Apr 03
Should United keep Brown?
Sir Alex must have been behind plenty of transfers in his time in football. It adds up: a new centre-back every three years or so, countless midfielders, even more goalkeepers and a few strikers, but one position he has not touched in a while has been the right-back position.
Gary Neville has been a rock for United in that position for longer than I have been following football and when he is not there, then there was always a reliable back-up from the youth system who could step right in and do a half-decent job. He was usually replaced by his brother, Phil, but after he was gone, Wes Brown made the position of second-choice right-back his own.
Actually Brown is not really good as a right-back and could not challenge Vidic — who imposed himself as one of the most commanding centre-backs in the world — for the central defender position in two life times. He is therefore stuck as a second-choice player for Manchester United and it does not look likely that anything will change for him in the near future unless he leaves the club.
Thus, it can be safe to assume that Brown will be better off if he leaves the club. However Manchester United know that Brown is not unwilling to stay at the club — provided he is offered more money — and the decision they must now make is whether or not they should offer Brown the financial terms he demands to stay at the club.
Actually Brown finds himself in a good position. His contract expires this summer and he can move elsewhere for more football if he cannot force Manchester United to show him the money. So Sir Alex might be asking himself if Brown is worth the extra 30k per week he wants.
Brown has been performing at right-back all season and he has probably earned the rating “not a failure” for his efforts — which is hardly flattering. Given our relative impotence in this position and the fact that Neville has not kicked a ball for a year (and he is getting very old), we can safely assume Ferguson will go shop for a right-back this summer.
That will push Brown as third in the pecking order on the right side of the defence, though he will probably continue to be second choice behind Vidic and Rio. We all know that Brown is Man Utd quality at the heart of the defence, but Pique too is promising and O’Shea showed us that he can do the job on Tuesday. Then there is also that French lad, Silvestre. He is quite capable of being a back-up too.
So Brown is not exactly needed by the team when you think about it. He is a luxury. He is better than all other defenders in the team except Evra, Rio and Vidic. The impending arrival of Neville’s successor practically means that we will have the best second-choice defender in the league by a mile.
Is that kind of luxury necessary at the cost of another world-class player, because, if we do keep Brown, there will be less wages available this summer — and maybe less transfer funds?
So do you think we should keep Brown? Now I give you the keyboards.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Manchester United confirm new contracts for Brown, Ferdinand and Carrick
- Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester United: Ronaldo and Rooney complete a late win
- The Defensive Dilemma
- The Red Exodus | Rio Sure of Ron | Neville v Brown and Other Tales
- Aston Villa v Man Utd:Preview
Tags: Manchester United Players
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I think we should keep brown at all cost cos he’s been good this season and i’d choose him over pique any day, gary’s time at the club is in it’s closing years so its a tough choice but £30k a week over 4 years is £4m which is still cheaper than splashing out £8m plus wages plus expecting him to migrate to PL’s level of play i personally would not change that for a player that has cos us nothing in transfer fees and the fact he’s a product of our youth team should make us keep him!!
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Watta shit article…
he wont be 3rd choice..wen for the whole season hes first choice.
he has decent performance in every game..
yes saf might be loking for a new rb but brown is actually capapble of playing for manchester united.
why would we let go off him now..
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More importantly – any update on Vidic injury..? I fear no news is bad news…
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I love brown as much as I do any other United player I wish he stays BUT if him staying would cost us renewing Rio and/or Evra or from brining new faces in the club than goodluck Brown and see you later.
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And let’s not forget that the reason for Brown asking for extra cash is for parity between him and the other perennial back-up, John O’Shea. He’s not actually being greedy, he just wants to step up to the same level as other benchwarmers, particularly since he has been an active member of the first team this year.
Personally, I would like to see Brown stay. He’s proven himself to be generally reliable and steady in defence, whether at centre back or right back. I think we’d miss him being there if we lost him for nowt, even if we got another right back in.
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yes, yes, yes, for the love of god, YES! you can’t buy that sort of commitment and versatility (3rd choice center-back and 1st choice right-back even if Neville returns)
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One thing that brown has proved all season is reliability and consistency in defence, he might not be the best when going forward but lets not forget that all season he has been part of the meanest defence not just in England but the whole of Europe.
i personnally think he should be rewarded with the extra cash and made to stay, it would be unfair for ronaldo to get a better increased contract term for scoring 30+ goals as fergy promised and forget somebody like brown in whom ronaldo can go forward easily knowing he is well corvered behind.
