Player Review 2006/07 Season

It is that time when it's natural to look back at what has happened and forward at what the future holds. This is my player by player review for the season that will be complete after this weekend.

Edwin Van der Sar
GK
36

Where we stand
When he came, Van der Sar eliminated the goal keeper worries that had plagued United for longer than most of us want to remember. However, some of that comfort was eroded during the second half of the season as Van der Sar uncharacteristically started spilling shots and flapping at high balls in the box. Van der Sar is still excellent at distribution and is always available to receive a back pass from the defenders. He also looks to quickly start the counter, often with a long throw out to the wing. Van der Sar has a good relationship with the backline and that comfort allows the backline to operate more efficiently. His age doesn’t have to be a problem at this position but it does appear that he’s in decline.

Outlook for next season
Van der Sar is still a top keeper but may not be the number 1 past next season. If Ben Foster is brought back to compete with Van der Sar, it may mark the beginning of the end of Van der Sar’s time at United. However, for next season only Chelsea of the other “Big Four” has a keeper that is clearly better than Van der Sar.


Thomas Kuszczak
GK
25

Where we stand
Kuszczak is a decent shot stopper and did an acceptable job as understudy to Van der Sar. He shows a propensity for flapping at high balls in the box, which will likely prevent him from taking the number 1 spot at United. In addition, Kuszczak does not possess the same level of technical skill with the ball at his feet nor the distribution skills of Van der Sar. With United always looking to take advantage of their speed on the counter, Kuszczak slows the attack down.

Outlook for next season
Kuszczak is still young and could theoretically improve, but if Foster is as good as he appears to be, Kuszczak may not get the opportunity. Kuszczak’s role next season likely depends on if Foster is brought back for good.

 

Gary Neville
RB
32

Where we stand
When healthy, Neville was one of the top RBs in the league. He was able to provide extra options on the attack and still maintain defensive discipline. Early in the season Neville repeatedly got himself into good positions to score, carrying a threat that the team did not feature when Neville was out of the lineup. (Too bad he only shoots directly at the keeper.) Neville rarely gets beat one on one and exhibits a welcome cynical streak when he feels he’s losing the battle. He is still a master at bumping opposing forwards just before they go up for a high ball in the box. Neville had trouble staying healthy and appeared in only 33 matches, including 24 in the league. Neville hates Scousers.

Outlook for next season
Many wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Neville. There is no question about his desire but it is not certain if his body is up for it. Next season may feature Neville getting spelled by Danny Simpson occasionally.


Patrice Evra
LB
25

Where we stand
Evra used his first full season at United to make himself the unquestioned first choice LB. His speed and skill on the ball fits perfectly in the up-tempo style that United employed in its best performances. Evra also showed the desire to compete for every high ball and to get stuck in, erasing big questions about his suitability for the Prem, questions that started after the initial performance against City. Evra still forgets about runners behind him on occasion and sometimes gets caught upfield, but has enough speed to make up for these mistakes.

Outlook for next season
Evra fits perfectly into United’s attacking style and improved significantly on the defensive end so as not to be an obvious weak link. He’s still young enough to get better. There is no reason that Evra shouldn’t go into next season as the starting LB.

 

Gabriel Heinze
LB
29

Where we stand
Heinze came back from injuries to play a key role during the second half of the season, even filling in at CB, albeit uncomfortably. Heinze still plays on the edge, almost getting beat and still having just enough guile and cynicism to win most battles. He lacks the technique to optimize United’s attack and often fails to help an attack build by giving the ball away.

Outlook for next season
Heinze is still valuable defensively but doesn’t fit in United’s preferred style of play. He is also not young and almost certainly will not improve. Heinze is also a saleable asset, allegedly high on the list of a few of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Juventus. It is not difficult to imagine that Heinze will move on during the summer.


Mikael Silvestre
CB/LB
29

Where we stand
Silvestre featured in only 22 matches this past season. He still displays the propensity to make at least one critical mistake per match which leads to a great goal scoring chance for the opposition. However, Silvestre is less of a risk at LB and offers more going forward from there then Heinze. It also has to be noted that Silvestre has a positive attitude even as his importance to the squad wanes.

Outlook for next season
Despite his diabolical errors, Silvestre still has speed and technique and is solid as the backup LB. Given his apparent willingness to be a role player, it won’t be a big surprise if Silvestre comes back next season. In addition, as Silvestre is not as sought after as Heinze, it would be more profitable for United to move Heinze instead of Silvestre.

