Motterman
04 Nov 2005, 12:23 PM
Hello, my friends. I've been stewing over this decision for days now... I've even written posts coming close to this, but have chosen to delete them, instead of posting. It's a tough decision. You've staked your own reputation, flamed people for disagreeing, insulted their knowledge of football, etc. on a player making it at the club you love and support. Invariably, the day finally comes when you can't deny the signs that have been written on the wall... and this, my friends, is where I have to pause.
I've followed Darren Fletcher's career since he first had sniffs at getting some minutes in the first team. He came highly touted as the next big thing, (Beckham's name was even bandied about for a time) and despite the gangling gait and smallish frame, it appeared that their just might be something special about this young lad. You hear about him leading the youth and reserve teams from the middle of the park, and you can't wait to see it happen on the big stage. But, alas, the boy is played on the wing, to "cut his teeth" in the day to day rigors of the Premiership. He struggles mightily as the wing position does not suit him at all, and he appears lost and over-run. How can a lad who struggles with the pace of the game isolated on the wing, ever get comfortable in the middle of all this madness on Saturday afternoons? You tell yourself, "Well, they don't all roll off the assembly line as Steven Gerrard." However, hidden in seemingly useless minutes on the pitch, there is invariably a pass or movement that gives you that hint of quality, just waiting to gush through. It's small, a tiny fraction, but it's there. You know it. "Just give him a game in 'his' position, for a change." However, he never does, and is left on the wing to flounder and earning a reputation among the United faithful that he's crap, rubbish, and only on the team because he's Scottish.
A year on, Fletcher starts to get moved into the middle, and forms a reputable partnership with Keane and settles into a roll where he's linking Keane/and the defence with Scholes/and the offence. The team looks good as Fletcher is doing the job he's asked to do. The probing passes are now 2 or 3 a game, but he's mostly in there to switch the point of attack. It appears he's under the instructions to keep possession and let the other players run the attack. Fletcher is injured, and United hit a patch of indifferent form. People are perplexed, as it's only Fletcher who's out and he rarely does anything noticeable. The team continues to struggle until Fletcher makes his return and all of the sudden, the team's form lifts. And until it's apparent that there's no catching Chelsea in the league, the team plays well, especially in the FA Cup where Fletch shines again, even in this "linking" role he's been playing.
Fast forward to this season. Keane is out, we're missing our rock solid left back, and our overlapping right back who's probably our best crosser. United are struggling to gain any width and seem bereft of ideas through the middle. Fletch is partnered with a defensive midfielder who's really a striker and just learning the position, and Scholes isn't a patch of his former self at present. It's almost as if Fletch is being asked to play the role he did last season as well as Keano and Scholes' roles!
Now, here's where I'm going to pick up from earlier.
I've given Fletcher support for over 2 years now, and I still think he can be a big player. He shows it when playing for Scotland, so it's there. Of course, that's part of the problem. He's not the same player for us, as he is for Scotland. This isn't a rare phenomenon with footballers either. (wait until my "Last Ronaldo Thread" hehe...)
Here's the thing: I'm not sure that Fletcher is ever going to be the player I had hoped he would turn out to be. I was REALLY counting on him to come good this season, maybe even start to grow into some sort of leader on the pitch for us. Sadly, this hasn't happened. He lacks confidence on the pitch, his passing isn't positive, and his incisive passing game (which I think is key for him) has all but disappeared as well. I was hoping being called out by Keane in such a public way would light a fire under the lad, but it hasn't happened. Hopefully, this "clear the air" meeting will be of help to the team as a whole, but especially to Fletcher.
He may very well be the next Savage, Wallwork, or Greening, a big fish in a small pond, and ultimately, that might be the route he needs to go in order to finally reach his potential as a footballer. I don't know. It's really hard to judge individual performances when the whole team is stuck in some sort of general malaise.
I'm not resigning from FUCOF-FFS!, I still believe in Fletcher.
He needs to step up and take the greatness out there waiting for him... cause if he doesn't, he needs to go, with the others who failed to take it, when the great purge happens.
I've followed Darren Fletcher's career since he first had sniffs at getting some minutes in the first team. He came highly touted as the next big thing, (Beckham's name was even bandied about for a time) and despite the gangling gait and smallish frame, it appeared that their just might be something special about this young lad. You hear about him leading the youth and reserve teams from the middle of the park, and you can't wait to see it happen on the big stage. But, alas, the boy is played on the wing, to "cut his teeth" in the day to day rigors of the Premiership. He struggles mightily as the wing position does not suit him at all, and he appears lost and over-run. How can a lad who struggles with the pace of the game isolated on the wing, ever get comfortable in the middle of all this madness on Saturday afternoons? You tell yourself, "Well, they don't all roll off the assembly line as Steven Gerrard." However, hidden in seemingly useless minutes on the pitch, there is invariably a pass or movement that gives you that hint of quality, just waiting to gush through. It's small, a tiny fraction, but it's there. You know it. "Just give him a game in 'his' position, for a change." However, he never does, and is left on the wing to flounder and earning a reputation among the United faithful that he's crap, rubbish, and only on the team because he's Scottish.
A year on, Fletcher starts to get moved into the middle, and forms a reputable partnership with Keane and settles into a roll where he's linking Keane/and the defence with Scholes/and the offence. The team looks good as Fletcher is doing the job he's asked to do. The probing passes are now 2 or 3 a game, but he's mostly in there to switch the point of attack. It appears he's under the instructions to keep possession and let the other players run the attack. Fletcher is injured, and United hit a patch of indifferent form. People are perplexed, as it's only Fletcher who's out and he rarely does anything noticeable. The team continues to struggle until Fletcher makes his return and all of the sudden, the team's form lifts. And until it's apparent that there's no catching Chelsea in the league, the team plays well, especially in the FA Cup where Fletch shines again, even in this "linking" role he's been playing.
Fast forward to this season. Keane is out, we're missing our rock solid left back, and our overlapping right back who's probably our best crosser. United are struggling to gain any width and seem bereft of ideas through the middle. Fletch is partnered with a defensive midfielder who's really a striker and just learning the position, and Scholes isn't a patch of his former self at present. It's almost as if Fletch is being asked to play the role he did last season as well as Keano and Scholes' roles!
Now, here's where I'm going to pick up from earlier.
I've given Fletcher support for over 2 years now, and I still think he can be a big player. He shows it when playing for Scotland, so it's there. Of course, that's part of the problem. He's not the same player for us, as he is for Scotland. This isn't a rare phenomenon with footballers either. (wait until my "Last Ronaldo Thread" hehe...)
Here's the thing: I'm not sure that Fletcher is ever going to be the player I had hoped he would turn out to be. I was REALLY counting on him to come good this season, maybe even start to grow into some sort of leader on the pitch for us. Sadly, this hasn't happened. He lacks confidence on the pitch, his passing isn't positive, and his incisive passing game (which I think is key for him) has all but disappeared as well. I was hoping being called out by Keane in such a public way would light a fire under the lad, but it hasn't happened. Hopefully, this "clear the air" meeting will be of help to the team as a whole, but especially to Fletcher.
He may very well be the next Savage, Wallwork, or Greening, a big fish in a small pond, and ultimately, that might be the route he needs to go in order to finally reach his potential as a footballer. I don't know. It's really hard to judge individual performances when the whole team is stuck in some sort of general malaise.
I'm not resigning from FUCOF-FFS!, I still believe in Fletcher.
He needs to step up and take the greatness out there waiting for him... cause if he doesn't, he needs to go, with the others who failed to take it, when the great purge happens.