Who Should Play Against The Gooners?
REDville
Such is the beauty of United’s football at the moment that I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve every time they play.
It’s a testament to the quality of player Fergie has brought in over the summer that United are playing some of their best football in years, despite having to concurrently manage a long list of casualties.
Giggs, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Neville and Saha were all missing for United on Saturday and only Giggs made the bench. But United are playing the United way and most of the present team are looking undroppable.
What is most remarkable about United’s current front five, is the average age – just 21. Never before have United had 5 quite so talented players of this age. With new prodigies at the club in the shape of Nani and Anderson, Rooney and Ronaldo are beginning to resemble old heads! And with Tevez completing the quintet, United have an unusual blend of youth and experience, which is working to ferocious effect.
It will be very interesting to see who Sir Alex will play against Arsenal this weekend. It seems probable that a fit-again Carrick will come straight back into the midfield alongside a fit-again Hargreaves, thus tightening that area of the pitch away from home at the in-form Gunners.
I have long been a fan of Micheal Carrick and it may seem foolish to suggest that he shouldn’t play. But I just wonder how much the likely demotee, Anderson, will be missed on such an occasion. I have championed his cause since I first saw him and I believe that he has been the catalyst in United’s recent surge in form.
In Scholes’ absence, Anderson has become the oil in the machine. He is so quietly effective that you may not have noticed him starting nearly every goal scoring move in the last fortnight (when you watch the replays, look out for him – he usually pops up at the bottom of the screen, plays a sublime pass with 5-a-side nonchalance, then celebrates with the goal scorers). His first touch and passing ability is second to none. He makes United fluid because he moves the ball so quickly with his progressive and effortless passing. He can and will show more in terms of dribbling ability but for now he’s playing it safe, with great ease.
It may seem a bit kamikaze of me to suggest that he should continue in the midfield against Arsenal and of course he is only nineteen, but he adds such balance to the team sans Scholes that, without him, United may have no-one to oil the machine. Carrick and Hargreaves will keep us solid but will their duel presence stifle the United attack? Personally, if Scholesy isn’t fit, I’d keep faith with Anderson and show the courage to try and continue the recent theme of ‘football from the gods’.
As for the rest of the team, it’s pretty much as you were, except for Evra’s obvious reinstatement at left-back , if fit. Red Nev is finally back in full training but this match will come too soon for him, so the sometimes hapless but always committed and slightly more athletic Wes Brown will continue at right fullback. All that is left to dispute is whether Nani will continue to take Giggs’ berth in the team. But whilst Nani looks like a great prospect, Giggsy will continue to get the nod in big matches for now.
Role on the weekend.