 

Rio Ferdinand
CB
28

Where we stand
Ferdinand is the unquestioned best defender at the club. He keeps the backline together, allows Vidic to be the player that we all love and helps start the attack. Both Scholes and Carrick are able to play much farther up the pitch when Ferdinand is in the lineup. He still doesn’t like to mix it up with physical forwards and appears to need constant goading from Ferguson to keep playing at his highest level. He rarely gets beat on the ground and is capable of covering for the mistakes of those around him. It would be nice if he was a little more cynical. Ferdinand is one of the leaders on the pitch and is scary in his goal celebrations.

Outlook for next season
Ferdinand is still only 28 so there are plenty of good seasons ahead. His partnership with Vidic can still improve and Ferdinand will be critical if Fergie decides to give Foster some games. Ferdinand is absolutely crucial to the squad’s success as there is currently no replacement for him.


Nemanja Vidic
CB
25

Where we stand
Vidic has almost single-handedly (single-headedly?) solved United’s problem of dealing with high balls into the box. He appears to win every header and is becoming a big offensive threat on corners, thus helping to solve another long-term problem. Vidic struggles with quick, tricky forwards and needs to show a little more of his abundant cynicism to discourage them from running at him. He understands his role next to Ferdinand perfectly.

Outlook for next season
Vidic is still young enough to get better and his partnership with Ferdinand will almost certainly get better. He had been through the league twice now and that experience should help. He needs to improve against quick and skillful ground-based attackers. It’s his one major weakness, which he can work on during the summer. There is every reason to expect that our first choice central defense will be better next season.


Wes Brown
CB/RB
27

Where we stand
Brown can look like the top natural defender that Fergie saw, and then he can look like a player lucky to be the 4th option at CB. Injuries and inconsistency have blighted Brown’s career but he can look so good at times that it’s almost impossible not to want him around. At times he can look better than Vidic, but lacks the consistency and is not a threat on set pieces. Brown can also fill in at RB, but he lacks the necessary dynamism going forward and the attack suffers.

Outlook for next season
Brown is probably peaking as a player and at his best he is an excellent third option at CB. Unless he starts agitating for more playing time, something he hasn’t done in his career up to now, Brown will likely remain the first CB off the bench.

John O’Shea
CM/RB/LB/CB/GK
26

Where we stand
O’Shea manages to confound for long periods, interrupted only by delivering in key situations. There is little doubt that while O’Shea is able to play in a number of positions, he is not really good enough in any of them. He lacks confidence on the ball and is not decisive enough to function at the required level in United’s attack. What he does offer, however, is a superior attitude and a willingness to play anywhere the gaffer asks and not complain. His superior season of 2002/03 is becoming a distant memory and it now looks as if O’Shea’s true level is what we have seen since that season.

Outlook for next season
O’Shea appears to be a favorite of Fergie’s due to his versatility and attitude. Although it looks like O’Shea will never be good enough to be a starter, it is likely that he will still be around next season to fill in where needed. That job appears to be his until someone else takes it away from him.

 

Michael Carrick
CM
25

Where we stand
That sound you don’t hear is the sound of people complaining about Carrick’s transfer fee. Halfway through his first season at United, Carrick had silenced many of the doubters. By the end of the season, Carrick solidified his spot as an invaluable member of our first XI. Although not as tidy in possession as Paul Scholes (and who is), Carrick showed that he can think and act quickly enough to keep everything ticking. Carrick can receive and pass equally well with either foot and showed that he can use his accuracy to score on occasion. Carrick is not a runner in midfield and although he does not get caught out of position he is not a natural defender. It is possible for teams to play through our center when the midfield pairing is Carrick and Scholes, although Carrick and Scholes can also orchestrate attack after attack to put opponents on the back foot and cover their own weaknesses.

Outlook for next season
Carrick improved a great deal during his first season at United and he should be even better with greater familiarity with his teammates. With Scholes on the decline, Carrick will have the opportunity to exert even more control over the engine room next season. The two areas of improvement would be better defensive awareness and more goals. A little bit of Scholes’s cynicism would not be unwelcome.


Paul Scholes
CM
32

Where we stand
Many scoffed at Fergie’s suggestion at the beginning of the season that getting Scholes back was like a new signing, but as usual the gaffer was correct. Scholes, along with Carrick, greatly reduced United’s biggest problem from the previous season of having a weak engine room. Although he supplied “only” seven goals (six in the league), Scholes’s contribution was immense in directing United’s attack from the middle of the park. He still rarely gives away possession cheaply and his partnership with Carrick was excellent. Scholes can’t tackle but his reputation sometimes helps him avoid cards, at least in England, where the refs sometimes appear to think that he just can’t help it. A healthly streak of cynicism implies that a number of those wild tackles are premeditated.

