http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31677806 Ten years ago current FA Cup holders Arsenal beat Manchester United on penalties to lift the trophy after a goalless encounter at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. The two great rivals - and most successful sides in the competition with 11 victories apiece - meet again at Old Trafford on Monday in the quarter-finals, a match being shown live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website. But which of the players in the current sides, if any, would get into the formidable 2005 Cup final starting line-ups? Former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre, who played for United against the Gunners in the 2005 final before a two-year spell with Arsenal from 2008, picks his combined starting XIs. Manchester United 2005 starting XI: Roy Carroll; Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea; Darren Fletcher, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo; Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy. 2015 starting XI (possible): David De Gea; Antonio Valencia, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw; Daley Blind, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young, Angel Di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao. Arsenal 2005 starting XI: Jens Lehmann; Lauren, Kolo Toure, Philippe Senderos, Ashley Cole; Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Robert Pires; Jose Antonio Reyes, Dennis Bergkamp. 2015 starting XI (probable): David Ospina, Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker, Kieran Gibbs; Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Mezut Ozil; Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud.
My teams............ David De Gea, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea; Michael Carrick, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo; Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Jens Lehmann; Lauren, Kolo Toure, Laurent Koscielny, Ashley Cole; Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Cesc Fabregas, Robert Pires; Alexis Sanchez, Dennis Bergkamp. Not many from both teams today but the 2005 teams were very good.
Also pick a mixed starting 11 which will probably cause more debate. ---------------De Gea----------------- Silvestre-Rio-----Koscielny-Cole ------------Viera--Keane------------ ----------------Scholes--------------- Sanchez--------------------Ronaldo ----------------Bergkamp-------------
Having fun talking to yourself luv? That's a cracking team right there, although personally I'd have Lehmann in goal mainly for comedy value and probably Mertesacker as I've always thought he's good - in place of Koscielny
There's a thread for that somewhere. Here you go........... http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/talking-to-myself
I am going to totally jinx this match. I am going against the consensus of pundits and say that i have more confidence in this team beating Arsenal tonight than i had in 2005. There is no doubt that the 2005 team was more settled and reliable in terms what to expect from it. Only De Gea will get onto that combined side and no one else on current form. But I feel that this arsenal team can be beaten by this LVG side especially at OT. (It will now probably be 2-6 like the City match a few years back which i never saw coming...)
I said that De Gea was the only one that would get into that 2005 team didn't I? And the reason why you put that one up is because of the FA Cup match tomight?
That 2005 Fa cup final was the most one sided in history. We completely dominated them. We werent a good side back then either. Miles off the pace in the premier league and played boring stuff due to RvN being the focal point of the attack.
It say's a lot that, for me, only Carrick, De Gea and Shaw would get into that FA cup final side (Rooney is in both). Shaw at left back obviously, I can't recall exactly who played right back or centre half between Brown and O Shea but regardless both would get in our current side in either position!! We battered Arsenal that day, it wasn't boring at all. It was relentless attacking football and they defended from the first minute to the last with 11 men and the plan was always to play for penalties. ****ers!
I remember that game, Vieira's last game for Arsenal if I recall. Arsenal put on a great defensive display that day, although, as MiR said, United didn't exactly have great penetration in that game. Ronaldo hadn't hit the height of his powers yet either. (Maybe Arsene should show his current defenders a video of the game, show them how to defend).
I was at the game, we had enough chances to win comfortably. Couple of great saves from RVN and Rooney if my Cruzcampo and Rioja addled head was watching correctly and we dominated in a more than just a pointless possession style from start to finish. Best bit's of the day were Norman Whiteside shambling upstairs into La Tasca where we all were clutching a bottle of Siglo and one glass and joining in with us pre match and having a pint with Dennis Irwin after the match. (or rather, talking at Dennis Irwin in a pub). They say never meet your heroes, well I'm glad I met two that day. The game itself was ****e. Because we lost.
Silvestre: "At the moment, it is too early to drop Wayne Rooney into midfield. When you are a defender, the thing you hate most is a player running in behind you. Wayne still has enough energy to break the line and has an eye for goal. He can do well in midfield but you would rather see him doing the damage up front." Why is it that literally the whole world is saying this, but your manager is too stupid to see it?
Can't be arsed to pick a team but Silvestre wouldn't be in it. He wouldn't be in any team regardless of who the other options are as he was ****ing gash.
Didnt mean the final was boring. We were ****e that season though and miles off the pace. Apparently we were finished as a club. Chelsea were going to dominate along with arsenal and european champions liverpool. Ronaldo only had one trick anf we had already made rooney far worse than he was at everton. People were calling for Fergies head too. Keane left shortly after and we signed 1 midfielder of note between 2005 and 2014.
Pretty sure it was O'Shea at RB, Silvestre at LB as Heinze was injured. Tbh I'd consider a defence of Brown at RB, Rio and Rojo at CB and Shaw at LB. O'Shea by then was being shunted around too much to be a solid defender any more, and Silvestre was a liability. Can't tell if Silvestre's taking the piss by putting himself at CB, or genuinely did think he was any good. Also agree with Carrick and De Gea being in, and Rooney obviously. Only other question mark for me is Ronaldo. People are judging him now based on how he was in his last four seasons, but in his first two he was damn inconsistent and utterly frustrating. Pretty much the same as Di Maria, Januzaj and Young are now, so it would be pretty touch and go between those two. But what the hell, Ronaldo gets the nod cos people would cry otherwise. My team would be: ---------------De Gea -Brown----Rio----Rojo----Shaw-- ---------Keane----Carrick--- -Ronaldo--Scholes--Rooney--- ----------------RVP
It was definitely Silvestre left back. Brown could have been right back or centre half, with O Shea vice versa. Of the combined sides I'd go with yours but Brown at centre half instead of Rojo and Johnny O Shea at right back.
