Manchester United – Players Who Should Go
For all the talks of a crisis, analysing the Manchester Uniteds squad shows that we’re not due for a massive clearout or overhaul – just some tinkering now and then, plus some smart buys.
Take, for example, the list of players that should leave Manchester United – after having gone through the future stars, the old guard, the current stars and their support cast, we’re left with only 5 players that I feel genuinely deserve to be sold. And out of those 5, 3 still fall into the doubt category (although in all 3 cases there is not much doubt).
Let’s look at these 5 players.
Note: Before I start, I have to say one thing – anything said here about players is not a personal attack but an evaluation of their ability to come up to the standards expected of them (by fans) as Manchester United players. If the words are harsh, then they are so because of on-field performances.
Darren Fletcher
Verdict: Must be sold.
Fletcher is the sort of player coaches warn kids not to emulate – very talented and yet after years of being asked to translate that talent on the pitch he has spectacularly failed to deliver.
On one hand it is harsh to ask such a young player to fill the boots of legends such as David Beckham and Roy Keane. On the other hand, it is also criminal to keep a player like Fletcher in the squad ahead of promising youngsters such as David Jones and Lee Martin.
Manchester United have played Fletcher in crisis situations, and his tendency to give the ball away too easily has meant that we have been unable to find an answer to an effective right-midifield or central-midfield backup players. Park substitutes on the right wing and does a better job, O’Shea – a central defender – is preferred in midfield.
Liam Miller
Verdict: Must be sold.
If there was one player in the Manchester United squad more disliked than Fletcher it is Miller. Brought in as the new Keano from Celtic, Miller has spectacularly failed to deliver. He is more like Djemba-Djemba than Kleberson or Veron (who at least had some talent and could summon it).
At Manchester United you don’t have the luxury of being played week in and week out if you are in a bad patch of form – if you can’t cut it at the top level, you’re out. Ferguson has usually taken a couple of years before offloading his bad buys, but while Veron and Forlan found buyers it is hard to imagine that another Aston Villa would come by and take Fletcher and Miller off our hands.
Mikael Silvestre
Verdict: Must Be Sold.
Despite his haters, Silvestre has shown himself to be capable of filling in at left-back and at centre-half when necessary. His performancing this season will come under extra scrutiny (as Vidic and Evra aim to improve their positions in the team) and while Manchester Untied have extended his contract till 2009 a poor season, combined with good form from Evra could see Silvestre out of Old Trafford.
After all, the cruft has to be cleared sometime, and the youngsters have to be given a chance. If Silvestre is our backup player, then at the very least he should be replaced by O’Shea or one of the young defenders from our squad.
Patrice Evra
Verdict: Needs More Time.
I’m not too fond of Evra, but everyone I’ve talked to has told me that the player needs more time to prove himself. Well, Evra has had 5 months, plus pre-season, and now the onus is on him to deliver as Heinze’s deputy. A solid season from Evra will make it easier for Manchester United to dispose of Mikael Silvestre (who I think should be sold this season).
Ferguson should have spent the 5 million on Senna back in January 
Tim Howard
Verdict: Being Fattened Up.
Some people would not give Howard another chance, and for my money Howard has been loaned out to Everton so as to improve his transfer fee – especially since Foster and Kuszczak have been brought in after Howard.
It is stil possible that Howard shows the same top form that is expected of him at Everton, but in all likelihood the American keeper will not be at Old Trafford next season – and if he is, he won’t be first-choice or even second-choice.
Up Next
Should Sir Alex Ferguson say goodbye to Manchester United?
This article is Part 4 of our 6-part Manchester United 2006/2007 season preview coverage at Soccerlens.
Topics: Manchester United
Football News 24/7
Actually Fletcher shouldn’t be sold
August 16th, 2006 @ 17:27he’ll come good don’t worry
he’s a team player
and players like him, all teams need them
he won’t be mad if he plays only a few games per season
or if he doesnt get a high salary
I also agree with Chris, Fletcher should not be sold. He is still only 22, and has improved every season, and will continue to improve. He has shown the occasional flashes of greatness, but too often has given the ball away too easily. Give this boy some more time, I think we will only benefit with him at the club. He is a good 3/4th choice midfielder, and his ability to play central or right side is a bonus. This guy is a fantastic crosser and passer of the ball, he just needs to learn when not to make a pass. We sold Forlan, who went on to be top scorer in Spain, and is worth several millions now, I kind of wish we kept him for at least another season to see how he turned out.
August 16th, 2006 @ 18:51Fletcher would be fine as a 4th choice midfielder, but we’re playing him as a second choice one! I don’t why Fergie rates him so highly, but it’s dangerous to have a 4th choice midfielder playing so high up the order. If he was put in that role, I would agree, keep Fletcher. But not otherwise, no. This whole list oughta go, I’d say.
August 16th, 2006 @ 19:34I was also of the opinion that Fletcher will come good, but there’s a problem – with Carrick and Hargreaves (assuming he comes) you have an excellent midfield. You also have Scholes there for the next two years. Fletcher only makes 4th choice if Smith is pushed up front and if Giggs is played out to the left.
If a not-so-prolific striker and an ageing left winger rank above you as a midfielder (AND you’ve had a couple of years in the first team), how good are you, really?
