Yann M’Vila

[Maajid]

M'Vila remains calm about his future, insisting he would happily remain at Rennes if the move he wants does not come to fruition.

"For now, I'm here and I'm not complaining," he told Sport24.

"I am available to the coach and I give my best as always.

"In France we have until September 4th [when transfer window closes].

"If I have to stay with Rennes for another year, I'll stay - if I go, that is life - but whilst I am here, I am 100 per cent focused."

Skysports

 

[bosnian_red]

According to soccernet it's spurs that made the €15m bid.

 

[Beachryan]

David Ornstein ‏@bbcsport_david
Spoken to M'Vila camp, who say he'd only leave Rennes for a club in Champions League & currently no interest from CL clubs in England #thfc

Once again - an available, top class midfielder who we could sign and have walk straight into the first team...and no interest from United.

I guess we can try to buy him in 2 years for £40m from Levy.

I'm beginning to think Fergie has some weird bet about being able to win the league without having a midfield.

 

[towcester_red]

I'm beginning to think Fergie has some weird bet about being able to win the league without having a midfield.

Or play people out of position to plug the gaps.

That or Anderson.

 

[All 3 United]

It really is bizzare that we don't appear to even be interested. He would walk straight into our starting 11.

The no value shite really does stink to high heaven if these numbers are to be believed.

 

[prateik]

Maybe he isnt as good as some here believe.

 

[Pexbo]

It really is bizzare that we don't appear to even be interested. He would walk straight into our starting 11.

The no value shite really does stink to high heaven if these numbers are to be believed.

Daft comment really.

We are prepared to spend nearly £30m on a young Brazilian winger, but not £15m on a more experienced midfielder and you suggest it's down to us not being able to afford him?

 

[Sunny Jim]

Daft comment really.

We are prepared to spend nearly £30m on a young Brazilian winger, but not £15m on a more experienced midfielder and you suggest it's down to us not being able to afford him?

So what is this down to? SAF said we need a cm recently. the only explanation is that he doesnt rate this bloke.

 

[Pexbo]

So what is this down to? SAF said we need a cm recently. the only explanation is that he doesnt rate this bloke.

There you go.

He said CM is a problem position, he didn't say we needed to buy one, we have the young players already, they just need to step up.

 

[marjen]

As much as I agree that us not having any actual midfielders who aren't either eunuchs or 47 years old IS a problem, I don't think trying to buy every available CM in the entire world is a solution to that problem.

Could it not be that SAF simply doesn't rate M'Vila? From what I've seen of him, which to be fair is about as much as we've seen of Mike Phelan's trousers, he's not looked particularly good. As in, not significantly better than say, Nick Powell.

 

[Ekeke]

David Ornstein ‏@bbcsport_david
Spoken to M'Vila camp, who say he'd only leave Rennes for a club in Champions League & currently no interest from CL clubs in England #thfc

Once again - an available, top class midfielder who we could sign and have walk straight into the first team...and no interest from United.

I guess we can try to buy him in 2 years for £40m from Levy.

I'm beginning to think Fergie has some weird bet about being able to win the league without having a midfield.

Where?

 

[ciderman9000000]

Michael Carrick was one of the Premier League's best players last season and imo was United's best player. Our midfield situation is complicated and any new player would have to satisfy a number of criteria before making the transfer worthwhile.

—Can he play with Carrick in a two man midfield?

We play 442 and so finding the right partnership in the center of the field is crucial to our success in all other areas. Scholes is ideal as Carrick's partner, but he's old so he can't play every game. Anderson and Cleverly can each play well alongside Carrick, as well as looking good when played together as a pairing.

—So is he better than Anderson or Cleverly?

This is a difficult question to answer since it's very difficult to gauge exactly how good those two are at the moment. Each look potentially world class on their day, but alas each have been very unlucky with injuries; if they can stay injury free for a season then who knows how much progress they'd be able to make? It's entirely possible that not many players exist who'd get into a team ahead of Ando and Cleverly in twelve months time. Of course, we also have Nick Powell who'd like one play next to Carrick also.

—Is he better than Carrick then?

Perhaps the new midfielder could replace Carrick rather than play alongside him? But this is a tough ask for any player considering how good Carrick's last season was and how indispensable he's shown himself as being over the years; we're at a stage in which we're about as reliant on Carrick as we are on Rooney imo, so any new player would have to be pretty fecking good to be able to get his name on the teamsheet ahead of the former.

