Bizarre!! The Worst Manchester United and Arsenal Combined XI

Nov 19, 2016 at 2:58 PM

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Bizarre!! The Worst Manchester United and Arsenal Combined XI

With the first Mourinho v Wenger league fixture of the season upon us, we thought we’d take a look at the combined WORST XI that the two teams have fielded against each other in the Premier League era. We’re going for a 4-4-2 formation.

Goalkeeper – Nick Culkin (Manchester United)

Nick Culkin is not very well known, but he holds the record for the shortest ever debut in the Premier League. In 1999 at Highbury, Culkin replaced the injured Raimond van der Gouw in stoppage time.

The Goalkeeper took a free-kick and the referee blew the full-time whistle. Culkin was in live play for no more than 12 seconds. He never made a Premier League appearance for Manchester United again.

Left Back – Sebastien Squillaci (Arsenal)

Sebastien Squillaci is regarded as a strange signing for the Gunners.

The French defender made 22 appearances during the 10/11 season. One of those was a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford, in which Park Ji-Sung scored, beating Squillaci to a header.

He made a total of 23 league appearances for Arsenal before moving to Bastia in 2013.

Centre Back – Johan Djourou (Arsenal)

Djourou was part of the Arsenal team who were destroyed 8-2 at Old Trafford. He wasn’t the worst defender we’ve ever seen, but being on the end of such a humiliation landed him on our team-sheet.

The Swiss defender never made the big-time with Arsenal and eventually left of a permanent deal to Hamburger SV, in 2014.

Centre Back – Igors Stepanovs (Arsenal)

Arsenal have had a host of shocking defenders to choose from and so we had no choice than to pick three of our back four from North London.

Igors Stepanovs joins us for his for running-on-ice performance in 2001, when Arsenal lost 6-1 to Manchester United. The defence was that poor, they’d conceded five goals by half time.

Right Back – John Curtis (Manchester United)

John Curtis joins us as the only outfield defender representing Manchester United.

He was part of the defence which failed to follow Marc Overmars. The Dutchman fired a decisive winner for the Gunners on their way to the double in 1998.

Curtis went on to have a very respectable career in the lower leagues of English Football, but his mistakes in 1998 lead him onto the Worst XI list.

Left Midfield – Glenn Helder (Arsenal)

The Dutch winger played in both the Arsenal v Manchester United fixture during the 1995/96 season. Upon Arsene Wenger taking charge at Highbury, he rid the team of the winger and replaced him with countryman Marc Overmars. We all know how that went.

As a passenger in both fixtures and not having any other wingers to really toy with, Glenn makes our squad. Welcome!

Central Midfield – Eric Djemba Djemba (Manchester United)

The midfielder so good* they named him twice! [*bad]

Djemba-Djemba arrived at Old Trafford with high hopes. He fulfilled none of them and was swiftly sent packing to Aston Villa, in 2005.

Eric played in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal and was pretty average. He is up there with one of Fergie’s worst ever signings and for that reason, he joins us.

Central Midfield – Anderson (Manchester United)

Anderson was a shambles from start to finish. The Brazilian joined Manchester United after winning the Golden Boy award in 2007. Alex Ferguson had high aspirations for the midfielder, but he turned out to be another Eric Djemba-Djemba type.

Fortunately he played in an Arsenal v Manchester United fixture and so can be included alongside his predecessor.

Anderson suffered from many injuries and weight issues when at Old Trafford. Upon leaving back to his native Brazil, the midfielder was seen taking oxygen by the pitch-side after being substituted.

Right Midfield – Jimmy Carter (Arsenal)

After being a flop at Liverpool, Jimmy Carter joined Arsenal to everybody’s surprise. The winger, who shares a name with a former US President, played in two Manchester United v Arsenal fixtures between 1992 and 1994. Both ended 0-0.

Carter left the Gunners for Oxford United in 1995 and subsequently returned to Milwall, whom he’d had a very successful spell at; before his move to Merseyside.

Forward – Marouane Chamakh (Arsenal)

Moroccan, Marouane Chamakh makes the list for his series of missed gilt-edged chances in a December 2010 fixture.

The forward missed a simple header and then later in the same game had a ‘must score’ moment blocked by Nemanja Vidic. Although it was great defending, it would have been easier to score.

Chamakh had scored 7 goals by December 2010, which by all accounts was a good sum. However he also ended that season on 7, which wasn’t so great.

Forward – Radamel Falcao (Manchester United)

Some may disagree here as he has had a solid career overall and is regarded a ‘World Class’ player. But Falcao’s time in Manchester (and London, when with Chelsea) was truly appalling.

The Colombian joined Old Trafford to the fans excitement, but left after one season having scored a measly four goals.

Fans hoped that in fixtures versus the likes of Arsenal he’d come alive, but he didn’t. In fact I don’t think I’ve seen a worse performance from a forward in said fixture… Apart from Chamakh, of course.

 

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