bennymc2007
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Link to download is at the bottom of this post!
Hello folks,
Have you ever wondered if today's Man Utd stars could stand toe-to-toe with the Busby Babes? How might the Fergie Fledglings fair against Big Ron's cup specialists? Are the 1968 side the greatest of all? Well here's your chance to put your theories to the test with my
United Legends database!
I have released this database before, but I'm really quite proud of the FM13 version because for the first time since the original release for FM10, I've been able to conduct some more research and as a result, the teams, players and staff are more accurate and in-depth than ever; from the Under 18's to the club directors, I've spent many hours poring over tomes and looking under rocks to make this edition better than ever. Enough waffle though, here's the teams...
1909 Man Utd
Probably the most unfamiliar of all the sides to modern eyes, but this was the first time a team under the name "Manchester United" had tasted any success. Boasting the original Welsh Wizard, one Billy Meredith, the 1908 FA Cup winners and 1909 league winners didn't produce a lasting legacy, but they did set the wheels in motion for what the club became. Are you up for probably the biggest challenge of all the United sides?
Manager: Ernest Mangnall
Captain: Charlie Roberts
Star players: Billy Meredith, Alec Bell, Charlie Roberts, Sandy Turnbull
Playing style: In real life, like all teams at this time, they played a 2-3-5 system that pre-dated the offside rule. Now, of course, it's completely defunct, so this 1909 side plays a 3-4-3 instead. It's not perfect, but it does suit them.
1948 Man Utd
Matt Busby's first great side. Only 3 years after joining the club, Busby was polishing the silverware on a shiny FA Cup. Sadly, during many of the players' prime years, there was a war going on; but despite their age, this was a very talented and able side. Their legacy? Well, we all know who was knocking on the door. Can you bring the talent through as Busby did?
Manager: Matt Busby
Captain: Allenby Chilton
Star players: Charlie Mitten, Allenby Chilton, Stan Pearson, Billy McGlen
Playing style: By this time, the most common formation was a W-M, but again, this doesn't exist any more. Instead, this incarnation will play a 4-2-3-1 with 2 defensive midfielders.
1957 Man Utd
Tragically cut short before they even hit their prime, the Busby Babes are probably the most famous of all Man United's historical teams, certainly the most fabled. While they were not tactical innovators, they captured the hearts of not only Manchester, but of any who saw them play. The young Babes helped bring the title to Old Trafford for the first time since 1909, something that had eluded Busby's previous side. The potential is huge, are you able to realise it?
Manager: Matt Busby
Captain: Roger Byrne
Star players: Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Roger Byrne
Style of play: Pretty much the same as the 1948 side.
1968 Man Utd
Matt Busby had always dreamed of conquering Europe. Finally, in 1968, his dream was realised when the last of his great United teams overcame Benfica at Wembley by 4 goals to 2. This side might not have played the prettiest football, but their frontline was particularly potent and if it wasn't for a strong Man City side pipping them to the post in the league, they would have won more than just the European Cup. Are you the one to bring them that success?
Manager: Sir Matt Busby
Captain: Bobby Charlton
Star players: George Best, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Nobby StilesStyle of play: 4-3-3. It's the best way to unleash the 'Holy Trinity' while not conceding!This side was very direct (short passes were certainly not their speciality) and creative in the final third.
1977 Man Utd
After Busby's retirement, then re-appointment, then retirement again, things at United were a little turbulent. After Louis Edwards took control of the club, some stability returned and Tommy Docherty was the beneficiary of that. Despite not being able to compete with the mighty Liverpool on the league title front, Docherty's side famously denied them an historic Treble with a 2-1 win in the 1977 FA Cup final. That alone is enough to immortalise them, but can you take them to the next level?
Manager: Tommy Docherty
Captain: Martin Buchan
Star players: Steve Coppell, Gordon Hill, Martin Buchan, Sammy McIlroy
Playing style: 4-4-2 had become the dominant formation in England and with 2 exceptional wingers, United were quite good at it! Docherty's side was renowned for its attacking prowess.
1985 Man Utd
'Big Ron' Atkinson took the helm at United in 1981 after the disappointingly pragmatic reign of Dave Sexton. Atkinson had buildt his reputation in the lower leagues and at West Brom. His decision to bring his Baggies captain Bryan Robson with him to Old Trafford proved to be a master stroke. While not competing for titles, Atkinson built a side that was exciting to watch and something of a cup specialist as evident by their FA Cup winners medals 1983 and 1985. With talent and experience in the ranks, can you go one better than Atkinson and win the league?
