21 Aug 2026 14:33:22
Just watched highlights of the 2009 away leg Champions League at Arsenal.
In Rooney and Ronaldo we had two of the very very best strikers.
In defence also vv strong.
Evra Vidic Rio O'Shea.
Midfield though was on paper not as strong. Carrick Anderson Fletcher and Park. Those boys ran their socks off.
In the final against Barcelona our midfield hardly got a kick.
Forwards to today.
I would say on paper our midfield is better than 2009. Our attack not as good but perhaps 80% compared to 2009.
The big deficiency though is defensively. Not one of the current Utd defenders in the squad would get into the 2009 team.
All successful teams are built on a solid defence. That's the foundation to allow a team to attack.
We need at least one centre back and a left back this window.
21 Aug 2026 16:06:42
You think our attack is 80% of Rooney and Ronaldo? Lol.
21 Aug 2026 16:16:35
Well, for comparison
In the 2008/09 season we scored 68 league goals. We won the league.
In 25/26 we scored 69 league goals. We finished 3rd.
It's funny how we remember things lol.
21 Aug 2026 16:19:51
We did concede 24 goals in 08/9.
But conceded 50 last session, so Salford, our attack is more effective, not 20% less effective, and our defence was more than 100% worse off.
So, your argument that the defence is the issue is perfectly correct.
21 Aug 2026 17:39:57
Our attack, when all fit, is probably 70% of 2008/9. 2008, with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez, was our most potent, quite possibly the best, although Best, Law and Charlton were superb. Ronaldo is one of the all time greats. Our issue then was midfield and tactics. Hargreaves defined the type of player needed, yet he had the knee issue.
Tactics cost us as well, because, especially in the CL final, we didn't set up midfield right.
Whilst Cunha, Sesko and Mbueno are good, they are nowhere near 2008 levels.
Right now, defence is a lot poorer. On that I agree, and it is the issue that needs resolving next, starting with an LB.