Being an Manchester United fan is difficult right now, not least because I live with three Liverpool-supporting mates. I wrote an article regarding our [United’s] midfield ‘problem yesterday, and I think I have found the solution to this.
I have been racking my brains thinking about the player we need to come in and take control. Michael Carrick is a brilliant player, but he slows the tempo down and is rarely seen out of his own half.
Anderson is the opposite, but while he’s floating around aimlessly on the edge of the opposition box, he’s no help in linking the two units together and ultimately gets lost in what he’s supposed to be doing. The Brazilian was a favourite of mine a few years back, but there’s only so much I can take from him.
So what about Marouane Fellaini, David Moyes’ bright idea this summer. Well, he’s also a rigid player who likes to take about a million touches before releasing the ball, which again slows down our play.
Tom Cleverley offers almost nothing going forward, as while he’s effective as a ball winner, his decision making and his technique leave a lot to be desired.
So who comes in? Ander Herrera? Cesc Fabregas? For me, they’re both too attacking – we have Shinji Kagawa on the bench.
Alex Song is the name I put forward, as he is a prime example of a midfield boss. He is incredible in the tackle – he’s won 8/9 this season, which is something we need, but he is also remarkable at picking out passes to the front men. We saw it time and time again when he was at Arsenal with Robin van Persie, so why not draft him in and reunite the pair?
His ball retention is second to none – he has completed 92% of his passes this season, and he’s yet to lose a game in his 25 La Liga games for Barcelona, which tells you something. United fans, do you agree that this could be our ticket to the title?