MUFC: Fergie willing to chop these players? You tell us!

I hate the word transition. But you hear it so much in the game. This damned blessed game of ours.

There are alot of United’s squad skating on thin ice at the moment. Transistion is in the fresh winter’s air. A mix of poor form and inconsistency, repetitive injuries and lack of games has left more than a few of our current lads at the brink of the Old Trafford exit door. Well it’s time for a good old fashion dissection. Based on my opinion that is…a random bloke who goes to all the games and then feels compelled to write about it all. So here goes….Will this merry bunch survive past this summer is the golden question? Yes, no or……maybe:

Dimitar Berbatov:

Oh Dimi, Dimi, Dimi! You go bang in a beautiful hat trick versus the scouse, then decide it’s time for a little holiday and break from your early season form. Berbatov is the original enigma. Eric Cantona may well have spoke of seagulls and trawlers et al, but Berbatov is ten times the enigma Eric ever was. You always KNEW that Eric would say something cryptic, whereas Berba takes cryptic on the football pitch to whole new levels. His omission against Wigan left us at Old Trafford all bemused, but news of a viral infection soon spread throughout the ground. This was then gazumped by Sir Fergie himself as after the game he hollered ‘I left him out for tactical reasons!’ Yes Sir Alex…lets just leave him out for tactical reasons (rather than his form) and play a green Italian kid up front with an even greener french winger playing out of position. Hmmm…It appears that Berbatov is testing the managers patience these last few weeks. Sir Alex has been incredibly loyal to Berba (as he is with all his players) and backed him to the hilt. However, we know what happens when he wants to wash his hands! Time and space seem to be coming together to form a parallel with the Juan Seba Veron situation of the past. Genius, yes. Frustrating, yes. Produces moments of undoubted footballing artistry, hell yes. Pushed Fergie too far with his erratic ways….a final yes and a goodbye to Chelsea. Berbatov is rolling the dice in the same game that Seba did.

Will he be sold in the next 2 transfer windows? This one is a…………Maybe

Michael Owen:

Really….any former European footballer of the year, who is still this side of 30 (as he was when he signed) must be worth a punt on a free transfer? MO7 hasn’t really set any buildings ablaze with his 18 months stint at Carrington. His last kick of the game goal against City in last years classic 4-3 has cemented his place in United folklore, but as far as giving us the extra goals we need to compete in the league it really hasn’t worked out. Injuries haven’t really been his problem, but game time has. Last year Rooney’s electric form and our lone striker tactics left Owen on the bench. Then this year Berba kicked on early doors, and Chico and Kiko are making positive noises. So what does the lad from Chester do? I can only see him in a different coloured shirt next year. Aston Villa here he comes!

On his way out of Old Trafford? With a heavy heart the answer is……….Yes

Owen Hargreaves:

I feel sick when I think of Hargo. So so so so so much potential to be the next Bryan Robson of our club. And his knees have ruined it all. I was there the day he made his last come back at Old Trafford.  I watched him warm up and my heart jumped for joy…but my stomach was also in my mouth. I tweeted from my seat and vantage point. The flurry of 140 character ditties went along the lines of ‘How long before he gets injured again?’ Well, seconds later and hes limping off down the tunnel and we’re all looking down at our shoes shaking our heads. What Hargreaves has had to endure is tragic. But now in the last months of his contract there are decisions to be made. United once upon a time let a certain Paul McGrath go because of dodgy knees (and a fondness for Guinness) and he went on to become PFA Footballer of the Year. And yes it was Fergie that let McGrath and his world class ability go. Will he do the same with Hargreaves?

Will Hargo be shown the Old Trafford exit this summer? Regrettably the answer will be……………………………..Yes

Anderson:

No doubting the kids ability. Absolutely no doubt at all. And there’s not many teenagers that get their own song from the Stretford End at such a young age. The kid initially showed why we paid a little fortune for him, but injuries and rumours of a not-so-great attitude have left him down the pecking order. Rightfully the lad wants to play first team football. His Brazilian international career is at stake and he is at that age where he needs minutes. Like Berbatov, he has the potential to frustrate. And with an evergreen Paul Scholes in front of him his own personal frustrations will grow. The Faithful are all clamouring for new midfield talent, but that will mean one or two will have to go, if only to help fund new acquisitions.

