midfielder who can assist the defense by breaking up play and also build up play from deeper positions. Fellaini played in a much advanced role against City which United lost 4-1 without putting any pressure on their neighbours.

Fellaini action areas vs Manchester City

The big Belgian will have to assist the United defenders who have struggled at times in various situations including, in the air, and defending against the incoming attackers. His positional play against Fulham in the second half will be the one which would help United in defending better.

Fellaini heat map vs Fulham

The Kagawa Situation

Moyes took a lot of time to analyse Kagawa’s performance and how he can fit in the United squad. Initial reports suggested that the Japanese may leave United as Moyes did not allot enough game time for the playmaker. Kagawa featured in most of the Champions League encounters and after impressing against Real Sociedad, he has earned his place in the United first team for the Premier League.

Moyes on Kagawa after the Sociedad game - “When we put him in the No. 10 role, I thought he was very good off Wayne and off the left, he plays off the left for Japan, but I thought off the ball he was terrific [with] his attitude and his energy. I was pleased for him. That’s the best I have seen from Shinji since I took over.”

With Rooney comfortable in the number 10 role, Kagawa’s role is modified to an attacking midfielder who can cut in from the left and break open the oppositions defense also, assist Evra who makes the runs through the left wing. His off the ball skills have been terrific in shaking off defenders and made work easy for the United forwards.

Shinji Kagawa – Heat map vs Arsenal

Kagawa’s role is restricted to the left wing when Rooney plays just behind Van Persie. The heat map above shows his performance against Arsenal. Moyes has done the right thing by playing Kagawa in the hole whenever Rooney is subbed off. That was the case in the away draw against Real Sociedad. His concentration of play shifts to the center and his performance is much better than what it is when he plays in the left. Moyes has to make sure that he brings the best out of Kagawa even when he is cutting in from the wing. Heat map below shows the key areas were Kagawa plays once he is plays in the hole.

Shinji Kagawa – Heat Map in Sociedad

Here is the example of the skill that he displayed against Sociadad:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ff4d5cfaff68b7547a5b5e199af4d389/tumblr_mv59a3zDEN1qaorn7o2_r1_400.gif

Phil Jones

Phil Jones deserves a special mention for the amount of work that he has put in when he is employed as a defensive midfielder by the boss. He has stepped up to the occasion and taken up the responsibility like a pro. In the match against Arsenal, Jones played in the midfield during the first half and replaced Vidic at center back, who was injured after a collision with De Gea. He completed 95% of the passes in midfield and linked up well with attack and defense.

Phil Jones passing vs Arsenal

Phil Jones action areas vs Arsenal

Forwards

The forwards have been firing well for United so far. Although Van Persie has seen limited action due to injuries, he has pitched in with key goals as he is the top goal scorer for the club with 7 goals followed by Rooney who has 5 goals to his name. Despite their slow start to the campaign, United are the 4th top goal scoring team in the Premier League with Man City leading with 28 goals. Considering the fact that Welbeck is out with injury for a long period, Hernandez would be getting more chances and would be expected to contribute heavily in front of goal. It will be interesting to see how Moyes makes use of Zaha as he is ready to break into the first team.

Considering all the factors, here is the perfect 11 that Moyes can opt for :

Ideal United lineup