Outlook for next season
Although he is still a top class player, age catches up with everyone. Scholes was never a runner to begin with and he will run even less next season. His defensive positioning is sound provided he has enough time to get back but he is even less likely than Carrick to harass the opposition into a mistake. Next season Fergie may end up choosing between Scholes and Carrick against certain opponents.


Darren Fletcher
CM/RM
23

Where we stand
Fletcher showed with a couple of performances at the end of the year that he could be the final piece to our midfield puzzle. He has a high workrate and is a perfect fit in a three man central midfield with Scholes and Carrick. Fletcher has become more decisive in possession and has the skills to become a good all around CM. At only 23, he still can improve. However, Fletcher also has matches in which he looks like he will never be good enough to command a regular spot at United. It’s important to note that Fletcher is naturally an attacking midfielder who has been asked to do most of his work in the defensive end of the pitch.

Outlook for next season
Fletcher’s problem is inconsistency, which hasn’t been helped by injuries as a reserve and then by lengthy periods as a bench player. If, as expected, another CM is purchased in the summer then the onus will be on Fletcher to once and for all prove that he is good enough to make it at United.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo
RW/LW
22

Where we stand
Ronaldo won every award for his performances during the 2006/07 season. Even better, he deserved them. Ronaldo carried the team for long stretches as he appeared empowered by the hostile receptions that greeted him on every away match and buoyed by the supporters at Old Trafford. Ronaldo was the lynchpin of United’s counter attacks, regularly running 50 or 60 yards with the ball to create a chance for himself or his teammates. Freed from the responsibility to service a traditional number 9, Ronaldo excelled in the organized chaos of the United attack. The goals and the assists tell the story, as do the regular images of opposing defenders backing off as he ran towards them. In one of the highest demonstrations of respect for his talents, Gennaro Gattuso made it his personal mission to take Ronaldo out of the return match against Milan. That Gattuso was successful shows that there is still room for Ronaldo to improve.

Outlook for next season
While it may be greedy to wish for more of the same, the fact is that Ronaldo can be even better. He can improve his conventional dribbling and make himself more dangerous to cultured defenders like the ones he faced against Milan. He can also improve his freekicks as he lost consistency during the second half of the season. Given his skills, his physique and, most importantly, his drive there is no reason that Ronaldo cannot have another brilliant season.

Ryan Giggs
LW/AM
33

Where we stand
Giggs is the posterboy for how far excellent technique and football intelligence can extend your career. If Giggs was only about speed then he would have moved on like some of the other fledglings. However, Giggs still has the excellent conventional dribbling skills that allow him to take on and beat defenders, even though he has lost a step or two. And Giggs’s football intelligence has allowed him to take on a new role in the center of a five man midfield, a sort of trequartista. This new role features much less running than when he plays out wide and allowed Giggs to maintain a high level of play for the entire season. In addition, Giggs emerged as more of a leader on the pitch than in years past, pulling aside young players during the match to impart some hard-earned wisdom.

Outlook for next season
Giggs is winding down but still can contribute, especially if spotted in the trequartista role. However, age will continue to slow him down and next season could be his last as an unquestioned starter in the side.


Ji-Sung Park
RM/LM
26

Where we stand
Park was limited to 20 matches in the 2006/07 season, which was long enough only to demonstrate that Park has the same qualities and deficiencies as when he arrived at United. Park has an excellent work rate and consistently makes runs and tracks back. He is able to beat defenders with the ball and only really looks out of place in the United attack when he shoots. Park did chip in with 5 goals, but this weakness in his game is the reason that he spends a lot of time on the bench. Also, Park tends to drift inside which narrows the United attack and take away space from the other attackers.

Outlook for next season
Park had surgery on his knee and faces a recovery from that during the summer. As Park is not dependent on pace for effectiveness, his should be able to approach his former level once he’s fully recovered. A healthy Park is a good option as the first wide midfielder off the bench but he has not demonstrated that he could take over from Giggs once Giggs is no longer a regular starter. The main deficiency is his shooting. If United purchase a wide midfielder during the summer it will afford Park plenty of time to recover but also likely consign him to a supporting role for the season.