—Will he be used as an understudy to Carrick then?

Is he happy to be sat on the bench? If this new midfielder isn't already better than Michael Carrick then he's not gonna be getting many games ahead of him; he'll have stiff competition from both Anderson and Phil Jones (who I wouldn't rule out as becoming a quality midfielder just yet) for the role of backup DM, we're not exactly struggling for depth but rather immediate quality and experience. Is there room for another midfield understudy at the club?

Basically I don't think there's much room at United for any player in CM who isn't already significantly better than Michael Carrick, and replacing Carrick with somebody better just isn't a priority since he's the complete opposite of a weak link in the squad. The main reason for certain fans crying out for a new CM seems to always boil down to the injuries suffered by Ando and Cleverly, if it weren't for those injuries we'd be sorted with Carrick, Scholes, Anderson, Cleverly, Powell and Phil Jones to choose between for two roles in the team, and as far as I'm aware neither Anderson nor Cleverly have any long-term issues that suggest they're gonna miss much football over the coming seasons.

In short, I just think SAF is happy with this area of the squad. I'm sure he'd love to have carte blanche to go out and sign any player in world football to improve our midfield, but since he doesn't (nobody does) and since not many players would actually improve us all that much anyway as long as Ando and Cleverly can push on, I just think he's preferring instead to focus his attention and the club's cash on those areas he's always without much ado done well in, i.e. world class Wingers and Strikers.

 

[Beachryan]

@ Ciderman - Good post, it seems the only logical answer really. I guess it comes down to two questions:

1. Is Carrick good enough and consistent enough to build the team around
I'm not sure personally. I rate him a lot higher than typical football fans, but even when he is on song we still look weak in the centre of the park. Our midfield was overrun/dominated multiple times last season, and not just against 'top' teams.
For me he'd be the ultimate player to have as a second choice option. I trust him to come in and do a great job, but the feeling remains that there is some 'better' option out there somewhere.

2. What happens when HE is injured/ out of form/ tired?
This is the real problem. Carrick's had a few injuries that have ruled him out for months at a time. If that happens, Scholes can't be relied upon more than once a week, and the Ando/Cleverley combo is too porous.

I think the real reason so many desperate folks like myself want some reinforcing is that we don't control matches like some teams, and to be honest, like we used to. We have sooo much talent up front and a lot of depth at the back, but until we get two or three truly first class players connecting the two, we look genuinely vulnerable.

 

[antohan]

Who's that player though Beachryan?

Personally, I would be well chuffed just with Dembele.

 

[Pexbo]

Michael Carrick was one of the Premier League's best players last season and imo was United's best player. Our midfield situation is complicated and any new player would have to satisfy a number of criteria before making the transfer worthwhile.

—Can he play with Carrick in a two man midfield?

We play 442 and so finding the right partnership in the center of the field is crucial to our success in all other areas. Scholes is ideal as Carrick's partner, but he's old so he can't play every game. Anderson and Cleverly can each play well alongside Carrick, as well as looking good when played together as a pairing.

—So is he better than Anderson or Cleverly?

This is a difficult question to answer since it's very difficult to gauge exactly how good those two are at the moment. Each look potentially world class on their day, but alas each have been very unlucky with injuries; if they can stay injury free for a season then who knows how much progress they'd be able to make? It's entirely possible that not many players exist who'd get into a team ahead of Ando and Cleverly in twelve months time. Of course, we also have Nick Powell who'd like one play next to Carrick also.

—Is he better than Carrick then?

Perhaps the new midfielder could replace Carrick rather than play alongside him? But this is a tough ask for any player considering how good Carrick's last season was and how indispensable he's shown himself as being over the years; we're at a stage in which we're about as reliant on Carrick as we are on Rooney imo, so any new player would have to be pretty fecking good to be able to get his name on the teamsheet ahead of the former.

—Will he be used as an understudy to Carrick then?

Is he happy to be sat on the bench? If this new midfielder isn't already better than Michael Carrick then he's not gonna be getting many games ahead of him; he'll have stiff competition from both Anderson and Phil Jones (who I wouldn't rule out as becoming a quality midfielder just yet) for the role of backup DM, we're not exactly struggling for depth but rather immediate quality and experience. Is there room for another midfield understudy at the club?

