I think this is my third year of doing this. For those of you who visit my blog, you will have already seen this. For others, enjoy. And discuss. Just don't kill the messenger. And don't quote the entire post. Edwin Van der Sar GK 38 Where we stand Van der Sar had an outstanding season, keeping a clean sheet for an English league record 1,311 minutes. The defense played with complete confidence in front of him and this was the key to the league season. Van der Sar is also good at distributing the ball with both feet and the defenders are comfortable playing the ball back to him. I wondered a year ago if Van der Sar would finish the year as the number 1 and he did not leave any doubt. Outlook for next season Van der Sar is the unquestioned number 1 going into next season, which may be his last. United will find it difficult to replace Van der Sar. He may not be strong on high balls but he gives the team confidence. The difference in Ferdinand with Van der Sar behind him is striking. Thomas Kuszczak GK 27 Where we stand I haven’t changed my opinion on Kuszczak. If Foster could stay healthy then I think Kuszczak would be on his way out. As it stands, Kuszczak is acceptable only as the second option. He is a decent shot stopper with a propensity for flapping at high balls in the box. Kuszczak also is not as comfortable on the ball as Van der Sar. Outlook for next season Kuszczak appears to be destined to be a career number backup if he stays at United. It is not certain if he has the ambition to want to be the number 1 elsewhere. Ben Foster GK 26 Where we stand Foster actually logged more minutes than did Kuszczak this past season, primarily in the FA and Carling Cups. By the end of the season, Foster appeared to have taken over the number two role behind Van der Sar, only to get injured again. While Foster wasn’t going to make anyone forget Van der Sar, he does appear to have more potential than Kuszczak. Outlook for next season At some point, Foster is going to have to stay healthy for a season if he wants to have a future at United. As keepers have long careers, there is still time for Foster to reach his potential but with Van der Sar possibly retiring after next season, time may be running out for Foster. John O’Shea RB/LB/CB/CM 28 Where we stand O’Shea continued to fill in at various positions but by the end of the season he made RB his own. O’Shea still struggles to have an impact offensively on a consistent basis during open play but makes an occasional contribution on set pieces. The fact that he was the first choice at RB is a credit to O’Shea’s perseverance. Outlook for next season I expect that O’Shea will continue to fill in as needed and that he will infuriate and excite in equal measure. Given his better than expected performance at RB, I wonder if he will get minutes at LB in order to keep Evra fresh. Gary Neville RB 34 Where we stand Neville came back from injuries a year ago to reclaim his spot at RB. Unfortunately, reclaim in this case means that he played the position at a much lower level than previously. Injuries saw Neville share time with Rafael and eventually both of them lost the RB position to O’Shea. Outlook for next season Based on his performances this past season, Neville is now no better than the back-up RB. I won’t even mention his attempts at playing CB. Rafael da Silva RB 18 Where we stand Rafael made his debut this past season and instantly became the most talented attacking RB at the club. Rafael is very comfortable on the ball and works hard to interact with the players in front of him in order to create an attack. The problem is that defensively Rafael is incredibly naïve. Poor positioning and poor decision-making (when to tackle, when to shepherd inside) are regular features of Rafael’s game, which make him a defensive liability. Outlook for next season The lad is still very young and there is no reason to think that he won’t improve his defensive ability. Until his defense improves, it is unlikely that Rafael will be trusted at RB in any important matches. Wes Brown RB/CB 29 Where we stand Brown began the season (deservedly) as the starting RB, was injured and only played 54 minutes between October and the last league match of the season. He was sorely missed. Outlook for next season The Neville/Rafael experiment was not successful and although O’Shea was better than expected at RB, he was no Brown. Brown can shut down his side defensively better than the other candidates for the job and does a credible job going forward. If Brown is healthy next season then he will be the starting RB. Patrice Evra LB 28 Where we stand Evra struggled in the second half of the season, apparently losing confidence in his ability to contain tricky wingers. Part of the reason may have been the minutes that Evra logged during the season, fourth most on the team behind Vidic, Ronaldo and Van der Sar. He got back near his best by the end of the year. Offensively, Evra still can interact with teammates and create dangerous attacks from his side of the pitch. The problem is that Evra rarely makes the telling cross