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Does this Manchester United man have the ability to fill Paul Scholes’ boots?

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Given that Sir Alex Ferguson’s dealings in the transfer market have been remarkably succinct, having already brought in Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David De Gea, only one question remains: will he bring in somebody to cover the void left by Paul Scholes in the centre of midfield? There’s been a great deal of talk concerning Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, Tottenham’s Luka Modric and Real Madrid’s Lassana Diarra, but none of these moves appear to be any closer to completion.

Could it be that Sir Alex believes that Scholes’ natural successor is already at Old Trafford? In a recent blog Nadeem Vadva suggested that Darren Fletcher has this chutzpah to step up and replace Scholes. Whilst he works hard and gets around the pitch, I’m not sure he’ll ever be quite as effective, or enjoy the same range of passing as the Ginger Prince. It’s my belief that given time Anderson could make that position in United’s squad his own.

Anderson has a reputation for direct, forward-thinking offensive play. He also has an unwelcome reputation for losing the ball.

The problem, I feel, is that Anderson rarely gets regular game time in this Manchester United squad. Injury problems and a competitive midfield have seen his chances numbered at Old Trafford. When he is given regular game time however, he has risen to the occasion. Consider his performance against Valencia at home in the Champions League last season. He dictated the tempo of the game, spread the ball well and even managed to grab an equaliser for his team. Whilst I wouldn’t describe it as a Scholes-esque performance, it certainly shared similar qualities.

I can’t help but feel that Anderson is a better all-round midfielder than Fletcher. He’s quick, strong, can pass and he’s great with the ball at his feet. I grant that he’s somewhat inconsistent and has bad games as well as good, but I can’t help but feel that he has a lot more to offer United, should he be offered a regular slot in their first team.

My feeling is that United don’t really need to look outside the club for an external solution to the void left by Paul Scholes. There are a number of potential solutions inside this Manchester United squad and for me, Anderson represents the player with the most potential. It may well take time, but Manchester United have enough in reserve to breed Anderson as their new midfield general whilst sticking to their winning ways.

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0 comments

  • Alusine Muhamed Fofanah says:

    I think Harry Cloke is right.Anderson is the right man to replace Paul Schols.Nevertheless, we need more mid-fielders;especially Luka Modric and Adryan of Sao Paulo.
    Alusine.

  • kenny yoan says:

    i agree with him too,natural successor
    in fact hes hasnt got decent run of games
    yes we need cm but young ones,like eriksen or goetze

  • kim firth says:

    i see ando as better than fletcher but has to be more consistent and that can only be achieved by more appearances!
    one thing i see with ando and nani is their tendency to try some very complicated moves whereas a basic pass would have been more effective and appropriate.
    thats what makes me hate these 2 a lot.

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