Basically I don't think there's much room at United for any player in CM who isn't already significantly better than Michael Carrick, and replacing Carrick with somebody better just isn't a priority since he's the complete opposite of a weak link in the squad. The main reason for certain fans crying out for a new CM seems to always boil down to the injuries suffered by Ando and Cleverly, if it weren't for those injuries we'd be sorted with Carrick, Scholes, Anderson, Cleverly, Powell and Phil Jones to choose between for two roles in the team, and as far as I'm aware neither Anderson nor Cleverly have any long-term issues that suggest they're gonna miss much football over the coming seasons.

In short, I just think SAF is happy with this area of the squad. I'm sure he'd love to have carte blanche to go out and sign any player in world football to improve our midfield, but since he doesn't (nobody does) and since not many players would actually improve us all that much anyway as long as Ando and Cleverly can push on, I just think he's preferring instead to focus his attention and the club's cash on those areas he's always without much ado done well in, i.e. world class Wingers and Strikers.

Summed it up brilliantly there Cider.

 

[ciderman9000000]

@ Ciderman - Good post, it seems the only logical answer really. I guess it comes down to two questions:

1. Is Carrick good enough and consistent enough to build the team around
I'm not sure personally. I rate him a lot higher than typical football fans, but even when he is on song we still look weak in the centre of the park. Our midfield was overrun/dominated multiple times last season, and not just against 'top' teams.
For me he'd be the ultimate player to have as a second choice option. I trust him to come in and do a great job, but the feeling remains that there is some 'better' option out there somewhere.

2. What happens when HE is injured/ out of form/ tired?
This is the real problem. Carrick's had a few injuries that have ruled him out for months at a time. If that happens, Scholes can't be relied upon more than once a week, and the Ando/Cleverley combo is too porous.

I think the real reason so many desperate folks like myself want some reinforcing is that we don't control matches like some teams, and to be honest, like we used to. We have sooo much talent up front and a lot of depth at the back, but until we get two or three truly first class players connecting the two, we look genuinely vulnerable.

IMO our weaknesses last season can pretty much all be attributed to the long-term injuries sustained to Vidic (ten games), Anderson (sixteen games) and Cleverly (fifteen games) as well as Evra's distinct drop in performance level. Getting a new LB would be my highest priority as I don't believe Evra's form will return; I really rate Ashley Young and think he's unfairly regarded on here by many who unwittingly blame him for what were essentially Evra's failings as a fullback. As for CM, I'd be happy going into a season as we are; I don't believe injury crises season-by-season represent cause enough to throw cash into an area of the pitch; when Anderson plays he plays very well, so if SAF is confident he can stay fit then I believe his versatility can be the solution to many, if not all of our current midfield problems.

If on the other hand, Anderson has long term complications which mean he'll again miss much football, then I'd be shot of him, as imo he needs consistent games in order to progress and achieve his potential. With SAF seemingly sticking with him all this time though it'd be my guess that such long-term issues do not exist.

 

[Drifter]

No wonder he's calm about it all , no disrespect to Spurs but he's hoping for a better offer.

 

[antohan]

IMO our weaknesses last season can pretty much all be attributed to the long-term injuries sustained to Vidic (ten games), Anderson (sixteen games) and Cleverly (fifteen games) as well as Evra's distinct drop in performance level. Getting a new LB would be my highest priority as I don't believe Evra's form will return

Your previous post was a pretty good summary of the situation. Ando has had issues for more than a season though, Scholes is on his last legs, Fletch may or may not return, so I would agree it may be best to look at the whole midfield situation end of season knowing what the score is with Ando and Clev. That said, it may turn out to be suicidal to go into the season being so dependent on Carrick being fit at all. Surely there must be a potential loan move or player in his final years who could come as a stopgap?

Evra is the complete opposite situation. I agree with your assessment, we need to get his replacement in and pushing him for a place (Fabio is probably the potential replacement with the most question marks in living memory). Surely that is NOT Baines though?

We seem to be looking for a stopgap where a starter is needed and riding our luck where a stopgap would do.

 

[Ash_G]

I think we have room for an understudy to Carrick personally. Although Jones might end up their at some point, right not we need all the bodies in defence that we can get, I don't think we have enough players that we could really list Jones as back up there, additionally again whilst he might end up there he's shown nothing to suggest that he could do that role right now and probably needs Carrick more than most our other midfielders would which is saying something.

