Manchester United Semi-Reserves 1-0 loss against FC Copenhagen suggests they might be lacking a bit of depth, particularly in midfield. Despite their excellent Premiership form (typified by the beating they gave Bolton last weekend) and until now decent Champions League form, they don’t compare so well to their rivals in midfield.
Chelsea have about ten teams worth of players, Arsenal have plenty (mostly foreign) mids to choose from – plus Theo Walcott – and Liverpool have so many Rafa Benitez didn’t know what to do with them until recently.
While United have plenty of keepers (enough to loan out to half the Prem), a well stocked defence, and Solskjaer, Smith and Rossi (when he returns from Newcastle in January) to back up Saha and Rooney, the midfield talent pool looks about as deep as Coldplay’s lyrics.
Fergie must be the only man in England convinced that John O’Shea is a central midfielder. Kieran Richardson is the poor man’s Stewart Downing and while Darren Fletcher’s decent he’s never going to be a worldbeater. Last night he wasn’t even an FC Copenhagen beater. It’s all about Paul Scholes. The international-shy redhead looks the business this year, but as United’s only viable attacking centre mid you have to worry about Fergie’s men should something happen him. Expect some Old Trafford transfer window action come January.