or pass or shot. Outlook for next season As I said last season, Evra is the perfect LB for the United attack until it comes to him playing that killer final ball. Evra struggled with confidence in the second half of the season but that may have just been a consequence of the minutes. There is no realistic challenger for him in the squad at this time. Fabio da Silva LB 18 Where we stand Fabio, Rafael’s twin brother, only featured in the FA Cup. In his two appearances, Fabio appeared to have a much better idea of how to play defense than his brother, although he didn’t show as much going forward. Fabio probably would have gotten more opportunities but injuries nagged him for much of the year. Outlook for next season Fabio appeared to be more balanced than his brother, although the sample size is very, very small. If Fabio can stay healthy then maybe he could be an option for giving Evra more rest. Rio Ferdinand CB 30 Where we stand Ferdinand struggled with injuries during the second half of the season and it is a concern that his ongoing back problems could shorten his career. When on the pitch Ferdinand still looked like the best CB for stretches, but he did have uncharacteristic troubles from time to time. Ferdinand is the unquestioned most important player on the pitch for United when he is fit and United is vulnerable defensively and offensively against the best teams without him. Outlook for next season Ferdinand is one of United’s irreplaceable players and if he is able to come back completely healthy then United will still be very strong at the back. If he continues to have niggling injuries then United will struggle against the top teams. Nemanja Vidic CB 27 Where we stand Vidic was immense during the part of the season in which Ferdinand was in and out of the lineup. Always strong in clearing high balls out of the box, Vidic took more control of the defense in Ferdinand’s absence and worked well with Jonny Evans. However, Vidic had noticeable difficulty with Torres and Eto’o and those types of players may just be above Vidic’s (albeit very high) limit. Vidic played the most minutes of any player in the team and could have played more except for some suspensions for cards. Outlook for next season Vidic continues to improve and given Ferdinand’s injury problems may be the defensive foundation for years to come. However, Vidic has more weaknesses than Ferdinand and would require a stronger partner than does Ferdinand. In particular, Vidic needs a ball-playing CB next to him. Jonny Evans CB 21 Where we stand Evans has been United’s future at CB for a few years and finally got his chance to log meaningful minutes for the first team this past season. Evans struggled at times as he had to adjust what it means to play CB at United: you get the opponents best shot and you are expected to do your job with limited help from the forward players. Even with the missteps, Evans was impressive. Outlook for next season The drop-off from Ferdinand to Vidic is significant, but that has more to do with the quality of those two than any lack of quality in Evans. He appears to have everything he needs in order to become a starting United CB, except experience. Evans should be the third CB next season and will be a key player should Ferdinand continue to struggle with injuries. Michael Carrick CM 28 Where we stand Carrick is the automatic first choice in the center of the park now that Scholes’ skills have declined and the team tactics cannot accommodate the player. The bad news is that Carrick does not control the match from the center of the pitch and does not value the ball highly enough. Carrick is very good at what he does, long passes with either foot and excellent defensive positioning, but he doesn’t do what he needs to in order to offset the absence of Scholes. Outlook for next season Next season is the most important season at United for Carrick. It may be Scholes’ last and Carrick will have to take on more responsibility. If he is unwilling or unable to do so then questions may be asked if Carrick is good enough to match the aspirations of the manager and some of the other players. Maybe those questions are being asked now. Darren Fletcher CM/RM 25 Where we stand Fletcher came back from injury to play the second-most minutes at CM behind Carrick. It is a measure of Fletcher’s performances that his suspension for the Champions League final was regarded as a key reason for why United lost. Fletcher may never be a superstar for United but he is an excellent complementary player. Outlook for next season Fletcher will again be expected to use his running and energy to even the midfield battle against strong opponents. The only problem is that Fletcher may not be good enough to compensate for Carrick’s weaknesses and that could be a problem for one of them. Paul Scholes CM 34 Where we stand This was the season in which Scholes no longer was an automatic starter in every big match for United. Fletcher and Anderson and sometimes Giggs all took the spot or spots around Carrick in key games, especially as the season went on. Part of this had