He is. For me anyone who doesn't think so is biased and wearing rose-tinted spectacles. Defensively he is up there with the very best and arguably > Alonso, but on the ball.. he's a class below any of them.
He isn't.
.
Your mis-understanding my point a little. A think foreign players are always rated higher than our current home grown players. More than likely out of excitement. I know he's had injury problems but Basti is prime example. Everybody assumed he's waltz into the side and Carrick would be benched. Same for Blind, Herrera etc etc Even Schniderlin.
Carrick is a brilliant player and definitely has been underrated by so many. Like I say, there isn't a direct comparison in terms of ex United players to rate him against and so he'll always fall short of the very different Keano and Robbo which is probably fair.
However, The 5 years proceeding the signing of Carrick, was arguably the most successful 5 year period in the clubs history and he deserves enormous credit for that.
I had many argument at the time with people saying we won so much in spite of Carrick and not because of him. Or how we'd be better with Basti / Hargreaves / Ballack etc. Or that it was only because we had Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez.
In my opinion, Carrick is every bidy as good as Basti, Ballack, Alonso etc and Ronaldo, Rooney etc where as good as they where because of what Carrick provided.
Had he not misse the start of the season we'd be getting the same now......"imagine how good Pogba and Herrera would be with somebody other than Carrick".......in truth, Pogba and Herrera have been so good for the past few months because of Carrick!
His legacy will never be remembered as greatly as Keane and Robbo due to his personality but is importance to the success of the club should be remembered by fans.
Brilliant player.