Strongest possible Manchester United line-up to face Tottenham
Manchester United go into their New Year’s Day match with Tottenham off the back of four consecutive victories and David Moyes’ team is looking more and more his own as the season progresses. In the Red Devils’ last game against Norwich, they were able to secure victory despite a poor performance and the absence of Wayne Rooney, and the fact that his team were able to beat a stubborn Canaries side without its talisman will have undoubtedly pleased Moyes.
Spurs will prove a significantly tougher test than Chris Hughton’s men, however, and as such it will be relief to Moyes that Rooney should be fit to return to the team. Despite this, Robin van Persie, Rafael, Phil Jones and Nani are all absent through injury, limiting the options available to the Man United manager. Here, we give you the lineup which will give Moyes’ team the best chance of victory to begin their 2014.
Goalkeeper: David De Gea
De Gea has silenced any lingering critics this season and has performed well throughout the season, keeping five clean sheets in an, at times, faltering team. The Spaniard has been successful with 95% of his claims and is an ever present in this Man United team in the Premier League this season; with an average of 2.37 saves per game, it is easy to see why.
Right-Back: Chris Smalling
If Rafael was fit, this position would be his; with Adnan Januzaj likely to start on the right wing, the right flank is in desperate need of the full-back to provide width due to the Belgian’s tendency to cut inside, something which Rafael offers in abundance. Smalling does not do this as much, although against Norwich he was frequently seen in an advanced position. This is something which will be demanded of Smalling once more on New Year’s Day and the dribbling skills which have seen him win 50% of his take-ons will be required from the full-back.
Centre-Back: Nemanja Vidic
Vidic remains one of the most dominant centre-halves in the Premier League today and, despite often missing games through injury, is still an excellent defender. This is highlighted by his 73% header success rate and 60% tackle success rate, as well as the fact that he has made 133 clearances in his 12 appearances this season. Moreover, Vidic has completed 86% of his passes this season; the Serbian is a terrific player whose position is assured when he is fully fit.
Centre-Back: Jonny Evans
At the start of his Man United career, Evans was the target of a lot of criticism; he has, however, performed significantly better in recent seasons and blossomed into an adept defender. His Performance Score of 280 is higher than Rio Ferdinand’s and he has won 64% of his tackles and 74% of his headers. Against a strong Spurs attack, Evans’ discipline will be tested, but, if he performs as he has done throughout this season so far, he should perform very capably.
Left-Back: Patrice Evra
In all honesty, there is no other player who would play this role – neither Fabio nor Alexander Buttner are up to the standards which Man United demand and as such Evra is a guaranteed selection for the champions. However, his place is justified; he has created the second highest amount of chances in the United squad this season with 22 and has won 55% of his tackles.
