Man United season review – how good was the midfield if Darren Fletcher was the best midfielder • 06.01.10
In happier times for the United midfield
Enough has been written about the forward line. We are just going to concentrate on the mid-field.
We are not considering the out and out wing players for this post and that leaves out Nani and Valencia.
Owen Hargreaves – Had been pursued relentlessly by Ferguson to fill the void left by Roy Keane’s departure – a weakness cruelly exposed by Gennaro Gattuso and AC Milan in the Champions League Semis in 2007. Repaid the faith and part of the massive transfer fee with a fine 2008-09 season and then went missing. It’s surprising that the absence of Ronaldo and Tevez was brought up all the time but no one seemed to be missing Hargreaves. His presence could be a huge boost for 2010-11 especially against the bigger clubs.
Anderson – He was the reason why many united fans weren’t overly worried about missing Hargreaves (at the start of the season). The Brazilian had made a fine impression and had often relegated Hargreaves to the substitute’s bench. With the former Bayern midfielder out, Anderson was expected to start most of the games. But in the season his manager needed him the most, the Brazilian simply went missing; not even offering a semblance of competition for the starting role.
Fletcher has been United's only reliable ball winner in midfield
Darren Fletcher the destroyer – With Hargreaves out and Anderson struggling with form, Darren Fletcher’s continued excellence from last season came to Fergie’s rescue. As United’s sole ball-winning midfielder, he was always a guaranteed selection in the playing eleven. He had another fine season and made crucial contributions in many key games but didn’t take the next big step in his development. He still isn’t in the same league as Owen Hargreaves, especially when it comes to big European nights.
Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes – Even on their last legs, they had a lot to offer. Scored important goals and did more than enough to justify another contract extension. But they had stretches of poor form and cannot be counted on to play for 90 minutes. More like ‘Impact making players off the bench’ to borrow a term from the NBA.
Michael Carrick – Regressed beyond imagination. So much so that he is a contender for the worst United player of the season. Devoid of his usual creativity and cultured passing, he was also guilty of giving up possession in dangerous positions. His nadir was the Champions League semi-final against Bayern. Is surprising that Berbatov’s form and possible departure from Old Trafford is constantly being discussed but nobody is speculating Carrick’s future.
Darren Fletcher the attacking force – Once again Darren Fletcher came to the rescue. Other than the duo of Giggs and Scholes, Fletcher was United’s only other goal scoring threat from midfield. Over the course of the season, he was United’s most consistent and effective attacking midfielder as well. And he managed to do so without significantly developing his attacking prowess. Quite simply, he was the only midfielder who was always available and always playing at an effective level.
Gibson can shoot but what else can he do?
Darren Gibson – Had a decent season with some fine long range strikes but showed nothing else. Didn’t raise any hope that he could be a regular in the United midfield of the future. Well, he could be if the likes of Anderson and Carrick continue to play at the same level. Otherwise, he could become the midfield version of Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer – sent on to nick a goal in the end.
This was a difficult season where the United midfield got little or no contribution from three vital members of their squad – Hargreaves, Anderson and Carrick. As a result, the midfield was significantly lacking in both flair and steel. And thanks to that a very average player like Darren Fletcher was their outstanding midfielder of the year – offensively as well as defensively. He didn’t have an exceptional year; barely improving from the standards he set last year.
The only other competitors for the best midfielder mantle were Giggs and Scholes and as a result the Irishman was a runaway winner – clearly indicative of how bad United’s midfield was last year – no offense meant but the tirelessly hardworking Fletcher is at best a homeless man’s Roy Keane.
United were fortunate that their wing players including the excellent Patrick Evra did well to shoulder a lot of the offensive load.
So, what is the outlook for next year? Does Fergie need any reinforcements?
The positive outlook is that Hargreaves will return and Anderson and Carrick have already hit their lowest ebbs; meaning they can only do better next year. Such a scenario will once again give a very healthy and flexible look to United’s midfield. Will give Ferguson the leeway to sparingly use the likes of Giggs and Scholes and thereby extend their United careers further. In such a situation, the transfer kitty can be spent on strikers and a goalkeeper.
But there is also the possibility that Hargreaves will never fully recover and therefore never be the player he once was and Carrick and Anderson will also struggle to recapture their best form. This will lead to a multitude of problems – United will lose ground in the title race (don’t expect Chelsea to keep faltering like last year); Fergie will be forced to make a distress purchase in the January transfer window (fewer players available, inflated prices and possibly the player will just be a short term fix) and the market value of Anderson and Carrick will nosedive after another poor season.
Fergie like always will trust Carrick and Anderson to bounce back. But a signing or two will be a good contingency measure. And sooner or later replacements have to be found for Scholes and Giggs. Signing them now will give the players time to ease into the United system. A signing could have been avoided but none of the talented youngsters looks to be closing in on a first team breakthrough.
I rarely disagree with Fergie’s decisions. But I will be hugely disappointed if there are no additions to the United midfield. I cannot bear the thought of another season with Darren Fletcher as our best midfielder!!!