3 and a half years into his United career and still stuttering…will Fergie cash in? I think the answer is………………………Yes.

Michael Carrick:

The Champions League final in Rome: The night Micheal Carrick had the equivalent of a footballing nervous breakdown. Carrick’s slide to almost oblivion has been painful to watch from Old Trafford. His performance against Bayern last season led to fans in the stands that night directing venom at him rarely seen from a United crowd to one of their own….but the anger of The Faithful was clear and present. Thankfully, in recent weeks the Geordie lad has started to show some return to what we all know he can do. Use that massive football brain of his and be a foil for the creativity of a Scholes and the workrate of a Fletcher. But there is no doubt that Fergie isn’t as convinced about him as he was before that Champions League final. In and out of the squad like a yo-yo and not helped by niggling injuries.

But will he survive if United get a marquee signing in the middle of the park? Or will he be the sacrificial lamb? At the moment, my gut says……………….No

Wayne Rooney:

Is it controversial to include Wazza in this? Maybe. But nothing has ripped the soul out of the club more in living memory than the debacle we all endured a few weeks ago. All our names…dragged through the mud. Just so a footballer could earn a few more pennies. The rumours are rife about ‘a deal’ for Rooney to be sold in the summer was struck, and that he would sign his contract out of goodwill so the club got a bigger fee…………..HELLO!!!! Earth to all you space cadets out there!!!!! Football is a business to these people. There is no goodwill. And don’t be quoting all that Ronaldo rubbish to me of what he did with his contract… so thats what Rooney is doing! Paul Stretford would never have allowed his star client to enter into such an arrangement, as it would clearly effect any negotiations for a transfer, and leave Wazza shorter in the pocket. If he was going to go it would have happened this January, and for a reduced fee. Players don’t care what their clubs receive for them. Do you think Ronaldo thought: “Oh wonderful I’m so glad the Glazers got £80 million for me, that makes me feel so much better” Grow up for Gods sake. Rooney wont be going anywhere now, Not for the majority of this contract duration. The Blue offer was there. He got tempted cos he’s a silly Scally lad, and then he came to his senses…with the help of £200k a week.

Will Rooney be a Red next season. Or will he be sold? Unequivocally the answer is……………………….No

Ji Sung Park:

Much loved work horses, or just a pain in the behind? United fans are always split by him. However, we sing his name ever week, and he is very much the modern ‘squad player.’ Would you like things to be built around his talent? NO NO NO! Are you happy for him to score the odd vital goal and be Patrice Evra’s best mate? OH YES. Park still adds something. He has a unique ability to play an occasional blinder, without being the most talented on a football pitch.

To leave United next season?……………………………No

Patrice Evra:

Now Paddy doesn’t deserve to be in the list. If it’s a matter of choice he plays every week for the rest of time at left back for United. But now we hear of that old adulterer Real Madrid wanting to sleep with another one of our players. Last year it was Vidic, and this year its Patrice. Evra’s interview after Wigan I found wholly worrying. When asked would he be at the club next year after Madrid’s interest he replied: “I don’t wish to talk about such things” …Erm…..you don’t want to talk about it now, whist you are being interviewed? Or do you wish not to talk about it cos you fear a backlash a la Rooney? Evra isn’t getting any younger, and maybe he wants one last challenge. He’s won the lot in England. I smell a Ronaldo reunion possibly?

Will Evra be a United player after the summer. For now it is only a ………………………….Maybe

One things for sure and that is there will be out-goings out of Old Trafford this summer, if not in January. But who will Fergie offload?

You tell us! Leave a comment and have your say.

Glory glory! The Reds will always go marching on.

Like this article? Click here for more at ViewFromTier3 –Rob’s blogzine

 


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About Steve Ferguson 886 Articles
Steve Ferguson had taken over & re-branded The Faithful MUFC website back in the summer of 2014 and is now the owner and editor of the site. Steve, from Ashton-Under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, is a 35-year-old life long Manchester United fan, travelling over the globe to see the Reds play. Steve has been lucky enough to be at both the 1999 and 2008 Champions League finals, seeing Manchester United lift the biggest trophy in the World, none more exciting than that faithful night in Barcelona in 99. The website is a blog, but also hopes to deliver the latest Manchester United news from around the internet too, linked up with our growing twitter account which is @TheFaithfulMUFC, give it a follow as we will follow you back as soon as we can.

