4 players to start in midfield

Originally Posted by celtbion

You think he has played two bad games in the past six months of football and claiming others have short memories?

Carrick was an important signing at a time when our midfield options were truly dire. He improved the standard. At his purring best, he even looked like a top player. However, through a combination of being asked to play second fiddle to Scholes (something I complained about repeatedly as a factor in his shaky confidence), the guy has never really made the Utd midfield his own. He's at his peak now. Has three seasons with Utd under his belt. I'd expect him to be better. I'd expect him to look less nervous than he does - and I'm not talking about his penalty miss.

As is, Fletcher is the one who's really putting Carrick's place under pressure. I think they're similar players. One is increasingly looking indespensible, the other is not.

Arguments will centre around who should play alongside Fletcher as the season progresses.

Is Carrick a good foil? I don't think so.

Hargreaves could do well alongside Fletcher but really we're looking at the experienced but solid options of Giggs and Scholes or the dodgy inexperienced ones of Anderson and Gibson.

My own feeling is that if Gibson can grab a couple of goals early on this year, Ferguson will increasingly favour him. Games like Burnley away against packed defences, someone who can take an accurate pot from distance would be very useful.

Have you ever actually seen Gibson play?

He was out performed in the reserves on Monday by 17 year old Matt James, while he was on the pitch, by some distance too.

He really isn't very good.

Originally Posted by dunk

Have you ever actually seen Gibson play?

He was out performed in the reserves on Monday by 17 year old Matt James, while he was on the pitch, by some distance too.

He really isn't very good.

He's Irish.

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[SIZE="1"]he gets around, doesn't he?

Originally Posted by dunk

Have you ever actually seen Gibson play?

He was out performed in the reserves on Monday by 17 year old Matt James, while he was on the pitch, by some distance too.

He really isn't very good.

Eikrem looked impressive when he came on as well, he changed the game.

Originally Posted by dunk

Have you ever actually seen Gibson play?

He was out performed in the reserves on Monday by 17 year old Matt James, while he was on the pitch, by some distance too.

He really isn't very good.

bit silly to use a single match to draw conclusions, isn't it? gibson's performances for the first team over the last year have been pretty impressive and he's clearly making a lot of progress. it's often the case the first-teamers who drop down into the reserves get outplayed by the kids. it doesn't mean they're worse players.

i'm not saying gibson is the next big thing, or that he should be in the first 11 ahead of anderson or carrick , just that he is a decent player who hasn't looked out of place when playing in the middle in a few meaningless pre-season friendlies against crap opposition. i can see development there, if it continues he might be a player for us.

Originally Posted by Sandman

Eikrem looked impressive when he came on as well, he changed the game.

thought the same myself, if he keeps on developing he could be a really good player, i just fear that he is still a bit lightweight for first team football.

Originally Posted by rebelcountyred

thought the same myself, if he keeps on developing he could be a really good player, i just fear that he is still a bit lightweight for first team football.

Ole was talking about him in an interview in Norway not long ago and he said.

"His development is going in the right direction - he reminds me a bit about myself when it comes to physical development. But he will probably be a bit bigger than I am. I have told him to be patient. Once he is fully developed - he will be a fabolous player. "

I think he looks a good player, but some of the people who've been watching him since he arrived don't think he's got a chance of making it here. He could be a late developer like Scholes was.

Three games into the season and new signing Valencia is the first name on the teamsheet as far as the midfield goes.

Has he been that good or are the rest just equally shit and cancel eachother out

Ive not seen a single game this season after the Charity Shield, circumstances have conspired against me

Originally Posted by Don Stuarte

Three games into the season and new signing Valencia is the first name on the teamsheet as far as the midfield goes.

Has he been that good or are the rest just equally shit and cancel eachother out

Ive not seen a single game this season after the Charity Shield, circumstances have conspired against me

fletcher

Originally Posted by borsuk

bit silly to use a single match to draw conclusions, isn't it? gibson's performances for the first team over the last year have been pretty impressive and he's clearly making a lot of progress. it's often the case the first-teamers who drop down into the reserves get outplayed by the kids. it doesn't mean they're worse players.

i'm not saying gibson is the next big thing, or that he should be in the first 11 ahead of anderson or carrick , just that he is a decent player who hasn't looked out of place when playing in the middle in a few meaningless pre-season friendlies against crap opposition. i can see development there, if it continues he might be a player for us.