to do with Scholes’ loss of stamina and part of it had to do with United needing more mobile players around Carrick. When on the pitch, Scholes brought calmness and sanity to the United attack but he couldn’t do it every week. Outlook for next season Scholes has indicated that next season may be his last. It is a sad possibility, both for those of us who love Scholes and for those of us who are worried about what happens in midfield against the best of the best. A Scholes of just a season or two ago could have made a difference against Barcelona. Anderson CM/AM 21 Where we stand Anderson has a breakthrough season in which he became a Champions League fixture by the end. As you would expect from a player his age, Anderson’s performances were inconsistent, ranging from excellent to forgettable. Anderson is not a CM and can be neutralized by technical and organized opposing midfields. However, he is stronger and faster than expected and is able to use his dribbling to create attacking advantages for United. Outlook for next season Anderson is not the next Scholes or Carrick. He is something different and it will be a challenge for Fergie to define Anderson’s best role. On evidence of this past season, Anderson’s best role does not include one in which he has to help maintain the shape of United’s defense. Darron Gibson CM 21 Where we stand Gibson appears to have all the physical ability he needs in order to make it at United. He is big and strong, fast enough to be a factor offensively and defensively and he has a great shot from long distance that he is not afraid to use. In fact, maybe he is a little too in love with his long distance shooting. The big question for Gibson is whether or not he has the mentality to force his way into the first team. Outlook for next season If Gibson has the drive and mental strength to make it at United then he will make it. It is also easy to imagine Gibson as the best player on a mid-table team, mixing league player of the week performances with indifferent ones. Rodrigo Possebon CM 20 Where we stand Possebon had some promising appearances early in the season and then was the victim of a terrible tackle on which he was injured. By the end of the season, Possebon had worked his way back to the fringes of the first team but the importance of the matches and the number of players in front of him, including Gibson who passed him during the season, meant that Possebon didn’t see much first team action. Outlook for next season Possebon values possession, like all top midfielders should, and his sensible use of the ball will be his ticket to the first team. With Scholes winding down and Gibson a bit of a wild card, Possebon could see some opportunities next season. Owen Hargreaves CM/RM/RB 28 Where we stand Hargreaves barely played this past season, logging less minutes than Gibson or Possebon. His presence was missed, especially when Fletcher was suspended in the Champions League. Outlook for next season Hargreaves will be welcome when he returns. At the very least Hargreaves offers energy and running in the middle of the pitch. Ryan Giggs CM/AM/LW 35 Where we stand Giggs may have turned mortal a year ago but he showed this past season that a mere mortal with excellent conventional dribbling skills and an excellent football brain can still be an impact player. Giggs is no longer a winger but showed that as CM he can still be a significant contributor. Outlook for next season I sort of wrote Giggs off last season and he responded with a very good season. At some point he won’t be able to do it anymore but his ball skills have not disappeared and I expect to see Giggs continue to operate in CM for big games. Ji-Sung Park RM/LM 28 Where we stand Park came back from injuries to be the answer on the wing opposite from Ronaldo (or Rooney). The goal return from Park was still not sufficient but his ability to play one-touch football and facilitate attacks was useful. Unfortunately, Park was not a factor in the Champions League final and there may be a limit on how much can be expected from him. Outlook for next season Park easily saw off the “challenge” from Nani this past season and was the primary first choice when United lined up with two wide players. However, Park has likely reached his ceiling as a player and I wouldn’t be surprised if Nani or another player with more potential is groomed to take the wide spot not occupied by Ronaldo. Nani LM/RM 22 Where we stand Nani took a step back this past season and appeared to lose confidence. Basic decision-making is still a problem for him and he often looked poor when given minutes during the second half of the season. If Nani really is another Ronaldo then he will come back next season more determined to make himself a fixture in the side. Outlook for next season Nani is still young and may just not have been ready for the adversity he faced this past season. If he is truly a “United type” then he will prove himself next season. If he is broken then he will be a bit player and will eventually be sold. Cristiano Ronaldo Attacker 24 Where we stand Ronaldo played