Manager: Ron Atkinson
Captain: Bryan Robson
Star players: Mark Hughes, Bryan Robson, Jesper Olsen, Frank Stapleton
Playing style: Still 4-4-2, still wing play and attacking football. These were starting to become United hallmarks.
1994 Man Utd
While technically, this side were not the original batch of 'Fergie's Fledglings', they were certainly the most successful. 1994's Double winners of league and FA Cup represented an early peak in Alex Ferguson's Man United career. He had some success in Europe and indeed, domestically before 1994, but this side was to go down in history as the first of his successful sides. How will you oversee the phasing out of United's older players in favour of the young players knocking on the door?
Manager: Alex Ferguson
Captain: Bryan Robson
Star players: Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis
Playing style: On paper it's a 4-4-2, but with Cantona's tendency to drop deep and the wingers advancing forward, it typically played out as more of a modern 4-2-3-1. Like all Ferguson sides, wingers were prominent and the strategy was to attack.
1999 Man Utd
Like Matt Busby before him, Ferguson had one ambition, to rule Europe. In 1999, in the most dramatic and thrilling of circumstances, United won not only the Champions League trophy, but an unprecedented Treble of league, FA Cup and European wins in one season. Some say this was United's greatest side of all time, care to find out why?
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Captain: Roy Keane
Star players: Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke, David Beckham, Roy Keane
Playing style: Similar to the '94 side, the 4-4-2 would often become a 4-2-3-1, but in this case it was predominately a 4-4-2 utilising Giggs on the left wing and Beckham as a wide midfielder on the right.
Hello folks,
Have you ever wondered if today's Man Utd stars could stand toe-to-toe with the Busby Babes? How might the Fergie Fledglings fair against Big Ron's cup specialists? Are the 1968 side the greatest of all? Well here's your chance to put your theories to the test with my
United Legends database!
I have released this database before, but I'm really quite proud of the FM13 version because for the first time since the original release for FM10, I've been able to conduct some more research and as a result, the teams, players and staff are more accurate and in-depth than ever; from the Under 18's to the club directors, I've spent many hours poring over tomes and looking under rocks to make this edition better than ever. Enough waffle though, here's the teams...
1909 Man Utd
Probably the most unfamiliar of all the sides to modern eyes, but this was the first time a team under the name "Manchester United" had tasted any success. Boasting the original Welsh Wizard, one Billy Meredith, the 1908 FA Cup winners and 1909 league winners didn't produce a lasting legacy, but they did set the wheels in motion for what the club became. Are you up for probably the biggest challenge of all the United sides?
Manager: Ernest Mangnall
Captain: Charlie Roberts
Star players: Billy Meredith, Alec Bell, Charlie Roberts, Sandy Turnbull
Playing style: In real life, like all teams at this time, they played a 2-3-5 system that pre-dated the offside rule. Now, of course, it's completely defunct, so this 1909 side plays a 3-4-3 instead. It's not perfect, but it does suit them.
1948 Man Utd
Matt Busby's first great side. Only 3 years after joining the club, Busby was polishing the silverware on a shiny FA Cup. Sadly, during many of the players' prime years, there was a war going on; but despite their age, this was a very talented and able side. Their legacy? Well, we all know who was knocking on the door. Can you bring the talent through as Busby did?
Manager: Matt Busby
Captain: Allenby Chilton
Star players: Charlie Mitten, Allenby Chilton, Stan Pearson, Billy McGlen
Playing style: By this time, the most common formation was a W-M, but again, this doesn't exist any more. Instead, this incarnation will play a 4-2-3-1 with 2 defensive midfielders.
1957 Man Utd
Tragically cut short before they even hit their prime, the Busby Babes are probably the most famous of all Man United's historical teams, certainly the most fabled. While they were not tactical innovators, they captured the hearts of not only Manchester, but of any who saw them play. The young Babes helped bring the title to Old Trafford for the first time since 1909, something that had eluded Busby's previous side. The potential is huge, are you able to realise it?
Manager: Matt Busby
Captain: Roger Byrne
Star players: Duncan Edwards, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Roger Byrne
Style of play: Pretty much the same as the 1948 side.