If we brought one more in this year then we'd have a temporary high amount of players but it's really only likely to be for one season. Scholes is likely to retire after this season or at the very least play an increasingly small amount of games and Giggs were he to continue still has the ability to play a little further forward. So that leaves Carrick who'll be 32, Ando, Clev, with Fletcher a maybe and Powel who's still young and may end up further forward. To me there's definitely a space for an understudy for Carrick.

Ideally that player can come in for carrick when we want to rest him/injuries, but also if the likes of ando/clev don't improve on their fitness then they can be an alternative to them. Additionally we have enough versatility in our squad to change to a 433 at times if we wanted to give some of the midfielders more time.

So I think we could get an understudy in and I'd rather have the alternative than not. There's already a possibility that Carrick could start in defence this season and personally I think we're going to be far too dependent on him staying fit for harder games than we should be. A younger player might not be an ideal replacement for him but it's better than nothing and will allow us the ability to rotate him when we can. I mean had we progressed further in the CL I think we would have struggled to keep Carrick fit as we needed him for the PL games as it was so tight and would almost certainly have needed him in the CL.

I can see why we're hesitant too as if ando stays fit he could develop that side of his game and Fletcher might come back, but personally I think we took that risk last season and it contributed to our failures. If we could bring in someone on a loan with a view to buy or something that would be great but unlikely. But either way I'd rather we didn't take the gamble.

 

[Ringo 07]

Pogba was the perfect immediate understudy to Carrick but with him turning into a twat then I think Fergie reckons Tunnicliffe will be good enough in a year or two to make an impact so he probably see's no reason to buy another top young player who does the same thing even if they are a year or two ahead of Tunicliffe in their development.
No one on here wanted Fergie to put his trust in Welbeck last season and instead wanted a mega money signing such as Ibrahimovich yet Welbeck put in some performances that you would expect form someone beyond his years to silence the doubters. Maybe he quite not ready to be a regular yet but same thing might be applying to Tunnicliffe and Cleverley very soon once they get a little game time.

 

[Ash_G]

I dunno I don't really see enough quality in tunnicliffe personally but then I haven't watched him much. Either way we need someone now, not in a year or two.

Also I don't remember anyone really asking to buy Imbra, I know I didn't lol. Welbeck was clearly a talented player who showed he could cut in the PL and we had Berba/Hernandez and a world star in Rooney. If Welbeck didn't perform there were others that could even if in Berba's case they were marginalized. In the middle we have lots of player with the potential to be quality and provide creativity but only one who can provide real defensive cover in there. Every other top team has players who are strong defensively in the middle as well as strong on the ball. If we're going to have success in the big tournaments than Carrick is undoubtedly going to be important and so having no alternative to him, is imo an unnecessary risk.

 

[BD]

I think we have room for an understudy to Carrick personally. Although Jones might end up their at some point, right not we need all the bodies in defence that we can get, I don't think we have enough players that we could really list Jones as back up there, additionally again whilst he might end up there he's shown nothing to suggest that he could do that role right now and probably needs Carrick more than most our other midfielders would which is saying something.

If we brought one more in this year then we'd have a temporary high amount of players but it's really only likely to be for one season. Scholes is likely to retire after this season or at the very least play an increasingly small amount of games and Giggs were he to continue still has the ability to play a little further forward. So that leaves Carrick who'll be 32, Ando, Clev, with Fletcher a maybe and Powel who's still young and may end up further forward. To me there's definitely a space for an understudy for Carrick.

Ideally that player can come in for carrick when we want to rest him/injuries, but also if the likes of ando/clev don't improve on their fitness then they can be an alternative to them. Additionally we have enough versatility in our squad to change to a 433 at times if we wanted to give some of the midfielders more time.

So I think we could get an understudy in and I'd rather have the alternative than not. There's already a possibility that Carrick could start in defence this season and personally I think we're going to be far too dependent on him staying fit for harder games than we should be. A younger player might not be an ideal replacement for him but it's better than nothing and will allow us the ability to rotate him when we can. I mean had we progressed further in the CL I think we would have struggled to keep Carrick fit as we needed him for the PL games as it was so tight and would almost certainly have needed him in the CL.

I can see why we're hesitant too as if ando stays fit he could develop that side of his game and Fletcher might come back, but personally I think we took that risk last season and it contributed to our failures. If we could bring in someone on a loan with a view to buy or something that would be great but unlikely. But either way I'd rather we didn't take the gamble.