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I do like Brown, but I also feel he should leave Man Utd. Fergie will buy a right back in the summer, and Big John O’Shea will be a good back-up center back.
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VIDIC OUT FOR 2-3 WEEKS MISSES ARSENAL GAME!! check the official website. If this set in stone he misses 3 games, but all are crucial. Big miss, fingers crossed we dont have a scenario like last year.
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If Vidic is out for 2-3 weeks than hopefully its not so serious, Vidic is a strong boy so he will be back before that hopefully.
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I don’t care. Wes Brown is entirely unremarkable in my eyes. Of Brown’s performances, the one’s I am pleased with are the ones where I barely notice him. Whenever I notice his presence it is usually for something dubious. Sure, he’s loyal. Sure, he’s consistent(whatever that means. If consistent mediocrity is desirable then Brown’s got that.). I just don’t know if we should be in the business of throwing around 70,000 or 80,000 pounds–whatever he actually wants–a week on 30 year-old, second string right fullbacks. He’s a second-choice player on the downside of his career and every minute that he spends on the pitch is a moment better invested in developing younger talent that will benefit the club for the future. I’m all for loyalty and it should be rewarded. That’s why we offered him another contract to begin with. But just because a player has played for one club for a long time doesn’t mean that he is worth more money. Wes Brown is a 50,000 pound a week player holding his favorite club hostage because he wants to be able to hold his head high around his friends. He should come to a realization about his role in the club and his future and come to a reasonable agreement with managment.
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Sign Lahm for right-back, with Neville as back-up (assuming he won’t reach previous levels). Sell Silvestre & possibly Pique (Not sure about him, was dreadful in easy game v Bolton). Sign left-back cover (Suggestions?). That would leave us with Neville, Lahm, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Evans, Evra, RB Cover. Two solid players for each position and O’Shea as the usual stop-gap for Defense or Midfield.
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yes please.. utd needs more local lads playing for the team. no doubt there are more talented skillful alternatives out there but brown’s heart belongs to utd and that instills a greater sense of passion higher than any other out there (next to the neviller of cos)
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Real worried bout our defence without Vida……praying Van Persies injury will keep him out of our up n coming tie
I know its unlikely to happen but i reckon Pique has to be in the team in Vidas absence. Whether its at right back of center half. The boy is classy n needs game time before we lose him to another top club
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it’s not arsenal we should be worried about, it’s chelsea.
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Pique is too slow for me.Yeah we must keep brown
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vidic should be back against chelsea so if liverpool can do us a favour against arsenal we should be ok!
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Patrick I think you’re being slightly unfair. Brown has been more than consistently mediocre, he has played an important part this season, with his no nonsense tackling and his much improved forward play (he’s even got a few assists, and a goal v. the scousers).
We should offer Wesley his higher contract. Here’s an interesting article by Scott on the topic, which I totally agree with. http://therepublikofmancunia.com/united-contracts-becks-truth-and-taking-the-ps-out-of-brown/
As for him being a “luxury” Andrei, I disagree. A back up defender of his quality is a must. He is a better defender than both O’Shea and (at the moment) Pique and Evans, and even if we do buy a new right back next season, Wes will be invaluable back up for both there (as we must assume Neville will be injured for most of the season) and in the centre. It is crucial you have a class 3rd choice centre back, and he is the closest we have to that at the moment. Remember last season’s defensive crisis? It’s even threatening to happen again now, with Neville not fully fit and Vidic out- Brown is crucial, and even if there was a new right back here at the moment Brown would be playing in the centre as replacement for Vidic.
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Hargo and Simmo are good enough cover at right-back, but Simmo cant be first choice yet. For immediate replacement, if Brown leaves at the end of the season, Fergie would probably go for Lahm or Bosingwa. I wonder how Simpson’s future will be affected with the arrival of the Silva twins at OT, plus the new right-back.
Personally, I would give him a chance to make that position his own in the first team.
I think Blatter wouldnt rest until he enforces the “6 out of starting 11 should be English” law, and letting Simpson grow instead of buying new blood all the time will be the way to go.