1968 Man Utd
Matt Busby had always dreamed of conquering Europe. Finally, in 1968, his dream was realised when the last of his great United teams overcame Benfica at Wembley by 4 goals to 2. This side might not have played the prettiest football, but their frontline was particularly potent and if it wasn't for a strong Man City side pipping them to the post in the league, they would have won more than just the European Cup. Are you the one to bring them that success?
Manager: Sir Matt Busby
Captain: Bobby Charlton
Star players: George Best, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, Nobby StilesStyle of play: 4-3-3. It's the best way to unleash the 'Holy Trinity' while not conceding!This side was very direct (short passes were certainly not their speciality) and creative in the final third.
1977 Man Utd
After Busby's retirement, then re-appointment, then retirement again, things at United were a little turbulent. After Louis Edwards took control of the club, some stability returned and Tommy Docherty was the beneficiary of that. Despite not being able to compete with the mighty Liverpool on the league title front, Docherty's side famously denied them an historic Treble with a 2-1 win in the 1977 FA Cup final. That alone is enough to immortalise them, but can you take them to the next level?
Manager: Tommy Docherty
Captain: Martin Buchan
Star players: Steve Coppell, Gordon Hill, Martin Buchan, Sammy McIlroy
Playing style: 4-4-2 had become the dominant formation in England and with 2 exceptional wingers, United were quite good at it! Docherty's side was renowned for its attacking prowess.
1985 Man Utd
'Big Ron' Atkinson took the helm at United in 1981 after the disappointingly pragmatic reign of Dave Sexton. Atkinson had buildt his reputation in the lower leagues and at West Brom. His decision to bring his Baggies captain Bryan Robson with him to Old Trafford proved to be a master stroke. While not competing for titles, Atkinson built a side that was exciting to watch and something of a cup specialist as evident by their FA Cup winners medals 1983 and 1985. With talent and experience in the ranks, can you go one better than Atkinson and win the league?
Manager: Ron Atkinson
Captain: Bryan Robson
Star players: Mark Hughes, Bryan Robson, Jesper Olsen, Frank Stapleton
Playing style: Still 4-4-2, still wing play and attacking football. These were starting to become United hallmarks.
1994 Man Utd
While technically, this side were not the original batch of 'Fergie's Fledglings', they were certainly the most successful. 1994's Double winners of league and FA Cup represented an early peak in Alex Ferguson's Man United career. He had some success in Europe and indeed, domestically before 1994, but this side was to go down in history as the first of his successful sides. How will you oversee the phasing out of United's older players in favour of the young players knocking on the door?
Manager: Alex Ferguson
Captain: Bryan Robson
Star players: Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis
Playing style: On paper it's a 4-4-2, but with Cantona's tendency to drop deep and the wingers advancing forward, it typically played out as more of a modern 4-2-3-1. Like all Ferguson sides, wingers were prominent and the strategy was to attack.
1999 Man Utd
Like Matt Busby before him, Ferguson had one ambition, to rule Europe. In 1999, in the most dramatic and thrilling of circumstances, United won not only the Champions League trophy, but an unprecedented Treble of league, FA Cup and European wins in one season. Some say this was United's greatest side of all time, care to find out why?
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Captain: Roy Keane
Star players: Jaap Stam, Dwight Yorke, David Beckham, Roy Keane
Playing style: Similar to the '94 side, the 4-4-2 would often become a 4-2-3-1, but in this case it was predominately a 4-4-2 utilising Giggs on the left wing and Beckham as a wide midfielder on the right.
2003 Man Utd
Of all of Ferguson's United sides, this one has the misfortune to go down as one of the least successful, despite having an embarrassment of riches throughout the squad. That said, they did win a league title together and were unlucky to come up against some superb sides domestically (Arsenal) and in Europe (Real Madrid). Can you achieve success with them where Ferguson could not?
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Captain: Roy Keane
Star players: Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane, David Beckham
Playing style: The same as '94 and '03, this side was a by the books Fergie side. Wings, 4-4-2/4-2-3-1.
2008 Man Utd
Last, but certainly not least, it's Ferguson's 4th great side, the Double winners of 2008. Boasting the world's finest attacking talent at the time in one Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferguson was finally able to add to his tally of European trophies and in doing so, introduced an attacking flair that had not been seen in a United side for many years. This side was dominant and littered with talent. How dominant can you make this side?
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Captain: Gary Neville
Star players: Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney
Playing style: It's difficult to replicate the Roma inspired 4-6-0 that United perfected in this season, but its shape resembles that of a 4-3-3 and like the rest of Ferguson's side, the focus is to attack through the wings.
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