an astonishing number of minutes this past season, more minutes than any player other than Vidic. For an attacker who expends so much energy, it was amazing. Ronaldo didn’t score as many goals as last season but his performances improved. He was one of the few attackers to emerge with credit in the Champions League final, although his obvious (largely justified) frustration by the end of the match was reminiscent of his petulance during the season. Outlook for next season Ronaldo improved over his previous 42 goal season and he’s still only 24. Ronaldo will be better next season and will no doubt be even hungrier to realize his ambitions. Wayne Rooney F 23 Where we stand Rooney was injured during the middle of the year but had possibly his best performances this season when healthy. The interplay between he and Ronaldo was excellent and United would be devastating if they could find another player who could keep up with the two of them. Rooney played at lot on the wing this past season and had some excellent performances on the left, the Champions League final excepted. Outlook for next season If Rooney can stay healthy, there is no reason why he can’t take his place next to Ronaldo as one of the top attacking players in the world. There is so much in his game that is excellent that there is no telling what his ceiling is. Carlos Tevez F 25 Where we stand Tevez started the season looking like the player that United fans thought the club had acquired. Then Berbatov was purchased and Tevez became a bit player in the league and in the Champions League. By the end of the season, Tevez appeared to have nudged ahead of Berbatov but it may have been too little too late. Outlook for next season Tevez was disenchanted with how he was used during the season, only playing about two-thirds as much as Rooney and Berbatov in Premier League and Champions League matches. Most fans expect Tevez to move to another club where he will be guaranteed more minutes. Dimitar Berbatov F 28 Where we stand Although he wears the 9, Berbatov is at best a 9/10 hybrid, or maybe he’s just a 10. He is not a player that appears to be putting forth much effort and this probably contributed to the lack of appreciation from the fans. For the fans who watch with a more discerning eye, the disappointment with Berbatov came more from his unwillingness to perform basic forward requirements like making runs from the front or hustling to bring the second wave of attack on a counter. Outlook for next season Berbatov has to show that he can function at the high pace that Ronaldo and Rooney thrive at. Too often, Berbatov slowed down United attacks. And, as mentioned above, Berbatov has to start doing the basic things expected of any attacker. With Tevez possibly on the way out, the way is clear for Berbatov unless United brings in another forward this summer. Danny Welbeck F 18 Where we stand Welbeck played most of his minutes in the FA and Carling Cups and showed enough ball skills and impudence to mark him as a top prospect. Welbeck doesn’t seem concerned by the size of the stage that he’ll play on with United and appears to be very comfortable with his game no matter the opposition. I’m not sure which position Welbeck eventually settle at but his technical level is high enough that he can already function perfectly in the United attack. Outlook for next season Welbeck needs minutes as he needs to learn what he can and can’t do at the top level. Given the level of talent ahead of him at this point, Welbeck will probably have to make due with intermittent appearances. Federico Macheda F 17 Where we stand Macheda became a cult hero at United after scoring winning goals in back-to-back league matches, the first his league debut. He featured in a few matches after those first two and did not score again. Macheda is a traditional number 9 with high technical skill. He still has a lot to learn in order to become a regular at the highest level but as with the other young players at the club, Macheda is not cowed by expectations. Outlook for next season Macheda is more physically ready than Welbeck but his window for making the squad is narrower as he plays a more specialized position. One question with Macheda may be how much ambition he has and will it lead him to asking to leave United before he is ready for the United first team.
That'd be a good guideline, yes. I can already guess one difference in your review: Manucho will be singled out for the biggest praise.
Thinking back to where we were a few seasons ago, I am most excited about how our defense has progressed. Look at the choices we have at RB, along with 3 strong CBs. We have youth, we have experience; it's excellent. It's funny to me that you spend some effort describing what Anderson is not. But what kind of player do you think he is? What is his best role?
Do I look like Fergie? (Hint: Not really.) I'm not sure what Anderson is, to tell you the truth. The fact that he's not a threat to score unless a match goes to penalties severely undermines his usefulness in this theoretical best role, attacking midfielder.
