Manchester United 2017 vs. Manchester United 2007: Which Is the Stronger XI?
On March 3, 2007, an incredibly strong Manchester United lineup beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield thanks to an injury-time winner from John O'Shea. It was a key marker on their march to the league title, their first for four years and the first of three in a row.
Cristiano Ronaldo was emerging as a global superstar, but the cast around him was more than capable of providing the support he needed.
Ten years and one day later, a slightly weakened Manchester United lineup drew 1-1 with Bournemouth at home, unable to lift themselves out of what seems to be an eternal stay in sixth place in the Premier League.
They have plenty of talented individuals, but a heavy reliance on Zlatan Ibrahimovic meant his off day proved critical.
So how do these two sides stack up against each other? There now follows a 10-round fight as the two teams battle to be crowned heavyweight champions of 21st century Manchester United. A warning for the faint of heart: This one is going to be a bloodbath.
Van Der Sar vs. De Gea!
1 of 11
SPOILER WARNING: A lot of these battles are not going to be particularly close.
But we start with one that is. In 2007, Edwin van der Sar was in his late-blooming prime, finally at a club that matched his talent after a longer-than-seems-reasonable-in-hindsight spell at Fulham.
David De Gea must be in something like his prime. His lightning reflexes and ridiculous spring-like jumping ability are probably his strongest assets, and it would thus seem unlikely he will have a Van der Sar-esque Indian summer to his career, though perhaps he will adapt his game and gain more control over his area as he gets older.
They are both brilliant 'keepers, but the Dutchman nudges ahead of De Gea because he did it for United at the highest level imaginable—a shootout-winning save in a Champions League final is essentially the pinnacle of possible goalkeeping achievement, and Van Der Sar managed to get into Nicolas Anelka's head at just the right time.
His trophy cabinet is also much more glittering than De Gea's, though that is in large part down to the teams he played in. But with margins so fine, it acts as a tiebreaker. De Gea may yet overtake Van der Sar, but for now the No. 1 spot is the Dutchman's.
Judges' decision: 10-9 Van Der Sar. Close but no cigar for 2017.
Neville vs. Valencia!
2 of 11
Antonio Valencia is doing much better than many expected as Jose Mourinho's first-choice right-back, but Gary Neville is one of United's greatest at the position.
Neville's last great run in United's side was in the 2006/07 season, with an injury picked up in March 2007 precipitating a long period in and out of the side before his retirement in 2011.
By 2007, Neville had added significantly to his attacking threat, developing his crossing until it was among the club's best. His defensive positioning had long been superb.
Valencia is important to the current United side, and his power and pace in particular are huge assets. But this is a battle between an adapted winger doing better than expected and one of the game's most storied full-backs. It is a comfortable win for Neville.
Judges' decision: 10-8 in favour of 2007.
Ferdinand and Vidic vs. Jones and Rojo!
3 of 11
This one does not require a great deal of discussion. Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo have generally been fine this season, even having a decent run together.
However, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are in the discussion of the greatest centre-back partnerships of all time, not just at Manchester United. Finding someone who rates Jones and Rojo over two United greats would take a long time indeed.
Judges' decision: 10-8 to 2007. Not a real contest.
Evra vs. Shaw!
4 of 11
Patrice Evra's late-period United career was replete with positioning errors where the permission his manager gave him to bombard up the touchline left his defence a little stretched.
However, in 2007, he was in with a genuine shout at being considered the best left-back on the planet. He owned the flank, safe in the knowledge that Vidic, Ferdinand and Van der Sar had his back if he made a mistake. His presence was instrumental to the structure of the side, allowing wingers to cut in at will.
Luke Shaw, by contrast, is struggling badly. His performance against Bournemouth will have done little to convince his manager he is ready for sterner tests. The potential is still clearly there, but he is nowhere near proven.
Evra, on the other hand, was at the top of his game a decade ago, and in the years that followed, he went on a trophy-hoovering rampage. This one is not quite as easy a call as the previous slide, but it is not a serious contest.
Judges' decision: 10-8 to 2007, and with that, the back five is entirely made up of the team from a decade ago.
Carrick vs. Carrick!
5 of 11
One of two survivors from the 2007 lineup, Michael Carrick is forced to face a decade-old version of himself.
The other player to have to do this will find the situation considerably less comfortable. But where Wayne Rooney's decline since 2007 has been dramatic, Carrick has aged like a fine wine.