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2-3 weeks for Vidic, that’s fantastic news! After reading yesterday that they couldn’t scan because the swelling was too big, I feared the worse. I was resigned to hearing he had suffered a cruciate ligament tear or something, and would be out for 6 months. 2-3 weeks is nothing, it’s obviously only a minor injury. We should be OK against Roma at home, given our 2-0 lead, and JOS covered admirably in Rome. The game that concerns me is Arsenal at OT. Vidic usually eats their kids for breakfast. Arsenal aren’t playing that well though, so we should be able to beat them regardless.
2-3 weeks – fucking sweet!
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So, our priority is renewing EVRA ‘s and RIO ‘s contract and then we should look if there’s a better choice-transfer.I think that Manchester United board have the money -yes THEY ARE RICH RICH RICH- so as to keep BROWN RIO EVRA AND BUY ONE MORE. Even if SAF wants Brown stay the cash is there.We should buy some FRENCH or ITALIAN full back and . Then Neville should stop football , Silvestre should be sold and we should keep BROWN and PIQUE AS BACK UP. That’s the easy way
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Yes, I am being unfair, you’re right.
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Great news on vidic, he does not get injuries that often so i reckon he will recover in about 2 weeks, he will be missed at roman but we should win that, and he will be missed at arsenal but with the form we are in, if they score against us, we will probably score 9 against them so its all good!
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I like Brown but he makes a lot of mistakes and lacks an end produce when going foward we need to buy someone like Bosigwa he’s having a good season for Porto and he won’t cost us too much!
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Patrick – for a right back, when you barely notice him it means that at least he is doing his defensive part of the game.
I’m amazed at the number of people not cosidering Wes Brown as quality. We all know he’s awful going forward.
Yet so was Heize at his “supposed” peak playing for Utd., he was slow, always commited himself way too easily and hence got often passed by. But because he hustled and bustled everybody fawned over him crying “Argentina! Argentina!”
Brown is not show, he is a loyal servant, dependable in the mould of a Denis Irwin. (Note: I am not comparing his skills to that of the legendary LB, just his attitude)
And a few years back he was conceding the odd own goal. That too he has eradicated, at least for this season.
I would not play him first choice centre back.
Pique? Off – slow slow slow, at such a young age its not good, especially considering the pace of the EPL.
Silvestre? Off. Never the most comfortable player on the ball
O’Shea did well in Rome. I think its time to stop playing him as DM, and stick him to 2 positions or he may end up like P.Neville.
Lahm should definitely come.
THankfully Hargo can provide some backup.
I would nonetheless take the Evra situation with more caution as LBs are harder to find than RBs.
Finally I’m worried about the situation with all those youths being bought to backup the future, yet most of the fail to make the grade to the first team. THe last one who nearly made it was Rossi. With the reserves being so bad, I would definitely think twice about joing United if I were a sixteen year old. (Nani and Anderson don’t count – their price tags made sure of that)
Hopefully the Silva twins will make the grade what with the Portuguese speaking contingent.
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I don’t think we can pass judgement on Pique yet. Frankly, I think our top priority this summer should be getting a through and through striker. We have excellent forwards, but we need a target striker in order to become more multi-dimensional, especially when substituting. As for the FB position goes, I think SAF, Charlie, and Gill need to determine whether Neville is good for another year and whether Simmo is adequate as a backup. We should not be held hostage by any player for money they may not deserve under any circumstances. SAF has a history of weeding out problem players, and if this turns into a major distraction, Brown will be off. As far as possible FBs go, I think Lahm’s ability to move up the sidelines would fit in nicely with our attacking style. Plus, he and Hargo have played together, so they would complement each other immediately. Otherwise, does anybody know whether Miguel Veloso is capable of playing RB? We have a massive surplus of MFs already and don’t really need him there, but he has stated interest in coming to OT, and I wonder if Charlie/Ronny/Nani would be able to convince him to come and play RB.
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RR, we shouldnt get bothered of less wages this summer because Brown has signed a new contract. All SAF and Gary Neville should do (as a team captain i guess he has love for the club) is to agree amicably and let Gary retire, that will means part of his wages will top up what Brown now gets and the balance will go to one of the summer recruits if any.
I know a player like Manucho with all his skill will start with a salary of around 30 or 35K per week. Yet Brown needs an increment of 30K per week on his current wages, now that doesnt total to the 80k which Gary get per week. Further still we have Mr.Glass (Saha) who get 75K per week.Its his time to go on so his wages too will cater for any world class player we bring in in the summer.
