Why Nemanja Vidic is still important to this Manchester United squad

Nemanja Vidic

Trudging through troubled times, Manchester United are yet to put an end to the misery that has struck them ever since the departure of the dynamic duo, David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson. David Moyes, for all the brilliance he displayed at Goodison Park has failed to light up Old Trafford.

In the past 4 decades, Manchester United has never been in such a troubled situation. David Moyes, in all fairness, has not lived up to the task of managing Manchester United. Well, one can only imagine the magnitude of such a job but still, the critics cannot be mistaken for their judgment on Moyes. The man, who was hand-picked by Sir Alex as his successor has disappointed to say the least.

In these troubled times, the best Manchester United can hope for is a leader from within the team to maintain the stability of the squad. Luckily enough, Manchester United have a man with them entirely capable of taking up the situation.

Nemanja Vidic.

Yes, you heard me right. It is Vidic. The captain.

Bought in 2006 winter transfer window, Vidic has been indispensable to the team ever since his arrival. Unlike Ferdinand, Vidic didn’t come with a big price tag on his shoulders. He just arrived as a promising Serbian defender determined to play well for his club.

And so he did. He has played brilliantly for the past 7 years and has been a mainstay in the team for a long time. His performances were most inspiring in the 2007-08 season when United won the Champions League. While on the face of it, Cristiano Ronaldo seemed the best player in the squad, many failed to notice the contribution of Vidic.

Quietly doing his work at the back, he certainly was the best defender in the world then. He played so well that season that he would have given Cannavaro a run for his money. He conceded a meager 22 goals in 38 games that season. Well, that is an achievement in itself given Manchester United have already conceded 24 goals in just 21 games.

All these would tip the scales heavily in favour of Vidic, but unfortunately for the Red Devils, time has decided to refute the claims. Age has caught up with Vidic and to say the least, he looks a shadow of his former self.

At 32, Vidic is no longer the beast he was and has spent more time with the doctors than with his teammates in the past two years. Speaking of which, his defensive showing this season has been average.

David Moyes, sensing the decline of Vidic has tried to inject young blood into the team and has regularly played a defensive pair of Jonny Evans and either of Phil Jones or Chris Smalling. To attribute the disastrous performance of the entire team on the defense seems premature but in the long run, a weak and vulnerable defense is surely going to be the Achilles heel for the team.

David Moyes, who has sensed up on the issue is slowly looking for a way to sought it and has tried to do so in the transfer market. Despite his desperate attempts that are currently on for a new defender, success looks a bit far-fetched.

To add fuel to the fire, rumours have surfaced up stating that Vidic is looking for a move away from Old Trafford and that he is unlikely to sign a contract extension. On the face of it, this does not seem to be a big threat to the team.

To a lay man, the equation of Vidic leaving would seem simple. His appearances are restricted, his form has been in decline, he is leaving to a smaller team, buy a replacement and case closed. Well, it isn’t that simple.

The consequences of Vidic leaving us are deceivingly disastrous and are likely to propagate unrest within the team. Though Darren Fletcher has denied, there have been reports of problems in the dressing room. Should this be true, it directly reflects on David Moyes’ poor man-management skills. What we see on the pitch is the result of the practice and coordination of the teammates, all of which happen behind closed curtains.

United’s poor showing certainly displays Moyes’ inability on that front. This is where the experience and leadership of Vidic comes in handy. Having been at the club for eight years, he knows the players better than the manager. Ever since the departure of Roy Keane, if there was one man whom United could call as a true leader, it was Vidic. Surely, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs were experienced but neither of them was a natural leader like Vidic on the pitch.

Being a centre back, it was imminent for him to possess these skills and he was gifted in these. His defensive organization has always been a thing to admire and I daresay he was as good a captain as United ever had. Under his tenure as captain, United have always performed admirably and have finished on good shores.

But then, there was a demon in disguise waiting to be unleashed on him. Something that would halt his highly successful reign as captain. It was his knee. Once he was out with a long-term injury, he never recovered fully and was out once again. By the time he was back, the damage had been done and he would never be the same again.

Many say he has decided to leave the club once and for all. But, this will have a very adverse effect on Manchester United. The only thing Moyes can do to bring back the team to normalcy is retain Vidic.

Whether or not he plays well is irrelevant now. His leadership and experience will certainly help the players and he could nurture young players. In these troubled times, all we can hope for is to not lose our inspirational captain. If the manager thinks he is a liability, he can be reduced to sporadic appearances and become like Giggs.

Hopefully, the manager doesn’t decide against signing the contract and Vidic decides not to take one last look at a Manchester United shirt.