Last night Sir Alex Ferguson was able to field what appears to be his first choice pairing in central midfield: Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes. Fletcher was good, but Scholes was in another league altogether (104 passes completed in the match). Scholes, who will turn 36 during the course of this season, has played two games in the last week and been the best player on the pitch in both of them. Fletcher has gradually ensured that he has become one of Ferguson’s most dependable performers of the last two years, and together with Scholes, they form a very good combination at Old Trafford. The problem for United and Ferguson is when one of the two doesn’t play.
For the position concerned, Ferguson’s other options include Michael Carrick, Anderson, Darron Gibson and at some point perhaps, Owen Hargreaves. Both Ryan Giggs and Ji-Sung Park have been deployed centrally at times, and are options, but are still preferred in wider positions or just off a lone striker. Of the four players originally mentioned, none have convinced over the last season and when called upon during this season, as they inevitably will be, they will have to try and match the standards set by Scholes and Fletcher if United are to triumph this season.
It is difficult to even consider Hargreaves as a realistic option at the moment, having missed 113 matches for United in the last 20 months, and making just three league appearances in the last two and a half years. With still no fixed return date for his return, it is an unfortunate situation for both the club and what could be a valuable asset to Ferguson. Hargreaves will turn 30 in January and his career hangs in the balance.
Anderson has stuttered after a decent start to his United career: the Brazilian has been out with knee ligament damage since February and has managed to irk his manager with a return to his home country without the club’s permission, as well as a car crash on his way home from a Lisbon nightclub during the early hours of a morning last July. The player has undoubted talent, but will need to a change of attitude as well as a great deal of hard work to get back on good terms with both Ferguson and the United fans.
For Darron Gibson, one the latest batch in Man Utd’s conveyor belt of a youth academy to earn regular match time (23 appearances last season), this season will be far less forgiving than previous years. In October, Gibson will be 23, and with it goes the leeway afforded to young players: there comes a time in a player’s career whereby potential must become talent, and poor performances or indecision can no longer be put down to either naivety or inexperience. This season may be the deciding factor in whether Gibson can cut it on a regular basis at Old Trafford or take a step down.
The most frustrating situation for United has been Michael Carrick. Two years ago he was a first choice pick in the side, and since his move from Spurs he showed that Ferguson was right to part with what totalled to £18.6m. However, the re-emergence of Scholes in the twilight of his career has pegged Carrick down in the pecking order and he has struggled to find his real form without a decent run of games. He is more than capable of playing consistently well for a club of United’s stature but he must now appreciate that on current form is his the third pick for two places. If there is an injury to Scholes or Fletcher, of if Ferguson feels that Scholes can’t complete forty odd games over the course of the season, then Carrick must play better than he has ever done over the last year to force himself back into contention.
The midfield support cast will have to provide the club with required support if United are to reclaim the title from Chelsea in what is a marathon of a season. Scholes and Fletcher have set the standard, the rest must follow.
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