Rio's a massive concern. I won't be a 'Doom Lord' and say what I think will happen, but it's probably obvious by inference. Evans will need to come up huge for us to maitain our defensive standard next season, imo. Our midfield is going to need to be much, much better to take some of the load off the defence as well.
Going through this exercise again, especially in the wake of our midfield getting owned more than once this past season, it really made me notice how limited we are in the middle of the park. And that's without even conceding that Carrick may not be good enough.
I would like to give a nice, warm, friendly, non-homosexual, hug to VR for allowing me to post this in his thread. Thank you VR! ★Vince's 5 star Platinum Review★ Goalkeepers Edwin Van Der Sar Seemed to be unbeatable during that long, long 'no goal conceded' streak. Other than that, I think he was usual VDS. Solid, dependable, good for a few goal saving stops and excellent in possession. Flapped a few times but nothing too bad. Ben Foster Unlucky to have picked up so many niggling little injuries but when he did get the opportunity to play, he showed himself to be a dependable shot stopper with excellent reflexes and the kicking ability of a mule. Beside his injury-proneness another negative against him is his one-footedness. Hopefully he could get over those little injuries because we'll need him more and more from here on out. Thomas What'shisbloodyname? Kuszczak Fell to third choice goalkeeper in the pecking order. Other than that, looked like the usual Koozy: Highly uncomfortable with ball to feet/ball played back to him. Poor kicking. Likes to go out to sea. Flaps more than a wet bird. Good reflexes. I have no idea what his future holds. Ben Amos Impressed me with some of his saves in pre-season and looked good against boro in the Carling Cup. One to watch for the future. Centerbacks Rio Ferdinand His body appears to be slowly breaking down.. Other than that and the odd mistake here and there, as usual he's the glue holding our defense together as well as the main player contributing to the calm and technical well being of the team. Nemanja Vidic Was a demi-God in that long unbeaten/no goals conceded stretch, but had a few 'moments of madness'/'games to forget'. Hopefully we see more of the first(demi-God) and less of the latter as he gets wiser with time. Johnny Evans Slotted in seamlessly with the defense when needed to, and was unlucky not to score on a few occasions as well. Made a few mistakes here and there but those were rare occurrences, which is pretty impressive for one so young playing in such a critical position. Ritchie de Laet Aside from a few mistakes, he looked very solid whilst being played out of position at left back. He might not be one of those prodigious young defenders, but I feel with a lot of application as well as experience he could emerge as a very good defender in time. Fullbacks Rafael Da Silva Took (most of)us by storm with his youthful exuberance, skill on the ball and bravery. Unfortunately, aside from a few miraculously disciplined defensive performances, he's a liability on the defensive end of the spectrum. On the attacking end, he gives us excellent crosses, great interplay and a willing overlapping threat on the right. Has plenty time to iron out his defensive kinks and improve his attacking play even more. John O'Shea Early on in the season, did his usual John O'Shea thing: Get skinned defensively. Mess up an attack. Both of the above within a 30 second span. But as the season went on and he grew in stature(figuratively of course), he looked more solid, defensively and in attack, and he even popped up with a key goal! Should lose his place to Brown next season. Gary Neville A liability. Should be last in the pecking order and maybe start coaching courses. Wes Brown Hardly played at all, but when he did play it was no surprise that we looked solid. Hopefully he's fit for next season because I want our 07/08 defense back. Patrice Evra Aside from some really, really poor games, he's been usual Evra. Looks great going forward, then has zero to show for it at the end. When will he ever correct that? Fabio Da Silva Plagued by injuries this season but looks like a true prodigy in the left back position. Like his brother, great crosses, good skill on the ball, but, unlike his brother, great defensively as well. Seems to have his feet firmly on the ground and balances his forward forays with smart stab tackles, tireless tenacity and diligent defensive positioning. Injuries permitting, a lock for the LB position in the future. Richard Eckersley Very unfortunate to be a right back, because we're loaded in that position. Good going forward, good defensively. A real solid player who's going to get even better. Midfield Darren Fletcher A solid performer all season along with his usual brilliant performances in a midfield 3. Will be even more important next season. Michael Carrick Scored some nice goals this season, and