Bottom line – Manchester United is not a place where you give ‘chances’. I agree that Ferguson made a mistake with Forlan, but that was an aberration. Most of his other mistakes – well he shouldn’t have bought those players at all (Veron, brought in for the Champions League, Kleberson, no place for him in the team, etc etc). United brought in good players but couldn’t use him.
Fletcher (and Miller) are holding up the progression of two talented youngsters – David Jones and Lee Martin. Not only that, they have had several chances to prove themselves.
Forlan, when he got an extended run, started scoring but was then dropped. Fletcher, despite getting an extended run hasn’t looked like performing up to the standards expected of him.
The guy is a fine player, no doubt. But he has to step things up or he’s out.
August 16th, 2006 @ 23:07darren fletcher is crap so crap that the goal he scored against chelsea was a fluke he was trying to head the ball to ruud and it went in the net. man utd should have a much higher standard of player waiting in the wings team player or not and if hes been improving ive missed it let me put it like this the reason we fail in midfield is we have medium grade players like fletcher starting for us if we were to sell fletcher which of the top 5 teams in all the leagues in europe would come in for him milan barsa juve byern liverpool lyon answr NONE so why o why do we have him miller and silvest why? he is crap there isnt a scottish player in the spl or anywere else good enough to play for manutd. he hardly strikes fear into the opposition in europe or the prem when he starts or comes of the bench. further to that fergies jugement of player is border line pathetic all the talent displays itself to the world in the world cup and he buys carrik for 18 million fergie a great mngr in his day should ve bowed out in 99 sinse then the team has gone backward every season the choice of player is a joke bar roony ruud heinze rio ronaldo and van da sar. remeber what happend to brian clough he took forrest to olympian heights and stayed on were are forrest now? manutd if we are lucky with this medium grade squad with no ruud will finish 4th and thats the end of fergie all the other teams in the prem have brought players in spurs wigan chelsea liverpool ect what have we done we havent even replaced ruud now hes saying roony smith saha solskiar rossi is the way forward. well at the end of year the table wont lie
August 17th, 2006 @ 15:53Get real !! Fletcher is without doubt one of the WORST players ever to have worn the shirt on a regular basis. He can’t tackle,pass in a forward direction ,cross,head, or shoot ( And don’t reply with the goal against Chelsea!) He is lightweight, gets knocked off the ball easily and runs like a girl!! He brings NOTHING to the team, and I’m willing to bet he is the most subbed player in the history of the Premiership!
August 17th, 2006 @ 15:23I have a suggestion, talk to materazzi agent(the Italian defender), move Reo or Henze to midfield posetion,smith up-frant,Fletcher&Liam out or sub,(Materazzi, I thank is best asset in ManU)If owen H come to ManU, good enough.ManU would be a solid team.
August 18th, 2006 @ 10:38Ferguson should have spent the 5 million on Senna back in January – Are you nuts? His current club were in the Champions League then, not a chance they’d have sold him, or he’d have left then. Kind of shows how stupid you can appear by making statements like that!!!
August 23rd, 2006 @ 15:39in my defense that comment was made in jest – I don’t rate Senna very highly, simply because I think we have better options available to us. My point was that the money should have been used for a defensive midfielder back then.
Evra has made a good start to the season, so I’m hoping that he will justify his purchase.
You’ve got a valid argument, but I think you missed the point of what I said.
August 23rd, 2006 @ 15:42Fletcher holding up Lee Martin, no way. They’re totally different kind of players. David Jones, may be, but I doubt if Jones is considered more talented than Fletcher by the United coaching staff.
August 23rd, 2006 @ 15:45Fletcher in not fit for premiership soccer. Plays like a girl. Maybe should play in the MU Ladies team.
August 26th, 2006 @ 20:02Kieran Richarson has no business in the MU team. Did you see his pathetic play in the England match against Andorra. Cannot pass, cannot cross, cannot tackle, cannot dribble. How he got into MU is a great mystery. I think most of the Andorra players are better than him. Ferguson better get rid of him quick maybe give him to Chelsea or Arsenal, then they will have a real problem.
September 6th, 2006 @ 15:52I think who must b out from manu, r Oshea, Richardson, Howard nad silvester. For Manu whom we need is who can deliver his ability atleast more than 70% consistency. Fletch will come good, u can c what he is doing in his national team. But more than another striker, we need Owen H., who is already ready ti fix himself inthe premier league. May we can get another midfielder but they need time to express themselves. But i love to c Porto’s Anderson in Manu, huuuuuuuuuuuu!
November 11th, 2006 @ 04:45Richardson can play. I thought his debut for England demonstrated that? He has talent, he doesn’t exactly get much of a run for United. Give him time. He’s what? 21 year old? Give him time dawg
January 3rd, 2007 @ 11:59I agree with most things you say there apart from Evra, he is very good.
March 26th, 2007 @ 22:17Reading over the preview now that we’re right near the end of the season it makes an interesting read. You have got most of your assessment correct, although I think Fletcher has proven his worth to the team but Richardson really hasn’t.
April 28th, 2007 @ 23:58Actually, after the season has gone by I’m going to come back to the preview and sort some things out. I got a couple of things wrong, I think
April 29th, 2007 @ 01:23[...] the start of the season I picked 5 players who I thought were surplus to requirements at Manchester United. Let’s look back at the list [...]
June 4th, 2007 @ 16:17