Should Brown stay and get a pay rise? I yah yah with a magnanimus YES
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It’s time for Wes Brown to go. There I said it. Yes Brown has been a great servant and has been very good this season. Still, his agent’s contract negotiation strategy has been a joke and Wes himself has allowed it to happen. I can understand the fact that the lad wants to be assured of a starting spot, but asking for more money when he still hasn’t perfected the role of a RB is going to far. There are players behind him in the pecking order who are dying to get their chance full time like O’Shea, Fletcher, Park etc and they don’t bitch or have their agent bitch for them. The bottom line is that United is either going to buy another more accomplished and more talented RB like Lahm or Bosingwa or they will do something like play Hargreaves there. Brown will once again be a reserve. In that scenario I feel for the lad and therefore, I think it is in his and United’s best interest to move on. United can scout for decent backup or go with Simpson, Hargo or Neville for that matter.
Wes Brown has earned his opportunity to remain a starter, but just not with United. Although he is no embarrassment for us, United should always strive to improve itself on the pitch and there are players who can handle the position of RB better than him. Let him move on and thank him for his years of service. After all, we are not talking about Rio or Vidic here. Proper perspective and understanding that the money he is asking for is unreasonable and that it can go towards paying a better player. Right now I would be more concerned about signing Evra.
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I think that Brown has been an integral part of the best back four we have ever had.
He has also improved his attacking play. He scored against Liverpool and the cross for the
second goal against Roma came from him. If he goes we would need to spend transfer money on a
right back when the priority would be to buy a new world class striker. I say give him a deal!
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That is great news for Vidic and United. I was pretty sure it was a hyper extension of the knee so 2 to 3 weeks is about right. Not only could we have lost him for the entire season but this late on, we could have had another Gary Neville scenario. I am elated.
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you have to wonder though, we are in a key position to set a new record for goals conceded in a season, if nevile was fit and available from the beginning would we have conceded less? or even more, if brown was good going forward, would ronaldo(and our stikers) score as much goals, would he(they) score less? i believe that if its not broken, dont fix it, we have been in unbelievable form for the last few weeks and for a change, have taken that form into europe which i feel is an accomplishment. i think brown should stay and if he does go i would expect at-least 6-8 million for him and not a players salary like newcastle offered.
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Vidic will be missed!! I know it could have been worse but 2-3 is only a safeguard estimate. It all depends on when they feel he can come back. I’m guessing the medical staff will rush him towards the chelsea game, or the possible CL semi-final first leg. I’m confident of any UTD player coming in, but at this crucial stage splitting up the finest CB partnership in the EPL if not the world is worrying. We Collapsed last year remember!
I want Brown to stay on!! Im aware of his attributes and weekneses but he’s a good squad member. I always find myself explaining to my friends that players like O’Shea, Fletch, Silvestre and Brown are as important as key members. Okay they haven’t got the talent but they are the spine of UTD they make us unique to the big 4, We have always had loyal fringe players that have given there all(Ole, P.Nev, Butt, McClair etc)
I disagree with players banging on about contracts but Rio, Evra and Brown deserve deals big money or not.
Grognard i agree with you partly on Anderson and Tevez, but you must remember that they along with Hargreaves and Nani have never played more than 30 games a season. This is along with the pressures and intensity of an EPL and european campaign. It’s debut seasons so i think this is why Fergie is rotating between these four. I think Hargo will come in more now as he seems the most refreshed, Andy has burnt out but his talent hasn’t & Tevez will feature more now depending on rival formations.
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Dan; I think we would have scored more goals but in doing so, we probably would have given up 5 to 10 more goals. Brown deserves credit but it is team defense and especially the play of the Twin Towers Rio and Vidic that is most responsible for our defensive record. I remember numerous times that Brown got beat but nothing came of it. In fact he was beat numerous times against Roma and Rio or EVDS bailed him out of trouble. Lets face it, offensively he is not much to shout about. Neville, Hargo or a new signing would give us even more width and speed down the right side.
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yea that it was quite true(roma) so would you say we are playing with a 3 man defence sometimes this season?
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AGP, actually history is on your side. Real Madird crumbeled when the likes of Pavon left the club and now Barcelona has an all star line-up which is considerably weaker than the ‘team’ they had in Rijkaards second season at the club. You could argue that one of the factors that led to their dip is the departure or disappearance of the likes of Gio, Giuly and Sylvinho.
