Manchester United’s midfield problem – Is it a concern?

Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell are United’s ‘only’ additions to the midfield this season.

I am tired of reading about United’s lack of steel, power and/or creativity in United’s midfield. Critics and fans alike, everyone blames the midfield for United’s major losses in the past few years. We lost two Champions League finals to Barcelona and missed out on the league a couple of times. But is midfield the only one to be blamed?

United have bought two midfielders during the current transfer window – Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell. While the former is expected to fill the ‘hole’ in United’s attacking formation, providing a link between the central midfield and the forward line, Powell has been brought with the future in mind. We have already seen glimpses of what Kagawa can do and it is an exciting time for any United supporter. He will provide another dimension to the team formation and might prove to be the missing link that we have always been craving for.

The greater question is whether the new additions have satiated Manchester United supporters’ demand for midfield reinforcement? The answer is NO.

Sir Alex Ferguson has already stated that he is not going to add any more players but that does not stop the media from speculating links. Everyone is of the opinion that we need a ‘defensive midfielder’ who can tackle, win the ball back and provide defensive cover to the back four. But does Manchester United really need a defensive midfielder?

I believe SAF has logical reasons behind not going ahead with that kind of a purchase:

Playing Style: United relies on possession football with a quick style of attacking game play that relies on someone who can originate passes and has the vision to provide the same to our wingers. We don’t really need a defensive player; rather we need an intelligent & disciplined player for that role

Formation:In a 4-4-2 formation (that United mostly plays), midfield comprises of two wingers and two central midfield players. In the central midfield, one has to be able to hold the ball that can provide cover to the back four and the other one should be able to provide linkage between the midfield and the forward line. In the current team, Carrick, Scholes, Anderson (when fit and in form) and even Cleverley can play both these roles.

If United switches to 4-2-3-1 formation permanently, then also United has Carrick, Cleverley, Scholes and Anderson for that position. A fit Fletcher will be like a new signing…

I understand there will still be debates on a lot of points like injuries, lack of consistency and what happens if Carrick is out of form… Such things will always happen in the game of football and you always cannot have the luxury of having a strong bench for every position.

Some blame a lack of defensive midfielder for United’s losses to Barcelona in the Champions League finals. I believe it was more to do with the tactics/ strategy rather than not having a player of some mould. Had Ronaldo scored from the first opportunity he had (in 2009), the result probably could have been a lot different. It is more important to utilize the existing players and make them disciplined in their tasks to achieve results than buying a new player altogether. If United were supposed to park the bus in front of Barcelona like Chelsea did, we should have done that …

In the 2007-08 season when United went on to win both the Champions League and Premier League, we conceded very few goals throughout the season. The same could be attributed to a stable back four comprising of Brown, Rio, Vidic and Evra commanded by the calm and composed Van der Sar. Although we had Owen Hargreaves (a defensive midfielder) in the team, he used to play more as a right winger or a right-back.

So, I believe we should put this debate to rest and start enjoying football. This is going to be a very interesting season for Manchester United. We have an enviable attacking line up and a very strong team that not too many clubs can boast of. I wish United goes on to win the 20^th league title and also the Champions League title but even if they do not manage to do that, this team is being built for the future. In the next 3-4 seasons, United is going to flourish and with the kind of talented youngsters we have, I will not be surprised if we have an era of dominance coming up.