Agree with most of this, which is why I think Sahin would be perfect. He could cover for Carrick, and offer something very similar defensively, but he could also play alongside Carrick as the more adventurous CM, who plays more killer passes. He could also do great in a midfield 3 with Carrick and Cleverley. He is perfect imo.

 

[ciderman9000000]

Agree with most of this, which is why I think Sahin would be perfect. He could cover for Carrick, and offer something very similar defensively, but he could also play alongside Carrick as the more adventurous CM, who plays more killer passes. He could also do great in a midfield 3 with Carrick and Cleverley. He is perfect imo.

You've just described Anderson though.

 

[Pexbo]

You've just described Anderson though.

Brace yourself!

 

[Ash_G]

Ando could one day replace Carrick but he's got a lot to work on in that regard and I think right now he's more suited to a more attacking role but it could go either way. I think it'd be a nice balance though, clev and ando as the attacking options, Carrick and x as the more defensive option. The other guy can give us an alternative if clev and ando don't stay fit and if they don't perform as they're still potential rather than proven players. Then you have scholes around as required for this season and powell too.

 

[gza the genius]

You've just described Anderson though.

I don't think Anderson is good enough, or disciplined enough, to be cover for Carrick. He obviously has good attributes, but his defensive work is not one of them. The rest of what was said can apply to Anderson though.

 

[.J4Me$.]

One of my 2 options for the much needed DMs signing, the other being Martinez.
The only reason i can think that we are not interested in M'Villa is that hes supposed to be a bit of a cnut isnt he?
I recall Fergie or Gill saying that a persons attitude/personality is a big factor for a player at united...So could that be the reason?

 

[BD]

You've just described Anderson though.

I don't think Ando has a good enough positional sense yet to play a similar role to Carrick. Its something he can work on, but I see him as more of the attacking CM of a midfield two.

 

[ciderman9000000]

I don't think Anderson is good enough, or disciplined enough, to be cover for Carrick. He obviously has good attributes, but his defensive work is not one of them. The rest of what was said can apply to Anderson though.

I disagree. Whilst he plays nothing at all like Michael Carrick, Anderson can nevertheless fill in in for Carrick as the team's more defence minded midfielder. Carrick is an interceptor who sits deep whilst Anderson — when playing defensively — is more of a box-to-box harrier in the style of Darren Fletcher; both are effective as the team's defensive midfielder. I'm not suggesting that Anderson is as good as Carrick at DM, rather, that he does indeed possess the qualities needed to play that role successfully and as such provides cover for the position; he's a tough cnut and he knows how to stick a boot in at the right time, he can bully the opposition and work the ball well when he gains possession.

In order of preference then imo our midfield pairings with a defensive player would be as follows (most defensive minded of each pair named first):

Carrick Scholes
Carrick Anderson
Carrick Cleverley
Anderson Cleverley
Anderson Scholes

You've then got Giggs, Kagawa, Powell and Jones who can all fill in as necessary, but even with only the initial four CM's of Carrick, Scholes, Anderson and Cleverly the team can cope with simultaneous injuries to two of them before the DM/CM partnership breaks down.

If you don't rate Anderson then fair enough, but imo once he gets a good run of fitness he'll show the depth and versatility I'm referring to which will make him a valid option in Carrick's absence.

 

[ciderman9000000]

I don't think Ando has a good enough positional sense yet to play a similar role to Carrick. Its something he can work on, but I see him as more of the attacking CM of a midfield two.

He'll never play a similar role to Carrick, not many players do play like Carrick, but nevertheless he can play in a defensive role for the team.

 

[BD]

He'll never play a similar role to Carrick, not many players do play like Carrick, but nevertheless he can play in a defensive role for the team.

Not defensive enough imo for that position though, especially in a two man midfield. He has the potential to be a great box to box midfielder, but I don't see him being good enough defensively to be the more defensive of a midfield two. And why would we want that anyway? He's much better moving forward with the ball and being the attacking midfielder rather than the defensive, apart from maybe one scenario. Playing with a similar type player to him, so they can work as a 'double pivot' type job, where both players attack and defend. However, this type of tactic wouldn't work against the big teams, where someone who can sit infront of the defence ala Carrick is needed.

 

[gza the genius]

If you don't rate Anderson then fair enough, but imo once he gets a good run of fitness he'll show the depth and versatility I'm referring to which will make him a valid option in Carrick's absence.