That being said, it looks like we should keep a so-so player which keeps the team together rather than move for an world class player which could disrupt the balance of the team in the long run.
Dan, you should probably note that Brown’s contract expires at the end of the season and he will be free to join any club he wishes with no compensation for United. Your quoted 6-8 million will not happen (unfortunately) unless we offer him a new contract.
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[Grognard]
You said: “There are players behind him in the pecking order who are dying to get their chance full time like O’Shea, Fletcher, Park etc…”
Then doesn’t it sound a little unfair that O’Shea gets paid more wages than Brown? Last I heard, Brown was asking for parity with the likes of O’Shea by demanding 50k. Fletch is 24 and has quite sometime left in his contract, while we renewed Park’s contract before Nani, Anderson and co came over — so wait till we see what his agent will have to say.
Brown could be moved, but look at our alternatives. Neville’s age is not going to see him play every game. Pique, while being a decent defender, is as slow as Brown moving forward. Any new player will take time to get settled in new surroundings — especially if we want to get off the blocks straightaway next season.
My point is this: Brown has been treated unfairly by fans for all his work this season. He has cut countless potential crosses into defence from the wings. His versatility along with O’Shea has ensured we never fall short of adequate options at any time in our season. Just look at Chelsea where new defenders were expected to adapt straightaway as cover.
I am not saying that he’s phenomenal. But for heaven’s sake at least recognise his contribution. And this is not directed at you Grognard, but at a lot of people who conveniently ignore his status. He actually is a good defender and would easily walk into most clubs as a starter. He is easily one of the best back up defenders in the Premier League. And it is our depth that is winning us the title this time.
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dont know about you guys, but Hargreaves has impressed me greatly playing in the right back slot, no one seems to get the better of him and he gets up and down the flank with great energy and has good delivery.
If I was SAF I would seriously consider playing him there for the rest of the season, hes quicker and more mobile than Brown and would be an improvement in my opinion having played there before for Bayern.
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[Jay Jay]
I didn’t write the article
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ap_HyDjb5r4 someone told me about this tevez clip, i think this needs to be his new celebration!!
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In other news, for those of you in the UK (And probably other coutries too) Rangers Vs Sporting Lisbon is on ITV4. Im watching Veloso, he’s started the match at DMC.
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To be frank I agree with Redranter. Brown’s contract is currently out of synch with the rest of the squad. If memory serves me correctly his last contract had a lower base salary than you would expect with a larger than usual proportion based on pay as you play, given his previous injury problems. If reports are to be believed he is asking for parity (or marginally more) than O’Shea, not an unfair request IMO.
From an economic viewpoint letting him go for nothing makes no sense, as we lose an asset for nothing and we will have to shell out at least £10m for a replacement. Quite frankly this is gross carelessness from the club’s point of view. A contract should never be allowed to run down to its last year before negotiations start. At that point a player has you over a barrel and this is what you get as a result.
On playing Hargreaves there, I’m not sure I like the idea of playing the £18m midfielder, who was meant to bring drive and security to the midfield, at right back. Square pegs and round holes spring to mind. He should be viewed as cover or a short term fix there, nothing more.
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Very right JB! Brown is justified in punishing the club for not securing him sooner. The management expected Brown to put in the same level of input as previous seasons but he has stepped up this season. He is now valued more and is asking for a contract that reflects that. He’s now starting for England at Right Back as opposed to previous years where selection was iffy at best.
Brown is needed by Man Utd because injuries WILL happen in a season and the likes of Silvestre and John O’shea are not suitable medium or long-term cover. You can’t expect Silvestre to fill in a position for a month (let alone a season) without weakening the squad. Brown provides absolutely essential cover without which we would lose the season. Remember that our second choice Right Back has played there all season and has conceded the fewest goals in a season ever in the premiership (provided they don’t concede anymore). We don’t compete in 45 games a season we compete in 60-70 games a season and expect results in all of them thus we need a large squad!
Its important we keep the majority of our back line. Silverstre should go and Gary Neville isn’t far of retirement either. He’s been injured a whole season and so I question his longevity. Remember what happened to Ole? Never was the same again.
I read this website everyday but I don’t post here too often but when I do, I always shout out the same things: A Large Squad & more Tevez starts. The evidence encourages this theory. Everytime Tevez gets a run in the team we get a lot more goals then when he comes off the bench. Last season we had a tiny squad we didn’t perform to the same level as this season.
