Manchester United

[Martin at NixonWilliams]

I agree. I'm a big fan of Carrick, but you can't have him and Fletcher together. They need a box to box midfielder who can put the ball in the net to play with Carrick. Fletcher should be Carrick's back up and that's it for me.

Watching Scholes play live was always worth the ticket price alone!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I agree. I'm a big fan of Carrick, but you can't have him and Fletcher together. They need a box to box midfielder who can put the ball in the net to play with Carrick. Fletcher should be Carrick's back up and that's it for me.

Watching Scholes play live was always worth the ticket price alone!

How I miss scholesy

[original PM]

do you not think Rooney could be the next Scholesy?

I mean he tackles like Scholesy!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

do you not think Rooney could be the next Scholesy?

I mean he tackles like Scholesy!

no chance. The movement and passing ability of Sholesy is miles ahead of Rooney. That and the fact Rooney will be leaving in the summer when Utd don't make the top 4.

[Doggy Styles]

As an outsider looking in:

Carrick is a good passer but not good defensively.
Fletcher is good defensively but it remains to be seen if he can come back like he was before his illness.
Cleverley might be good for all I know, but I haven't seen it yet.
Jones is a bit slow and really just a defender filling in.

They are all part-players. As someone said, United probably need a dynamic box-to-box player who can run the show like in their good old days. An equivalent of Gerrard, Keane, Lampard, Vierra and Yaya Toure.

But where are they going to get one from?

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

As an outsider looking in:

Carrick is a good passer but not good defensively.
Fletcher is good defensively but it remains to be seen if he can come back like he was before his illness.
Cleverley might be good for all I know, but I haven't seen it yet.
Jones is a bit slow and really just a defender filling in.

They are all part-players. As someone said, United probably need a dynamic box-to-box player who can run the show like in their good old days. An equivalent of Gerrard, Keane, Lampard, Vierra and Yaya Toure.

But where are they going to get one from?

They need 2 if they want to compete for the PL and CL. In the old days they had Keane, Scholes and Beckham.

[Martin at NixonWilliams]

A box to box player is clearly missing plus they don't have a single goalscoring midfielder, even in the wide areas, which can't be said of the other top teams. Chelsea's centre backs scored more than united's whole midfield last season!

Rooney is better than Scholes overall in my opinion and could end up playing deep but nobody can do what Scholes did quite as well he could. United's reputation of being a team that retains the ball well (this is going away fast) is largely due to his ability to control a game - ask any of the top Spanish players...

[GazCol]

Mata's been in that helicopter for a long time.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

A box to box player is clearly missing plus they don't have a single goalscoring midfielder, even in the wide areas, which can't be said of the other top teams. Chelsea's centre backs scored more than united's whole midfield last season!

Rooney is better than Scholes overall in my opinion and could end up playing deep but nobody can do what Scholes did quite as well he could. United's reputation of being a team that retains the ball well (this is going away fast) is largely due to his ability to control a game - ask any of the top Spanish players...

Perhaps Mata can be moved deeper? Perhaps Moyes is looking to convert him into a deeper midfield player because of his technical ability?

[Doggy Styles]

Perhaps Mata can be moved deeper? Perhaps Moyes is looking to convert him into a deeper midfield player because of his technical ability?

Mata isn't good defensively and can't be converted to do that job. That is why Mourinho is releasing him.