was serviceable but not really all that great. To be fair to him, playing in a 2 man central midfield of a 4-4-2 just doesn't suit him at all. He also makes it very clear that the burden of carrying a whole midfield on his back is not a task he ever wants. Is a much better performer as a cog in a machine. Paul Scholes Suffered from a loss in stamina, the odd poor pass(???!!) and a shift in formation. Still looked great making a cameo here and there and that will probably be his role next season. Rodrigo Possebon Looked to be a regular part of the first team squad early on in the season, but his injury damaged him mentally(and physically of course) and set him back. Gradually he's improved and I think he's back to where he was at the beginning of this season, which is an excellent ball retainer, something we need, badly. Darron Gibson Strong and brilliant striker of the ball, poor user of it as well. Needs to work on his short passing game. If he does, he'll have a future with us. Wing-Forwards/Attacking Midfielders/Support Strikers Cristiano Ronaldo Suffered from the shift in formation, loss of fitness due to injury and being shackled tactically. As the season went on, the shackles came off and the goals returned. Hopefully he's unshackled from the start next season, if, he's still with us next season. Wayne Rooney Used everywhere in the attacking third of the field. The only consistent thing about this season was his brilliant crosses, crossfield passes and occasional moments of madness. When will he be allowed to have that free role where he is so devastating? When will all that ability come together in one glorious season? Hopefully that season is next season and onward. Carlos Tevez Was absolutely sensational at the start of the season(goals excluded) but was dumped to the bench and lost his confidence as well as form. Will probably be gone this summer. Park Ji Sung I think Fergie felt guilty about leaving him out of the 07/08 CL Final, therefore he said to Park "Here, this season you have a permanent starting place." To be fair to Park he did have some immense games, but some uninspiring ones as well. Not sure whether he'll be such a guaranteed starter next season. Nani As a result of Park being given a permanent starting place and Tevez being relegated to the role of squaddie, Nani played less games, and the less he played, the more his confidence was drained until he looked like a shell of himself. Needs to feel like an important part of the first team to really be effective. Can beat any defender with his dribbling but what he does after he's beaten his man is anyone's guess. I want to see him play a lot more and do a lot better next season. Danny Welbeck Excellent on the ball, popped up with some excellent goals as well but also showed his youthfulness at times. One for the future. Ryan Giggs Aside from being over-elaborate on occasions, he was our best attacking midfielder this season. Who knows how long it will continue? Anderson Suffered from the sophomore jinx this season. Had a few good games but many 'meh' games as well. Hopefully he isn't used in CM very much next season and instead is pushed further forward. Zoran Tosic Was introduced very slowly to first team football in England. From the very few touches he's had playing for the first team he looks to be tidy in possession, quick, hardworking with a very sweet left foot. Will fly under many fans' radars because of his unwillingness to try too any Hollywood balls or fancy dribbles, but will pop back on those vary same radars with a wicked free kick, cross or spectacular shot. Could be a Morten Gamst Pederson type player except much better in possession and much quicker. I like him and think he'll be great for us. Strikers Dimitar Berbatov A genius with the ball, but unwilling to hustle hard to get on the end of passes/crosses. Needs to show more hunger and desire to stick the ball in the back of the net instead of trying to set up(and occasionally.. score) the perfect goal. Federico Macheda Wrote his name in the headlines and in the hearts of United fans everywhere with that massive goal against Villa followed up with the winner away at Sunderland. Ticks all the boxes of our requirements for a #9 except, maybe, pace. Still very young and still has a lot to learn/polish up his game on, but has that fire, confidence and work rate demanded of a 'United Type'. Frazier Campbell Lots of potential in this one. Searing pace married with hard work and good skill in and around the box. Still needs experience and regular games at a high level if he is to reach his potential. I'm not sure if we'll keep him or not, but I hope we do and give him a chance. Manucho Looked nervous in his first few appearances for us, but also showed a few nice touches as well. I think we'll only see the best of him if we keep him and he trains regularly with the first team as well as appears fairly frequently(starting in domestic Cup games and being subbed on in other competitions).