I know there's several other threads, but I feel, due to my defending of this kid for a long time, that I am due my own thread on him.
As most of you know I've been sticking up for Fletcher since I joined this message board. I've even been asked by posters such as Robbo whether I was his dad or not. I didn't really understand this though as earlier in the same thread he was 100% sure that Fergie was his father.
Anyway, I've been saying this forever. When we're playing a team that is better with the ball at their feet than us, and our tactic is to bypass our midfeld, then there's nobody better suited to our midfield than Darren Fletcher. His proved this a million times for Scotland and against AC Milan and Arsenal in previous years. The kid is a dynamo. He's barely played a game all season and he's still the fittest player in the squad. You're talking about someone who can clock the 20m-v02 beep test on his first week of preseason training.
In defence he'll harass and harry and run all day and, much like a basketballer defends. Although he's got a good slide tackle he barely uses it, as he's very tactically aware. Instead he prefers to get goal side as soon as possible and basically cuts of there best option for a pass forward pass. This does one important thing. It allows our other players time to get back and join the defence.
In attack when we play the long ball game he's a demon at reading where the loose ball is going to fall. He'll attack this space everytime, then he'll look to for a quick pass and then he'll look to either get wide or get into a scoring position. This was evident several times against Arsenal on the weekend.
Unfortunately for us 95% of the games we play are against teams we are clearly better with ball than. So Darren's talents aren't really needed. He's not the kind of player that can sit back and dictate play. When he does try this he looks like fish out of water.
The criticism he gets from people is completely over the top, even though I kind of understand it. He's sometimes frustrating to watch when the game doesn't suit him. I know what some of you are thinking. "He's a United player, he should be good enough to play in any type of game" or "This is bollocks, what's the point of having a midfielder who can't play when you are passing through your midfield". Well I suppose you have a point but I'll ask you this. Is there any harm in keeping the lad on the books and giving him a few games throughout the year if it means we have an important tool when it comes to playing other top teams?
Of course the answer is no. There's no harm. He's a good kid, and in his own way immensely talented.
