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Combined XI: Man Utd 08/09 vs. current City team

By James Fudge

Nominees for the 2011 FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year, Alex Ferguson (L) of Manchester United and Pep Guardiola of Barcelona attend a press conference on January 9, 2012 before the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
Nominees for the 2011 FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year, Alex Ferguson (L) of Manchester United and Pep Guardiola of Barcelona attend a press conference on January 9, 2012 before the FIFA Ballon d'Or award ceremony in Zurich. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Manchester United’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) and Wayne Rooney celebrate Ronaldo’s second goal after scoring the third goal against WIgan Athletic during the Premier league football match at Old Trafford, Manchester, north-west England, 06 October 2007. AFP PHOTO / ANDREW YATES Mobile and website use of domestic English football pictures are subject to obtaining a Photographic End User Licence from Football DataCo Ltd Tel : +44 (0) 207 864 9121 or e-mail accreditations@football-dataco.com – applies to Premier and Football League matches. (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (R) and Wayne Rooney celebrate Ronaldo’s second goal after scoring the third goal against WIgan Athletic during the Premier league football match at Old Trafford, Manchester, north-west England, 06 October 2007. AFP PHOTO / ANDREW YATES Mobile and website use of domestic English football pictures are subject to obtaining a Photographic End User Licence from Football DataCo Ltd Tel : +44 (0) 207 864 9121 or e-mail accreditations@football-dataco.com – applies to Premier and Football League matches. (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images) /

Right Wing – Carlos Tevez, Nani OR Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez

JF – Carlos Tevez has more of a blue heart after he was welcomed to Manchester, however his influence on games during that season fails to influence his selection. Nani was consistently average from my memory, so it goes to our wonderboy – Mr Foden. The youngster’s ceiling is huge and could go along way to becoming a cult hero in a City shirt.

Despite being City’s leading goalscorer last term, Mahrez misses out as he is not the first option on the right anymore.

LG – I’m going with Foden on the right. He has a great sense of goal, a technically gifted player and one of the most creative young players we will witness. His versatility comes from his skill and football intelligence, but this means that he is yet to make a position his own. I expect this to change next season as City’s midfield shifts.

Centre Forward – Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, Louis Saha OR Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez

JF – Erling Haaland has hit the ground running and is already becoming a fan favourite. He will probably score 40 goals this term and win the Golden Boot with a canter, but he’s only played a number of games. Maybe, if this feature is revisited next year, he will be taking Rooney‘s place up front. Manchester United’s greatest goalscorer takes the spot even though, this was not his favoured position.

LG – If we’re talking about Rooney somewhere else in this starting XI, I have to take him. However, Haaland is ridiculous, and I would be ridiculous to leave him out. The manner and variety of the goals he scores, the positions he gets into, the runs he makes, the space he creates and his bullying of defenders, just impossible not to include. The Norwegian has 170 goals at the age of 22, Rooney scored 301 in his whole senior career.

Left Wing – Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs OR Jack Grealish, Cole Palmer

JF – Only one winner for me. The 08-09 Ronaldo was one of the best around and he secured his first Ballon d’Or prior to his greater success in Madrid. Significant skill and goal threat only adds to this team of talents.

LG – Hate it but have to go with Ronaldo. I won’t say anymore on this because it hurts.