14 Comments

  1. I wouldn’t be sorry to see the back of any of them other than Rooney and Evra if I’m honest. Berb is a great player but it has to be said that he hasn’t come close to replicating his Spurs form for us, Anderson hasn’t progressed in any shape or form from his first season, Carrick can’t command a game and goes missing when the pressures on, Park’s not a footballer and Hargreaves has no knees…

    Its going to be an interesting summer that’s for sure!

  2. I find it hard to believe that to get midfield talent in, we’d sell midfield talent – Anderson. As United fans have always agreed I think we’d rather he stayed and got a position and fought for place alongside Fletcher. Certainly, intriguingly, when fit this year he’s been deployed higher up the pitch. I can’t believe he’ll be sold without being given a chance this year when he’s back fully fit. I don’t think Ferguson would pass up on a kid who has stupid amounts of talent (that we witnessed in his first year when fully fit) – he’ll find a place for Anderson. Surely if there’s one thing we are, it’s patient, we waited long enough for Nani to find a place in our team and some form, he’s older than Anderson so will learn quicker. It’s very very rare that United in the past 15 years sell a young player with such talent, more often than not they stay at United and are given a chance. If we were a selling club because a young player wasn’t quite ‘doing it’ then Fletcher wouldn’t be at United today.

  3. Right I think…

    Berba – Maybe. But my maybe is 75% that he will stay.
    Michael Owen – Sadly Yes 🙁
    Owen Hargreaves – Noooooooo but I fear it could be Yes….. I’m in denial though.
    Anderson – Maybe. But I don’t want him to go and agree with Doron’s comments above and there were rumblings of a loan move.
    Carrick – No.
    Rooney – Maybe. I’m 60% certain he’ll stay and 40% that he’ll go.
    Park – No.
    Evra – Maybe 🙁

  4. Doron I know youre a huge Anderson fan, so im not surprised by your passionate defence of the boy. Yes we generally give talent time, but i think the issue will probably lie with the player at the end of it. If hes fit and in form then of course he will get matches. But this will be the end of his fourth year at the club and if things dont improve he will be far from the world class midfielder we all hoped. If Fergie wants to keep him then all well and good, there will be no calls from me to get rid. But I get the feeling that Cleverley will move ahead of him soon in the pecking order and I think he will want a move to get more playing time.

    And Fletcher is an exception in recent years. How many other players like him have come through the youth system in the same manner? Evans & Gibson aside…Not many. And comparing former youth team players to a big money signing like Ando doesnt work for me… If a player is patient himself then you can wait, but I think Ando wont wanna be sitting on the bench anytime soon, Like Berbatov its fine to have all the talent, its another thing proving your worth. Lets hope he stays free from injury and shows something like the form he did 3 years ago. We need a creative talent like his but Fergie wont wait forever.

  5. Yup! As much as I have blogged about Berba’s form I still think he’ll be a United player next season.

    I’m still unsure about Rooney. I thought he wouldn’t go when the whole “Will he won’t he” was going on but now I don’t know, something makes me wonder if he will go now.

    But I can be very indecisive 😉

  6. In the end some of those who will be sold, will be because we’ve brought someone else. Some of the names above is on my list as well but I’d add a few. Kuzchcack will go – Lindegaard will come. Sell Anderson, buy Henderson. Sell Carrick, buy Schweinsteiger. Promote Cleverley. Sell Nani (!) buy Sanches ( or Ronaldo ).

  7. Very good article. Personally I do not think half of them will go, purely because of the age of Giggsy Neville and Scholes. These boys will not last forever – so with them playing less and less every season, combined with possible sales – it will mean ultimately we either have to trust in our youth or be forced to purchase about 8 new players.

    I would love to see Schweinsteiger at OT. Also, there is certainly some players we could exchange – for instance Welbeck could be used in exchange for Henderson (however is he another Rodwell, one good season then just a 6 out of 10 player).

    Gareth Bale keeps being linked as well – and we all know Harry is a fan of Carrick so maybe that could be on the agenda as part of package….

    Cheers. follow me on twitter, always looking for new people to chat to about mufc and all things football related

  8. What a turd piece, passed on to me.

    The blog itself is just your own writers patting each other on the back. Well done

    Obviously no United supporter thinks winter time is sale & dissection time, that’s idiotic, as is your wholesale wind of change that has nothing to do with the character of UTD!!!