What we need to secure our immediate future for a few seasons is replacements for Ole, Saha, Silverstre and Gary Neville. Philip Lahm can provide cover for Gary Neville and Silvestre, while a Benzema type forward for Ole and Manucho for Saha.
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Red Ranter; First thing to consider is that it seems clear to me that Fergie wants a more dynamic player at RB or the rumors for Lahm and Bosingwa would have died long ago. That being the case I think he feels that it would be unfair to the lad to throw him back on the bench after he started the whole season. Sometimes you just have to let go of someone for his own good and development. Wes Brown is good enough to start on 17 of the 20 BPL teams. He is a quality defender and he is flexible too. I’d love to keep him but I honestly cannot see him being happy with a demotion. Is it smart to give a player a raise in pay while demoting him and taking away his starting role? If at some point Fergie decides to cancel his search for a RB, then by all means pay the boy what he is worth and that is that. Otherwise, United need to play fair with him and let him go where he will start and be better utilized. He has paid his dues and now there should no taking two steps back.
I say sign Lahm or Bosingwa and then Neville, Hargreaves, Pique, Simpson and O’Shea can back him up admirably.
JB; 18 mil is a lot to pay a player who was signed as a holding midfielder and then moved over to RB. But the bottom line is that Hargreaves is too good a player to be sitting the bench and the trio of Carrick, Scholes and Anderson are making it difficult for him to play regularly. I personally like the way Scholes and Carrick combine well together so I am all for moving Hargo to RB, for a while anyway. This will also allow Fletcher to get more p;laying time at CMF as well.
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Ahmed … Do you remember ? I told you some day -just humour then,back in August- that hargreaves will be our right back. Remember me telling you that Neville will be injured and Hargo will erplace him? That was months ago.It made you go crazy and you claimed that his position is def mider…. Now that I’m semi-true would you like to see Hargo as our starting right back ?
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Grognard, I agree with you mate, if the other centre mids are keeping Hargo out and he can improve us by playing at RB, then I think he should be playing. Some of the best wing backs around are converted midfielders and to me Hargo looks like a beast of a player in there and does not look like a square peg in a round hole, so his price tag is irrelevant. Brown has done a decent job there this season but he is not the answer long term and has done nothing to convince me that he is anything other than a squad player. As regards to his contract, Im still undecided if it is best to keep him or not. We have Pique, Oshea and Silvestre also as cover but the question still remains wether we should reward him for his loyalty and service or be ruthless and let him go if it benefits the team, altough its hard to see how keeping him would hurt us unless there are some overall wage restrictions in place.
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Hargreaves looks a beast of a player in there??? How long has he actually played at right back for us exactly?
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JB, He played there against us if my memory serves me right for Bayern Munich and was very good, and his cameo against Villa was impressive and on tuesday night when SAF put him on the right hand side of midfield he totally stopped Romas raids down the left side which troubled us until his conclusion, I could be wrong about this but I think he played there many times for Bayern and has all the ingredients to be a wing back.
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I agree with the comments. Most games we play we have no need for a holding midfielder so end up with a 17 million player on the bench. Hargreaves is not a natural right back but I reckon he is better than O’Shea in that position who usually deputises for Brown.
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JB; Fred the Red is correct. Hargo has played RWB for Bayern Munich on numerous occasions. Hell, what position hasn’t he played. Amazing versatility. The fact that he can stick to a player, run hard, dribble and be able to cross actually makes him a natural for the position. Otherwise either Scholes or Carrick would have to take a seat. Seeing as they have no versatility, I am all for Hargo becoming our future RB.
Colver also brings up a valid point. Most of the time we find it that it is unnecessary to use a holding midfielder against teams that put 10 players behind the ball and defend the Alamo. He can still be used as that holding midfielder against Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea, while also being used in that capacity for most Champions League games. Using him this way and letting Brown go is going to save a ton of money that could go towards signing that vital striker we need. No matter how good Rooney is, he still needs a poacher to take the pressure off of him. Tevez is not the answer. I see Carlos starting a third of the games and playing the role of super sub for the rest.
I think we also need to address the need for a competent backup at RMF/RW for Ronaldo. He needs to be rested more. Park is decent I suppose, but I would like someone with some speed out there. Nani can play there but i see him as a starter on the left side next season.
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I would like to sign Lahm but also keep Brown.
His versatility is essentail. The lad performs wherever we need him. Simple as that.
Like?
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