fringe players should take a look at super darren fletcher and think ......

they don't have to look any further than Ole to see the possible rewards of being in the squad.

Originally Posted by Stan_Tier2

"one swallow doesnt make a summer"

hes never produced this form consistently

Because he has never had a consistent run.

He is a very good squad player and always will be.

Fletcher, Hargreaves, Carrick, Scholes and maybe Gibson and our options in centre mid look very good for then coming years.

I would like to say that I was impressed with how Carrick came back from that early miss, didn't let it affect his overall game.

Scholes did well in front of the Fletcher and Carrick partnership but I think (again) there is a lot to be said with going with the F+C combo in a 4-4-2 as well, starting with Milan away.

There are still a few players out there last night that we should be moving on in the summer (and quite profitably too). I would keep one of Silvestre or Heinze but definitely sell on Brown and O'Shea. They've done alright when called upon here but I'd view it as merely being the ideal shop window.

Evans and Pique are a better class of player than those and we need to make the requisite space for them.

If this is to prove another 1999, we need to learn from our mistakes that year and exploit the opportunity of being a side that anyone would want to join to make a few key personnel changes and cash in on squad players who are getting their profiles improved with this run in the CL.

There is a medium term battle ahead with Arsenal, in particular, to dominate the tail end of this decade and we'll be handily placed if we make the right changes now.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

It has not just been workrate, Phil Neville style, he has played with intelligence, maturity and has taken responsibility. If he can keep us that a consistent level he will have a good chance of being a Utd player for a lot longer.

What the 2 games have shown is that he is a far better player in the center of midfield.

wise words

Originally Posted by Carrick

Because he has never had a consistent run.
He is a very good squad player and always will be.

2003/04 and 2004/05 he was given a very good run of games.

Didn't prove himself.

He is doing so now, but let's not try to rewrite history or make out he has always been this good but that only a select few geniuses appreciated what he was doing...

He was average at best for a long while and, that considered, is lucky to have been given another chance to prove himself.

Fair play though, he seems to be taking the chance.

Originally Posted by Terry Silver

2003/04 and 2004/05 he was given a very good run of games.

Didn't prove himself.

He is doing so now, but let's not try to rewrite history or make out he has always been this good but that only a select few geniuses appreciated what he was doing...

He was average at best for a long while and, that considered, is lucky to have been given another chance to prove himself.

Fair play though, he seems to be taking the chance.

All at centre mid?

Originally Posted by Carrick

All at centre mid?

Look, he has been on the fringes for 4 years and never stepped up until the Roma game. He has played many games in the middle without showing that form and, whisper it, but he still hasn't shown that type of form in the hustle-bustle of the Premiership.

The Scottish Veron, potentially.

It speaks volumes for how poor he had been that Fergie opted for midfields of O'Shea/Giggs and even Rio/Rooney last season when we were short of numbers.

Originally Posted by Terry Silver

Look, he has been on the fringes for 4 years and never stepped up until the Roma game. He has played many games in the middle without showing that form and, whisper it, but he still hasn't shown that type of form in the hustle-bustle of the Premiership.

The Scottish Veron, potentially.

It speaks volumes for how poor he had been that Fergie opted for midfields of O'Shea/Giggs and even Rio/Rooney last season when we were short of numbers.

Fletch bossed the midfield against the dippers at Old Trafford this season,nft.

Originally Posted by gigo

Fletch bossed the midfield against the dippers at Old Trafford this season,nft.

That's utter %@#$&!s.

Carrick and Scholes played in the middle, with Scholes playing probably his best game of the season.

Fletcher played on the right and was ok.

I knew you'd finally see it.