    Best of all — a website calls itself the faithful that says a number of 1st team
    Players should be sold. Jokes

  9. Anon, did you actually read the piece or were you too busy thinking up your response?
    Rob is SPECULATING about what players MAY be sold. Not who he wants, not who will, who COULD be sold.
    Clearly you are a person whose comments should be taken seriously seeing as you are nothing but a keyboard warrior who didn’t even put their name on their waffle.
    Thanks for reading though, muppet

  10. Interesting response from Anon.

    Anyyyyyyway…. Here’s my take, for what it’s worth:

    Rooney: Not selling. I know the Glazers are horrific owners and wouldn’t put it by them to pay Rooney and then sell him, BUT I don’t expect that to happen. I’m hoping Rooney find’s form and all this talk of “will he or won’t he?” will just be banter for yesterday’s newspapers. We’ve all been Rooney fans and I will continue to support the boy because he is a United player. Boo’ing, talking shite, boycotting him isn’t at all the way to get results. If we acted like that, it’s wanting the club to fail. Club > player, remember?

    Carrick: He’s wishy-washy, but I think there is too much quality for us to sell him, unless his price is inflated and someone is willing to pay, which won’t be the case. His form, especially his passing, was immaculate against Rangers. I’m hoping for form like that and like during his 2008 campaign. I’d like to keep him.

    Berbatov: Chicha is already a cult and fan favorite at United, but playing the last 20 mins of a match isn’t the same as playing consistent first-team 90 mins. He’ll get there and we all know that, but with Rooney out of form, we need all the help we can get. Berbatov hasn’t lived up to the hype he had coming from WHL, but the kid is pure talent. We paid just about 32mil for him and talks are that we’d sell him for 18mil offers. That’s half the value we paid for him, so unless we can get more than that, we should keep him and give him a chance. If, at the end of this season, he hasn’t done anything else, we should revisit the idea of unloading him. I’m sure that 18mil will still be a viable offer at the point in time.

    Park: Gotta love a late minute winner, or two. With that said, though, he’s a work horse, but the rest is kind of a grey area. Two seasons ago, he was dynamic, but it feels like he plays when SAF feels the match is winnable without a formidable starting XI. He saved us against Wolves, and for that I am grateful. I think he’s worth keeping around because, at points, he’s invaluable to us. I can’t see another team paying more than 8 or so million for him and I think that he’s worth more than that to us.

    Anderson: I’m new to this United fan circuit, but I’ve never been an Anderson fan. We paid a penny for him, but for me, he hasn’t done anything. His touch is usually way too much for us and he’s way inconsistent with his passing. His attempts on goal are wild and off-target. I think that he’s a midfield train when he runs all over the pitch, but that isn’t good enough. For people that at Nani and say that he took time to mature, I don’t think that will be the case with Anderson. I think that Nani has more raw talent than Anderson AND Nani still hasn’t matured all the way. His a petulant baby on the pitch and needs an attitude adjustment. Also, his free-kicks are garbage, along with his corners. For someone who is so dynamic, he needs to hone his set-pieces. They are vital for us. With Anderson, I just don’t see him turning into a Nani. But, I’m not sure what we could get for him. I’d be okay with selling him.

    Michael Owen: He’ll forever be in my heart for his 96min winner against City, but I’m okay with selling him.

    Owen Hargreaves: Time is up. Loved the move for him, but he’s not panned out. Even before his 5th minute exit on his return to first-team action, I was over all the setbacks.

    As a whole, I don’t see us selling a lot of players, unless we can immediately replace them with a better player. Either way, I’ll support SAF, as always. Glory, glory.

  11. A lovely well rounded attack there Mr Anon. Well done

    But as our MadManc points out I am not calling for ANYONE to be sold or what not. I am speculating as to what Sir Alex thinks and whether he will move any on, whilst bringing in new talent. You obviously didn’t read the piece or maybe your comments were premeditated? More than likely id guess. But your agenda is your agenda.

    And yes I would like to pat the writers of this blog on the back, both from myself and the thousands of readers who enjoy all of their work. Well done lads and lasses

    We are the Faithful. Haters will never beat us.

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