Does the Manchester United midfield void really need filling?
If real football was the same as football games on certain consoles then the question in the title would already be answered. One would only have to wait two or three years for retired players to come back as fresh faced 16 year olds. In the case of Paul Scholes it would be the perfect scenario for Manchester United.
Sadly for fans, this is real football we are talking about and Paul Scholes is gone. Certain groups of fans are calling for Wesley Sneijder to be brought in, others claim that Tom Cleverley is the long term answer and that the club will be fine. Sir Alex Ferguson recently reiterated that little or no business will be done in January unless they can find a player who can make a difference, practically closing the door on the January transfer window before it has opened once again.
Manchester United are a wounded animal at the moment, quite literally in fact with numerous injuries to their midfield but will Sir Alex buy someone to cover over this difficult time? Probably not. Their relegation to the infamous Europa League will be something the club – and fans – will have to deal with – and is probably a competition Sir Alex would love to add to his cabinet.
Whether he decides to go all out in the competition or perhaps bleed his youngsters through remains an interesting question that will only be answered at some point after Christmas. You do feel for those that question Sir Alex at this time but again one must realise that competitions at the very highest level cannot be won every year, there will be blips, there will be dramas and there will always be disappointment.
A Champions League exit will always ask questions and force most to quickly look to answers in the transfer market but for those with short memories there was a time when Chelsea won just about everything, only for Manchester United to remain close by and then snatch the title once again. The team will always have a chance and like swings and round-a-bouts, there will be highs and lows.
In the meantime, Manchester United do have injury worries but the victory over Wolves will have boosted their confidence once again and there is certainly no desperate mood to make any big name signings in January. Slowly, players will get back to full fitness and as everybody knows, Manchester United are a totally different beast after the festive season.
Whilst Sneijder’s name on the Manchester United team sheet does get one licking the lips, the cost, and the fact that the Dutchman will only slow down Cleverley’s maturity in that midfield area, could warrant a lack of interest in January with Sir Alex once again deciding to stick with the younger talent his squad currently possesses.