Kieran Richardson
LW
22

Where we stand
Despite the stick that he gets, much of which he deserves, Richardson is not a terrible player. However, all of his weaknesses are exposed in the current United set up; too sloppy in possession, too slow in his decision-making with the ball, not high enough football intelligence to interact with the other members of the attack. Richardson still features pace and an excellent shot from his powerful left foot, but he is too much of a liability on the pitch to compensate for it. In addition, Richardson doesn’t really look like he cares. However, Richardson is very adept at getting into the heart of any team celebration.

Outlook for next season
Richardson would probably be a decent player on a team with less quality and technical skill than United. He is still young and he has the pace and physique to play at the top level but the purchase of another wide player would probably end Richardson’s time at United.

 

Wayne Rooney
F
21

Where we stand
For the first time since he arrived, Rooney was not depended upon to carry the club. Ronaldo’s rise could not have come at a better time for Rooney, as it was clearly a season of transition for him. During the run-in, Rooney began to look like his former self. Always excellent in the number 10 role, Rooney also played well as a 9 and as a wide midfielder. He shared the team lead with Ronaldo with 23 goals and it’s hard to imagine that a return of 23 goals could take place during a disappointing season. Rooney also showed some clinical finishes that belie his reputation of only hitting the ball hard and hoping. Rooney looks ready to take a similar step as Ronaldo did this season as they both proceed towards Stage 2 greatness. Although he collected 10 yellow cards, Rooney was not red carded once during the season, which should silence the critics about his temperament. Rooney is still prone to chase an opposing player 60 yards to try to win back a ball he lost (and likely foul the opponent in the process) but he appears to be finding balance between aggression and maturity.

Outlook for next season
Rooney’s new versatility to play at 9 or wide midfield solves a number of problems for United as it allows United to play different formations depending on the opponent. The stage is set for Rooney to have a season like the one that Ronaldo just completed. The biggest risk to Rooney, as well as Ronaldo, is that they are too important to the squad to be rested properly and burnout is a possibility.


Louis Saha
F
28

Where we stand
When on the pitch, Saha is a perfect fit for the high-tempo, quick passing and movement of United’s attack. Saha features pace, technical skill and power and while none of those qualities may be outstanding, the combination makes Saha a dangerous forward for United. He is not clinical in his finishing, but he creates enough chances to be a lock for 20 goals in a full season. The problem, of course, is that he can’t play a full season. To complicate matters further, there was some question during the run-in as to whether or not Saha was physically able to play but was opting not to. United players do not bottle big moments and if there is any question about Saha’s bottle, it will likely cost him his spot.

Outlook for next season
A healthy and motivated Saha is a pleasure to watch and would guaranty at least 20 goals over a full season. The Saha that has been at United is a disappointment and it would be understandable if Fergie has finally run out of patience. If we, as rumored, are in for a striker then Saha’s days could be numbered. It would be ideal to purchase a top number 9 who would make Saha a bench player but that scenario seems unlikely. If Saha is our starting number 9 going into next season then everyone will be holding their breath waiting for the next injury.


Alan Smith
F
26

Where we stand
Kudos to Smith for coming back from a horrific injury. Fergie offered him the opportunity to go out on loan to get his fitness back but Smith decided to stay and work his way back into the lineup. By the end of the season Smith was able to fill in as a replacement for the crocked Saha. Although his displays were inferior to those of Saha in the same role, Smith still played well in spots and further endeared himself to the fans who love his heart and determination.

Outlook for next season
Smith does not appear to be good enough to be the starting 9 for United but is likely too good to be a bench player. Smith does not have the necessary technical skill or the pace and movement to maximize United’s attack. To his credit, Smith recognizes this and in matches during the run-in Smith was able to take up positions to enhance United’s attack as much as possible. A better evaluation could take place after a full pre-season with the rest of the squad but he may not have the opportunity. It is likely that one from Smith and Saha will be sold during the summer.


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
F/RW
34

Where we stand
Solskjaer made a welcome comeback in the 2006/07 season and delivered 10 goals in 25 appearances, a return that even his most ardent fans could not have expected. However, especially during the second half of the season, Solskjaer looked off the pace and could not keep up with the rest of United’s attackers.

Outlook for next season
The legend has earned the right to step away when he chooses. It’s likely that next season will be his final trip through the league. Solskjaer is still the most clinical finisher at the club but will struggle to keep up with the attack again next year.

 

I thought about that as well and then forgot to mention it. I have no idea if Fergie considers that type of thing when making decisions about players. It's hard to imagine him being sentimental.

In an ideal world we would keep Heinze, but I don't think Heinze is interested in being a backup and I don't see Heinze taking the job from Evra.