The Scottish skipper is one of a number of midfield options
Some say we need a couple of new central mid-fielders. I find myself asking the question – Why?
Rewind to the start of the season and you will have found most Manchester United fans excited at the blossoming partnership of Tom Cleverley and Anderson. It seemed that Tom Cleverley had made most fans forget about the failure to sign Wesley Sneijder and it seemed that he may be the replacement for Paul Scholes.
The partnership looked good. Neither player is really a defensive midfielder. Also, neither is really a really attacking midfielder. The thing they had was an understanding. They knew where each other were and could find each other with short, crisp passes. They could easily find other team-mates with ease. It seemed that they had a bit of Barcelona about them.
With Ashley Young and Nani on the wings, we were getting the goals. I don’t think I have ever seen a Manchester United team with such attacking wide men. With them in such good form, the job of Anderson and Cleverley was to keep the ball and find them. With Young and Nani being so attacking, I think it was important for us not to have such an attacking central midfielder.
Then came the Bolton game. A rough challenge by Kevin Davis saw Tom Cleverley ruled out for a few weeks. Then it seemed to fall apart. Our form dipped in the league, we struggled a bit in Europe and there was ‘that’ result against City.
Everyone seemed to blame the midfield on this. Despite us having to chop and change at the back and poor performances by other players, in other positions, it seems that the main focus of fans displeasure, was the central midfield, and one player in particular.
Wednesday’s Champion’s league game was a prime example. Half of the team had a really poor game, but it was one player who got most of the stick. Anderson. In the game, he was no worse, and no better than most of the players on the pitch. Yet, people used the game as an example of why we need a new central midfielder. Well, in that case, we need a new winger, two new strikers and a new left back.
I’m going to make a statement here, a statement that I know that the majority of Manchester United fans will disagree with. We do not need a new central mid-fielder. We don’t need Wesley Sneijder. We don’t need Ever Banega. We don’t need Cheik Tiote. We don’t need Lucas Biglia.
I’ll admit, at the start of the start of the season, I would have loved us to sign a new central mid-fielder. I said on many occasions that we should sign Sneijder or Banega. However, like most Manchester United fans, the partnership of Anderson and Tom Cleverley excited me, it still does. I believe it has the potential to win us trophies. When Tom Cleverley is fully fit again, I can see him and Anderson doing what they did at the start of the season.
Also, signing a new central mid-fielder in the January transfer window, could cause us a major problem. It could influence the big decision Paul Pogba has to make. With his contract expiring at the end of the season and some of Europe’s top clubs sniffing around, being pushed further down the pecking order might just nudge him to do something that no Manchester United fan wants him to do.
We are in a better position this season, than we were at the same point last season, yet we still need to improve the mid-field? Not in my opinion.
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I see most of the so call Man Utd supporter are only glory hunters. Go and just play FIFA game or just support Man City.
Even they Man City, Chelsea or RM can’t simply chop everyone head if they can’t win the trophy year in year out.
They are all human not some computer processing. Or better still come out the money to buy and pay their salary and ask Sir Alex to play them if he need them.
Do you even watch football? Our central midfield is very average with the exception of Cleverly who still needs to produce consistently for a full season before justifying the aspirations of some fans. Pogba, Tunnicliffe, and Ravel are simply too young and totally unproven although each player has an obvious chance. Carrick, Fletcher, Gibson, and Anderson are not strong enough, particularly when compared to former Ferguson midfielders such as Robson, Ince, Keane, Scholes and even Veron. While the transition to the next generation is well underway in at the back and up front this is being undermined by the central midfield but have no doubt that Fergie will address this area over the next 2 transfer windows with both a defensive and attacking central midfielder required.
Yes I watch football.
This season I have seen United win every game, when our first choice midfield (Nani, Andserson, Cleverley, Young)
They even tore City apart in the second half of the Comunity shield, including one of the best team goal I think I’ve ever seen.
And then City tore us a new arsehole when it actually mattered. A friendly counts for nothing. Nobody is questioning the wingers but seriously Anderson good enough to compete with Barcelona, Madrid, City etc? FFS your seriously deluded. Cleverly is only a young lad with a lot to prove. We essentially have 1 promising central midfielder and a number of very young prospects and fuck all else.
Our first choice mid-field didn’t play against City in the league. They only ‘tore us a new one’ when we went down to 10 men. The defence were more to blame for that result, than the mid-field.
I second the opinion. however i also feel that it should be the right time to introduce pogba to the line up, as being dependent on Cleverley’s fitness has given us THAT result against city!
Other players should also be introduced in the squad now as it is time we need reinforcements!
Apologies to the author but unless Ando turns things around immediately and remains consistent for the entire season than we need another midfielder. I was saying all summer we shouldn’t sign another creative midfielder in hopes of Ando improving, but that is not happening.
The fact that his production is so heavily tied to whether or not he plays with Cleverley is a notch against him and not for. Of course having better quality teamates brings out the best in a player; but a true high level player should not have their performances drop sizeably because of a change. Scholes has partnered with virtually every midfielder we’ve had the past 15 years, and did he ever drop off that poorly because of a change? We know Ando has a least this full season to prove himself, but it’s not looking optimistic.
We do, however need a good defensive mid. Say what you want, but we had Keane there until 2005 and then Hargreaves shortly thereafter. Though I’d agree people exagerate the level of our midfield being poor since Hargreaves’ layoff; you’d be hardpressed to argue it’s been just as effective since that time.