Darren Fletcher is world class

Rory 7

Absolutely.
The lad is first name on the team sheet now - at Manchester United.
And yet there is a debate on here about him being world class! Bizarre. Some supporters we have.

Floyd

Easy now.

Rory 7

Do not agree?
I think he is first name on the team sheet for SAF.
No?

CnutOfAllCnuts

Has Wayne Rooney been sold?

Sarni

He isn't.

Sarni

Neither have been Valencia, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra or van der Sar.

Floyd

That would be Rooney. Then Vidic, Evra and van der Sar.

Rory 7

Well i think that kind of makes my argument. Rooney is rested from time to time isn't he? Even in 'big games'. I know Rooney's our best player etc. but I think Fletcher is increasingly the heartbeat of the team....closest we've come to a Roy Keane replacement since Roy Keane...so in that sense is first on team sheet....of course proving this won't be easy

Sarni

Fletcher isn't really THAT important to us. Sure he's a good, even very good player but he's not as indispensable as you think.

And no, he's not among world's best midfielders and he isn't world class.

Red_Jamie

Without him we'd be absolutely fucked approaching this season. So yes, he is.

Rory 7

Captain of his country.
PL winner 3 or 4 times.
CL winner.
First team regular at Manchester United where he is regularly man of the match in the biggest games.

Don't know what he has to do for folks to say he is world class. Maybe if he was called Fletcherano it would help.

Floyd

Fletcherinho would do the trick though.

Rory 7

Sorry I thought the Fletcherano made him sound like the "World Class" central midfielder over at Liverpool

Wan

He's one of a few at the top of the list.

Blair

Sorry but that's bollocks.

Fergie has said many times that Fletcher is one of the first names on the teamsheet - and rightly.

We don't have anyone else who does the job he does.

He's obviously not amoungst the best midfielders in the world, that's just crazy.

Rory 7

I don't agree. In his position for the type of role he is asked to play I think he is amongst the best players in the world.

Eto'odinho

Given our current midfield lot I would say Fletcher has made himself indispensable purely on merit. He has been our BEST midfielder for some time now, Scholes notwithstanding. But this alone should be a major cause for concern as far as top class quality is concerned

Rory 7

So an indispensable player at Manchester United is not world class?

kouroux

Not necessarily

Cina

No, I don't think he's world class, and anyone with half a brain would probably think the same. He's an excellent midfielder but world class is another story. Could he walk into the first XI of the likes of Barca, Inter, Chelsea? It's so ridiculous to suggest he's THAT good.

I'm a big fan of Fletcher, I think he's been a super player for us lately and it's great that he's finally proven his worth, but he's not in the category of 'world class' midfielders like Xavi, Sneijder, Essien. Nowhere near.

Rory 7

Please explain

Rory 7

Ok.

Thanks for clarifying cina. World class = walking into the likes of the Barca, Inter or Chelsea teams.

Glad I was right the first time.

I guess walking in the United first team doesn't make him world class.

kouroux

Cina's point expresses exactly what I think.

Rory 7

That Fletcher isn't good enough to walk into the Barca, Inter or Chelsea first teams?

Cina

Well on that basis, Carrick, O Shea and Valencia are all world class then are they?

Such a ridiculous argument, it really is.

kouroux

It's not that he isn't good enough.It's just that he wouldn't feature for them as much he's done for United.

golden_blunder

MANCHESTER UNITED

Just because our manager likes a different style or appreciates different attributes does not mean he's not a world class player

Now, I am not saying that he is World Class because how can you define that anyway? I am saying that you can't discount him because he's a different type of player

I would say that he is in the top 5 box to box midfielders currently around, the problem is that not everyone appreciates box to box anymore

Rory 7

Have Carrick, O'Shea and Valencia been as consistently influential as Fletcher over the past three/four years?

Does SAF describe them as players that are 'first on team sheet'?

Rory 7

Top 5 would make him world class in my book. Not that I have a book.

Rory 7

And our last four seasons - with Fletcher heart of things during a 'golden era' - counts for what then?

CnutOfAllCnuts

Ironaically, Fletcher is one of United's most important players, yet he is not world class - despite United being a world class team.

IMO a world class player is one of the best players in the world in his position. Fletcher is not one of the best central midfielders in the world.

Rory 7

Is he in the top 10 boring?

CnutOfAllCnuts

Not sure if I agree.

Would Fletcher weaken any of those sides? Would replacing Busquets with Fletcher weaken Barca?

CnutOfAllCnuts

Dunno. But he is not as good as the likes of Essien, Fabregas, Xavi and Gerrard, for example.

Rory 7

No. He's not but they are totally different players aren't they?
Is he a better player than Mascherano?

kouroux

Fletcher wouldn't compete with Busquets as he's not a holding midfielder.If he was to replace Busquets would that weaken them ? I can't say but I know Fletcher won't strengthen them that's for sure.
The problem is that it's too "black or white" for you, it's either he's great or he isn't good enough.Football is more subtle than that

CnutOfAllCnuts

Different type of players, but all central midfielders.

Probably on par with Mascherano - Fletcher offers more attacking-wise, Mascherano defensively.

Rory 7

Your among the guys who have come to a conclusion on him though - black or white? You've decided he's not world class.

CnutOfAllCnuts

What the feck are you on about?

Rory 7

And we are always told how Mascherano is world class aren't we?