With some tipping David Moyes’ Manchester
Utd to drop out of the Premier League’s top four this season, it is arguable
that the current champions are finally being punished for the long standing failure
to address their midfield deficiencies. Evidence of Sir Alex Ferguson’s ability
to draw the highest level of performance out of his players is another side to
this argument, with Moyes struggling so far in his reign to find a balance and maximise
the abilities of his current midfield options.
The long-talked lack of a
truly top class central midfielder to partner Michael Carrick was ‘appeased’ by
the signing of Maroane Fellaini in the summer, but many would insist that the
jury is still out Fellaini being classed as a natural holding midfielder and he
has indeed failed to impress so far this season. Cesc Fabregas and Thiago are a different type
of midfielder and can dictate the tempo of games, and were clearly the clubs
first choice transfer targets. The well documented bowel troubles Darren
Fletcher has been so unfortunate to endure have essentially ruled him out of
contention for the past two seasons, whilst it’s a mystery that Anderson is still a Man Utd player having squandered chance
after chance in his six year spell at Old Trafford. It is a surprise he has not
suffered the same fate as fellow Brazilian flop Kleberson and remains in the
squad.
The hype surrounding Tom
Cleverley seems completely misplaced, as, like Anderson, one wonders what he actually offers. Big games
often bypass Cleverley as he struggles for a foothold in central midfield and
his development has alarmingly stagnated. He is 24 and can no longer be
considered a promising midfielder, it is time to deliver.
Aside from the
consistently top-class Carrick, central midfield options look fairly bleak for
Moyes. Ryan Giggs still shows flashes of brilliance but at nearly fourty years
of age cannot be relied upon to play ninety minutes in consecutive games.
On the flanks, there are problems in the form of the perpetually underwhelming ‘match winner’
on his far too infrequent day Nani, and the Englishman once laughably compared
to Cristiano Ronaldo, Ashley Young – who has seemingly moved backwards in his
development. Antonio Valencia too often fails to supply an end product and
Wilfried Zaha for has not been deemed ready for a Premier League start just yet
despite his obvious talent. The highly publicised performances of the
prodigious talent Adnan Januzaj have injected some much needed unpredictability
from wide, and although not his preferred position Danny Welbeck grafts from
the left wing. Many fans cannot understand why Shinji Kagawa continues to be
ignored, but whilst he has unquestionable talent, all too often the physical side
of Premier League football suppresses his abilities. At Borussia Dortmund he
was deployed in the role Wayne Rooney is relishing at the moment, and is less
effective from wide left, which is reducing his game-time.
When assessing competing Premier League teams' midfielders, you have to wonder why Man Utd didn’t sign
certain players and question their transfer policy. The marvellous Mesut Ozil has to be the signing of the
summer and yet if rumours are to be believed, he waited for a call that never
came from Old Trafford before signing for the Gunners. Spurs signed five
midfielders, four of whom would arguably have enhanced Moyes’s options.
Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen (for a mere £13
million) are all astute signings by AVB, for which Man Utd would’ve been a preferred
destination if the interest was there. In recent years, Moussa Dembele produced
a man of the match performance for Fulham under the watchful eye of Ferguson at Old Trafford in the season prior to Spurs
signing him for only £15 million. A player of his ilk would have been ideal to
replace the unreliable Anderson in the Man Utd squad list, who has constantly
failed to impress. Top class attacking midfielders such as Eden Hazard, David
Silva, Willian, Oscar, Mata, Cazorla and Ozil have also joined Premier League
rivals in the last few seasons whilst Man Utd have been spectators. The
slightly embarassing inability to sign Fabregas and Thiago will
likely prove costly errors on behalf of the ruthlessly criticised Ed Woodward.
Paul Scholes has not been adequately replaced in a team which is no longer
dominating the midfield as was a trait in Ferguson’s sides of years gone by. Perhaps Ferguson's managerial talent papered over the cracks of an underwhelming midfield. This midfield
contingent could logically be placed outside the four best in the country, and
that is something that may need addressing in January if Man Utd are to push
for the title and Champions League success. If not, they may struggle to avoid
the unthinkable failure to qualify for Champions League next season.
Predicted top 6 teams’
midfield options:
Chelsea: Hazard, Oscar, De Bruyne, Willian, Ramires,
Lampard, van Ginkel, Mikel, Essien, Mata
Arsenal:Wilshere, Diaby,
Rosicky, Flamini, Arteta, Ramsey, Ozil, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla,
Gnabry
Man City: Toure, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Navas, Rodwell, Milner, Garcia
Spurs: Lennon, Townsend,
Lamela, Holtby, Capoue, Sandro, Dembele, Paulinho, Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Chadli.
Man Utd: Valencia, Zaha, Cleverley, Carrick, Fellaini, Nani, Anderson, Januzaj, Giggs, Fletcher, Kagawa, Young
Liverpool: Gerrard, Moses, Lucas, Alberto, Allen, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho.
written by Richard Jaffa