His game-reading ability is better than it was then. His passing is even slicker. The 2017 version of Carrick would lose a footrace to 2007 Carrick, but it would not matter, because even that Carrick was hardly quick.
If this had been, say, 2015 Carrick vs. 2007 Carrick, we may have had a no-contest in favour of the older man, but there have been a few signs that he is reaching the end of his career lately, so it is fairly even.
But it is an even contest that the wily old-timer uses his nous to find a way to win and earn this year's side its first victory.
Judges' Decision: 10-9 in favour of 2017 Carrick. Young-man Carrick is sent to lick his wounds, safe in the knowledge he is going to get even better over the coming decade.
Pogba vs. Scholes!
6 of 11
One day, this one might be a contest. But not yet.
Paul Pogba had a poor second half against Bournemouth, spurning a few good chances and pushing harder than seemed helpful to make the killer ball. Even if he had been brilliant, though, playing to the best of his spectacular abilities, he would have lost this one.
By March 2007, Paul Scholes already had six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a Champions League under his belt. Around a year later, he scored one of the most seminal goals in United's history in the semi-final of the 2008 Champions League against Barcelona.
He is a United legend and a legend of the game. Pogba has the potential to become both but is neither yet. One of 2017 United's strongest players, he is unlucky to run into an all-time great here.
Judges' Decision: 10-9 in favour of 2007.
Ronaldo vs. Mata!
7 of 11
Juan Mata is also one of 2017 United's best. But obviously, he is not winning this. By 2007, Cristiano Ronaldo was just on the cusp of becoming Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2007-08 season was when people started to take his status as the best in the world seriously, but it was in 2006-07 that his brilliance started to emerge in earnest and consistently.
Mata is a fine player doing a fine job for United. But Ronaldo is one of the best to ever do it.
Judges' Decision: 10-8 in favour of 2007—not because Mata is bad, but because Ronaldo is Ronaldo.
Giggs vs Martial!
8 of 11
What is evident from going through these matchups is that the team Sir Alex Ferguson put out on March 3, 2007 was one heck of a starting XI.
Ryan Giggs was theoretically winding down by then, aged 33 and surely in the last couple of seasons of his time at the top. History had other ideas. He played for another seven years. The 2006/07 season saw him win his ninth Premier League title. He would win another four before calling it a day in 2014.
By 2007, he still played the odd game out on the wing, though he had begun his remarkable transition to cerebral midfield assassin.
Anthony Martial has already had an enormous impact at United and would be in with a shot at selection in Sir Alex's XI in '07—the idea of him combining with Ronaldo is a scary one. Out of respect for his ability and potential, and because Giggs was already 33 here, this goes down as a narrow victory for another of United's all-time greats.
But truthfully, the result was never in doubt.
Judges' Decision: 10-9 to 2007.
Rooney vs. Rooney!
9 of 11
Carrick may have aged well, but Rooney has not.
The 2007 Wayne Rooney was one of the best players in the world, a huge talent, an incredibly hard worker and a vital part of United's attack.
The 2017 Rooney has paid the price for all that hard work. He has lost some of his physical dominance, his technical ability has suffered and Mourinho has eased him out to the role of squad player. Few would be surprised, and even fewer disappointed, if Rooney left this summer.
But in 2007, to watch Rooney was to be transported to a place of infinite possibility. He was a joyous footballer and went on to have a spectacular career. That it is nearly over at the top level is a shame, but there is much to be celebrated.
Judges' Decision: 10-8 to 2007.
Larsson vs. Zlatan!
10 of 11
The final round sees 2017 United's heavyweight champion step into the ring. And facing Zlatan Ibrahimovic is his old Sweden team-mate Henrik Larsson.
Considering their careers as a whole would probably award a narrow win to Ibrahimovic—in spite of Larsson's excellence—but comparing them both in their mid-30s awards Zlatan a handsome win. Larsson was in the middle of a brief loan cameo back at the top level, having returned to Sweden from Barcelona the previous summer. Ibrahimovic, for better or worse, is United's main man.
Larsson was popular at Old Trafford, with many wishing he had stayed a little longer, but he cannot be favourably compared with a man who already has 26 United goals to his name.
Judges' Decision: 10-8 to 2017.
Result
11 of 11
Final score: 97-87 in favour of 2007.
A dominant victory. In truth, the referee would have had to stop this one, so outmatched were the current crop, the strength of which lies in its potential rather than what it has achieved.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