Nor would I, but Celtbion seems convinced that Gibson is a World beater who hasn't been given a chance yet He has a fair bit of talent, I'm just not sure if he is going to have enough. He certainly hasn't yet.

Originally Posted by borsuk

fletcher

I meant in the poll

Originally Posted by dunk

Have you ever actually seen Gibson play?

He was out performed in the reserves on Monday by 17 year old Matt James, while he was on the pitch, by some distance too.

He really isn't very good.

I've been watching him play since he was 17 I guess.

Haven't seen much of James but he's reputedly a great talent.

As for being outplayed in the reserves, the first team lads that drop down are only there for a runaround. Gibson was making an impression at that level two or three years ago and has moved on.

Originally Posted by dunk

Nor would I, but Celtbion seems convinced that Gibson is a World beater who hasn't been given a chance yet He has a fair bit of talent, I'm just not sure if he is going to have enough. He certainly hasn't yet.

The guy is big, blocky, has a great range of passing and a cracking shot on him. He also, of late, has started to use his strength more, few more tackles, hard to dispossess.

I would say he has had a small bit of a an attitude problem. Resting on his laurels a little.

There's an element in Ireland that want Glenn Whelan of Stoke in the national side ahead of him so I appreciate that not everyone sees what the fuss is about. Ole's comment about him being the Ferrari that can't get out of the garage some days is apt.

I just want to see him get 15-20 games this year minimum. A run in the side so he can try and develop that consistency. If he gets that time and doesn't impress, fair enough, I was wrong.

My feeling is that, much as I was being slaughtered on RI years ago for advocating Fletcher (ultimately I almost gave up on him), centre mids take their time to develop and you don't see the best of them until their mid-20s. He got that time, imo, because he was Scottish. I haven't a problem with that, as the Ronaldo situation shows, it's worth being a bit biased towards players from the home countries because, for them, spending their career at a club like United is a dream and they can become the backbone of multiple title winning sides much as Giggs, Scholes, Neville have done.

Gibson, Fletcher, Welbeck, Evans, Foster, Rooney - there's the backbone of the team for 10 years. Forget your Macaraninhos. We've had two such mercenaries £#%&! off this summer and good riddance.

I don't actually want to get into Carrick bashing. He's a good player and well ahead of the young guys like Anderson and Gibson now. He's had purple patches at Utd where he's looked a great player. I just think he's at his peak and he's not someone who'll ever be reliable in midfield. Far too inconsistent and that's not going to change at this stage. At least there's hope with a youngster.

I would agree with almost everything in your post, Celt, Gibson will get his 15-20 games, but he isn't ready to be chosen ahead of the senior midfielders we have, so he has to wait and earn his chance. Something he hasn't really done, imo, as yet.

Your point on Carrick, however, is %@#$&!s. For 3 years he has been far and away our most and probably only, consistent midfield player. He is having a dip in form, not related to injury, for the first time since he got here. The man is a truly marvellous player and given a few games to play this lack of confidence out of his system, will be our most important midfield player, without question.

What he needs is decent players to play with, he isn't a 1 man midfield in the way a Keane or Robson could be, and he gets a lot of unwarranted shit for that. He's a passer/playmaker, if he has no £#%&!er to pass to, he's struggling a bit.

ladies and gentlemen

in central midfield today for Manchester United are

*drumroll perlease*


Darron Gibson and Darren Fletcher

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

ladies and gentlemen

in central midfield today for Manchester United are

*drumroll perlease*


Darron Gibson and Darren Fletcher

I just find that hilarious.

Fletcher was the bedrock of our best performances last season.

Still not rated in some quarters.

Originally Posted by celtbion

I just find that hilarious.

Fletcher was the bedrock of our best performances last season.

Still not rated in some quarters.

Oh I rate him, nqat

I wouldn't call him the bedrock of our best performances though, that's just an itsy bitsy bit far fetched.

He hardly got a game for us in 2007/08.

Which is interesting.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Oh I rate him, nqat

I wouldn't call him the bedrock of our best performances though, that's just an itsy bitsy bit far fetched.

He hardly got a game for us in 2007/08.

Which is interesting.

More interesting are the stats when he plays.

Valencia Carrick Fletcher Nani

this poll has really cleared things up for me.

Well as far as I'm concerned Fletcher is a very good and much improved player. But far better players than him improve over time as well.

I think your point about the stats is mis-conceived.