Manchester United patently lack stardust in the middle of the park and only a certain type of player will fill the hole.
We have seen Marouane Fellaini arrive for big bucks. But his failure to so far make an impact has only highlighted the need for a creator in the middle. Someone who can spot a pass, beat a man and score a goal.
Manchester United boss David Moyes had the right idea in pursuing Cesc Fabregas. Whether or not he was a realistic target Fabregas was exactly the sort of uber-talented operator that Manchester United need.
We aren’t putting Everton youngster Ross Barkley on that level just yet. He has a long journey to take before he can even be classed with Arsenal’s brilliant Jack Wilshere. But we struggle to undertsand why Moyes went for Fellaini when there was a younger, better-suited player for Manchester United, under his nose on Merseyside. A player who will surely be at the heart of the England team for the next decade alongside the aforementioned Arsenal man.
Just this week Everton manager Roberto Martinez said of Barkley:
“Technically he is really gifted and you would probably see that technical ability in any player brought up in Brazil or Holland – he is that exquisite technically.
Moyes knows the player best. He might well have made a covert enquiry about Barkley in the summer. We believe that Barkley would have been the perfect player to bring to Old Trafford for Moyes to ring in the new era at Manchester United. The young Englishman has the physicality for The Premier League. He’s stocky and tough enough to walk away from even the most lethal of tackles. But what seperates Barkley from Fellaini is technique and vision.
If Moyes had signed Barkley it would have symbolised an exciting new dawn for Manchester United under The Scot. But what did the signing of Fellaini tell us? That Manchester United were going to replace craft with graft?
Just shy of his 20th birthday Barkley would have cost Manchester United almost as much as Fellaini and would have been seen, by some, as a huge gamble. But it’s one we would have taken without even giving a moment of consideration to The Belgian. Because, where Fellaini will struggle to ever be technically good enough for Manchester United, Barkley has the potential to surpass it and one day belong to the very top-tier of footballers across the globe.
Everton may well stand firm and hold onto Barkley. They are in a much better position now than when Wayne Rooney was hatching. But, it seems inconceivable that David Moyes hasn’t even considered bringing this wonderful talent to Manchester United.
Let’s see the boy in action. Manchester United fans FELLAINI OR BARKLEY?
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