Like BD94 is saying, I just don't feel he is disciplined enough to be the main defensive player in our midfield. He does have a lot of the same attributes as Fletcher in his harassing of opposition players but he doesn't really have the awareness to be the most defensive player of our midfield.

Him and Scholes did work a lot better against Barca, albeit in a meaningless friendly, than I previously thought he was capable of.

I think Anderson is capable of covering for Carrick, but it is not ideal for his current attributes and will definitely leave the team more open.

 

[peterstorey]

Anderson has never looked like a CM to me, It always looks as if you're trying to shoehorn him into a role he's not suited for.

 

[BD]

Anderson has never looked like a CM to me, It always looks as if you're trying to shoehorn him into a role he's not suited for.

Where would he be played then? Just off the striker? I don't think he'd be good there. I think if he can keep his injuries at bay, and that's a big if, he can be a very good CM in a two man midfield.

 

[surf]

Where would he be played then?

Don't tempt him. He'll say QPR with Park.

 

[surf]

Maybe he isnt as good as some here believe.

The most likely explanation.

 

[Dargonk]

In a few of the preseason games (earliest games) I got the feeling that Anderson was being told to play the more defensive role in our midfielder. So SAF could quite possible be looking to see if Anderson can fill that hole. I know those game meant nothing and where against rather poor teams, but I thought he was doing a decent job and was controlling things fairly well. Whether he can do it against the better teams remains to be seen. But I got the impression that we are looking at fitting him there at times this season when Carrick is rested/injured as it would allow clevery to play more forward along with Kagawa.

So that could be the reason that a defensive minded understudy to Carrick isn't viewed as must signing within the club at the moment.

 

[RedRover]

It really is bizzare that we don't appear to even be interested. He would walk straight into our starting 11.

The no value shite really does stink to high heaven if these numbers are to be believed.

I think I posted this before but apprently (according to the French football correspondent on Talksport) the Arsenal deal was in the bag before the Euro's but Wenger went cold after M'Vila was involved in some behind the scenes bother in the French squad.

Apparently a bit of a trouble maker and that's why people are swerving him.

 

[Ash_G]

In a few of the preseason games (earliest games) I got the feeling that Anderson was being told to play the more defensive role in our midfielder. So SAF could quite possible be looking to see if Anderson can fill that hole. I know those game meant nothing and where against rather poor teams, but I thought he was doing a decent job and was controlling things fairly well. Whether he can do it against the better teams remains to be seen. But I got the impression that we are looking at fitting him there at times this season when Carrick is rested/injured as it would allow clevery to play more forward along with Kagawa.

So that could be the reason that a defensive minded understudy to Carrick isn't viewed as must signing within the club at the moment.

I think it depends on his partner. He played with Scholes and so you'd expect anyone who partners scholes will have to be quite reserved. When he plays with Carrick he gets forward more and with clev they try and balance it.

Ando is capable of helping defensively but personally I don't rate him that highly as a holding player, maybe he could become one but I don't really see how he's any better there than cleverley, who actually appears to have more energy and concentration than ando.

For me I think Ando could hold the fort against a few teams but in general I think Ando as the holding player being partnered by a Scholes, powel or giggs is for me not gonna go well except against a few really poor teams. Ando and Clev could go alright but there's plenty of room for it to go wrong not to mention if they're both fit at the same time consistently. End of the day if Carrick was injured and we were playing a good team I wouldn't be comfortable with Ando as our most defensive midfielder.

 

[Cina]

Where to even begin...

Michael Carrick was one of the Premier League's best players last season and imo was United's best player. Our midfield situation is complicated and any new player would have to satisfy a number of criteria before making the transfer worthwhile.

Doesn't hold a candle to Yaya though, shouldn't we be aiming to match up to our main rivals in terms of quality, seeing as it was Yaya overrunning our midfield (including Carrick) that ultimately cost us?

—Can he play with Carrick in a two man midfield?

We play 442 and so finding the right partnership in the center of the field is crucial to our success in all other areas. Scholes is ideal as Carrick's partner, but he's old so he can't play every game. Anderson and Cleverly can each play well alongside Carrick, as well as looking good when played together as a pairing.

They may 'look good' but they are a defensive shambles, I think that's pretty widely recognized by now. I'd be fecking trembling at the thought of them two playing in a two man midfield, which then means we still need Carrick alongside them.

—So is he better than Anderson or Cleverly?

