Should Manchester United re-sign Phil Neville?
If Alex Ferguson and Manchester United are going to go with stop-gap solutions to the holding midfielder problem, they don’t need to look at players outside the Premiership - one of their own, discarded just an year ago, would absolutely love to return to the club he called home for so many years.
Phil Neville is the rare example of a player who has actually played better after leaving Manchester United - although you could easily assign that to the added responsibility and playing time given to him in midfield at Everton. Manchester United’s match against Everton last season put Neville’s development in perspective - he was the heart of Everton’s midfield, and looked like a light-weight Keano minus the temper.
The fact that he matched and even outshone the United midfield was attributed to our midfield failings - but if we’re going to sign a player like Senna, dammit, we would be better off with someone who bleeds United.
Then there is his long-standing association with Manchester United and Alex Ferguson - something that could motivate him to raise his game even further and play at the standards expected of him. He would never be expected to score goals, but even as a squad player Phil Neville would give Manchester United’s midfield the bite they sorely lack. Despite Ryan Giggs, John O’Shea and Alan Smith shining in the centre of the park, they are playing out of position (we need Smith upfront, and Giggs on the left, while O’Shea is better as a cover for Neville) and we need a player who can make that holding position his own, and Phil Neville is a good fit.
What makes it harder is that Neville is such an integral part of David Moyes’ Everton side. However, assuming that Neville would love to return to United, a serious bid by Manchester United would be hard to ignore.
Disclaimer: I’m not suggesting that we actually take a step backwards and re-sign Phil Neville (although selling him was a big, big mistake by Ferguson). However, if we are really going to buy a player like Marcos Senna then Neville is a much better option - he has history, he loves the club and is a solid squad player.
And at the very least, he would be a much better option than Nicky Butt.
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Marcos Senna is a far more classy hard tackling player. He is a regular Spanish international & was their holding midfielder this WC. Phil Neville wouldnt even come close to making the WC squad for England, let alone Spain. He is coming cheap to Manchester United beacuse he has only 1 year left on his contract. If you have a look at the wages that Manchester United are offering him, which is in the range of a whopping 70,000 pounds a week, you would understand how highly they rate the player. If you did watch the La Liga or the Champions League last year, you would surely agree that Marcos Senna was the driving engine in midfield which is Juan Roman Riquelme could do what he is best at : Distribution & passing with finesse. In short, he was key to Villareal’s unprecendented success last season & is a class act as a tackling midfielder
He’s coming cheap to United because he’s unproven in the Premiership and because he’s 30. Not to mention that he has only seriously come in the limelight because of Villareal reaching the semifinals of the Champions League.
Ferguson is on record as saying that they’re interested in Senna but are also pursuing other opportunities - and quite frankly I’d rather have someone like Vieira (as much as United fans hate him) in the squad than Senna.
Senna lacks pace as well. One good season doesn’t make a good team or a good player. He may have talent but age is against him and I really doubt that he will be the answer to our problems. Replacing a slow ageing midfielder (Keano) with another slow ageing midfielder (Senna) isnt the answer.
But if he does come, then we’ll support him just the same.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2006360320,00.html
the above article states at Senna will be on a deal that’s roughly worth 30K per week (4.5 mil over 3 years, you do the math).
Yes. But Ferguson won’t.
Forget Phil Neville. Why the hell aren’t United making a move for Owen Hargeaves ? I was a sceptic but his last two performances (and stamina) for England were superb.
Stupid haircut admittedly but 25 years old and surely relatively cheap.
you are a wise man
I’ve been talking about Hargreaves since the summer started, and while we still might get him (as Ferguson is saying that we’re pursuing other possibilities apart from Senna as well), I really doubt it.
The guy has been declaring himself open for a move to the Premiership in every interview he’s given after the World Cup, so we know he wants to come as well.
well to be honest i think that man utd shuldn’t sign another midfielder i think they should go for the youth option, people like messi, kompany and ramos r definites for us. we would hav the best youngsters in the world with them 3 adding to tevez rooney and ronaldo! but i think signing that 9 year old could be 50/50 as his career could turn in the wrong direction from all the hype.