This is a difficult question to answer since it's very difficult to gauge exactly how good those two are at the moment. Each look potentially world class on their day, but alas each have been very unlucky with injuries; if they can stay injury free for a season then who knows how much progress they'd be able to make? It's entirely possible that not many players exist who'd get into a team ahead of Ando and Cleverly in twelve months time. Of course, we also have Nick Powell who'd like one play next to Carrick also.

I don't think either have ever looked like world class players. Cleverley is the more likely of the two to turn into a really good player at this stage, but he is never going to be anything close to a Keane or Scholes either. Yeah I know, naming two of the best midfielders in the last 20 years, but this is Man Utd isn't it? We've bought some of the best players of the last 10-20 years in other positions (Rio, Vidic, Rooney, Ronaldo, maybe Nani), why can't we do that in midfield too?

—Is he better than Carrick then?

Perhaps the new midfielder could replace Carrick rather than play alongside him? But this is a tough ask for any player considering how good Carrick's last season was and how indispensable he's shown himself as being over the years; we're at a stage in which we're about as reliant on Carrick as we are on Rooney imo, so any new player would have to be pretty fecking good to be able to get his name on the teamsheet ahead of the former.

Carrick is 31. How long can he rely on him? Yeah, he had a great last season, but what about the two years before that? Can we really rely on him to be our sole defensively minded midfielder, because we don't have anyone else in the team who can do what he does. Besides, it's not Anderson and Cleverley we should be limiting game time to (if they're fit) if we buy another midfielder, it's Scholes and Giggs. I mean, they're really old, it's not like the can get any better. If anything Giggs showed last season that he's probably done, and Scholes had 6 months off, which he won't have this season. Can he do it for another year? He couldn't before, that's why he retired.

—Will he be used as an understudy to Carrick then?

Is he happy to be sat on the bench? If this new midfielder isn't already better than Michael Carrick then he's not gonna be getting many games ahead of him; he'll have stiff competition from both Anderson and Phil Jones (who I wouldn't rule out as becoming a quality midfielder just yet) for the role of backup DM, we're not exactly struggling for depth but rather immediate quality and experience. Is there room for another midfield understudy at the club?

Again, I see no reason why he should be sitting on the bench. I mentioned above about Scholes and Giggs. There's also the fact that Carrick seems to be our first choice in defense whenever everyone else there inevitably gets injured. I also very much disagree on Jones, he would be a total disaster in Carrick's position, likewise Anderson is about as defensively adept as a rubber duck.

Basically I don't think there's much room at United for any player in CM who isn't already significantly better than Michael Carrick, and replacing Carrick with somebody better just isn't a priority since he's the complete opposite of a weak link in the squad. The main reason for certain fans crying out for a new CM seems to always boil down to the injuries suffered by Ando and Cleverly, if it weren't for those injuries we'd be sorted with Carrick, Scholes, Anderson, Cleverly, Powell and Phil Jones to choose between for two roles in the team, and as far as I'm aware neither Anderson nor Cleverly have any long-term issues that suggest they're gonna miss much football over the coming seasons.

But what happens if Carrick gets injured? Look at our policy right now, we have been buying players in plenty of areas we are well stocked in. Jones, Young, Smalling, Kagawa, potentially RVP. Have those players suffered a shortage of games? No, they've had plenty. Clubs inevitably get injuries, Carrick doesn't have a particularly great injury record at all, we also play 55-60 games a season. Will Carrick play all of them? Because we sure as hell don't have anyone who can do what he does. I don't see how his position, a position in the most important area of the pitch that only he can currently play, should not be equipped with at LEAST a backup player, or ideally a really talented youngster in the mould of Jones who can take over from him whilst still playing a good amount of games this season.

In short, I just think SAF is happy with this area of the squad. I'm sure he'd love to have carte blanche to go out and sign any player in world football to improve our midfield, but since he doesn't (nobody does) and since not many players would actually improve us all that much anyway as long as Ando and Cleverly can push on, I just think he's preferring instead to focus his attention and the club's cash on those areas he's always without much ado done well in, i.e. world class Wingers and Strikers.

It wouldn't take an awful lot to improve that midfield. Not to be overly blunt here, but it's just not very good. I think Anderson and Cleverley are talented without either having the potential to become the next big thing.

I very much agree with the bolded part though, I've said for quite a while that SAF would rather ignore the midfield and persist with the proven, albeit old players he has whilst he still can, and focus on areas he has always had a good record of signing players in instead.

Sorry for multi-quoting, but your post was rather long!