Be nice if we could give him a testimonial if he does retire from the game.
Darren Fletcher | 2013/14 Performances
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Be nice if we could give him a testimonial if he does retire from the game.
Certainly. The lad may not have legendary status like Scholes and Giggs have earned but he was a very important figure in one of the most successful period in our history. His character has always been exemplary, too.
Would Stoke in the league CUP be a realistic prospect for him to be in a first team squad? Its very soon I know but It would be great for his confidence and if possible give him a 20 minute run out if the game allows it?
Well, I'd say it's extremely unrealistic, seeing as the game was last weekend. A bit too late for him.
Well said, Twiggy.
he looked excellent in his passing, showing what we sorely miss in the middle of the park, I hope he makes it back and is over his medical condition:
Not only does he deserve every chance to play for us again, I'd hope the club does everything possible to find an off field role for him if it doesn't happen
Come on fletcherinho, we need you
Come on fletcherinho, we need you
I'd absolutely love it if he makes it back to our first team. And if he gets back to where he was before, we can at least put off a our CM signing till the next summer.
Be absolutely brilliant if he could make a return to the first team. Fantastic player and was an extremely important player during a great time in the clubs history.
I want Fletcher back as much as anyone. However, if the right player becomes available, we shouldn't be putting his name to the side, you always have to improve the squad and if you delay in the transfer market, it is usually your loss and another teams gain.
So was Owen Hargreaves. In fact if it wasn't for his injury troubles Fletch wouldn't have got into the team during this "most successful period". Yet we chucked him off the wage bill will little ceremony, and then Fergie slagged him off in his book. Ben Thornley wasn't kept around as a mascot for the class of 92 either.
Now obviously I don't want that to happen to Fletch, but since we're all being outraged, where does that rank on the disgusting scale? And was Twigg crying into his official United pillow case & duvet cover set at the cutthroat, soulless nature of football then?
Can't see much difference in the club's treatment of Hargreaves or Fletcher to be honest unless Fletcher has signed a new contract I am not aware of.
Hargreaves was with the club for four seasons and three of them were almost complete write offs due to injury. His injury problems started mid-way through his first season with United. For the last three seasons he was given the best of medical care and we were patient to see if he could recover from the medical problem he had. I know Fergie criticised him in the book but I think that was down to Hargreaves having a go at our medical staff after signing for City.
Fletcher is entering his third full season as someone who is more often than not unavailable(although like Hargreaves his injury problems starting mid-season, the season prior) and has had surgery on his condition which is apparently able to cure it. If he is unable to reach the levels expected of a United player I doubt he will be part of the first team plans next season. I think this surgery is their last shot at attempting to re-establish him as a United level player.
I think the club has treated both very well. It's only if we give Fletcher a further season or a new contract where it could be said he is being given more leeway than Hargreaves.
Seriously NO!!!
Wish the lad well, but he is 29. Even at their peak, Carrick+Fletcher combo was lacking in creativity and couple of years down the line, it would be the same. Fletcher's workrate (if he can sustain his best after injuries) would definitely be a valuable add, but that should in no way affect future signings. We desperatey need it.
Hmmm maybe I remember Fletcher differently. To me when he was at his peak, he was one of our most important midfielders, more so that Carrick. He works hard, covers lots of ground and keeps possession well. These are precious qualities which we need in midfield right now.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for improving the squad. But I'm just not hopeful of getting a top midfielder at a reasonable price in January. If we can hold off till the summer, that might work out better in the long run, rather than splashing big sums of money on a desperate signing.
It wasn't really my point. It's not about what you think the club will do or what you hope they will do. If the right player became available for the right price, they should be signed and not put off til the next window because of Fletcher.
And the point isn't just about Fletcher. It goes for any player, they have to deal with incoming players all the time, it's what makes them the players they are. Evans for example, wouldn't have been happy about the arrival of Jones and Smalling but he accepted it, went about his business and has gone from strength to strength. Then the other side of the coin was having Hernandez and Welbeck wanting a starting spot when Berbatov left but RVP became available, so the club got him.
You are aware that were United to terminate his contract or whatever, it would be a PR disaster - coming at a time when we have new managers/Chief-exec etc. it's pretty much the last thing the club would want or need.
This is of course superficial arguments to the main reasons for not cutting Fletcher that have already been highlighted to you.
It's not about keeping Fletcher happy or giving him chances simply out of loyalty. He should only play if he deserves it, and that can only happen if he gets back to his best.
And I'm not saying it should stop us from getting someone better either, if such a player becomes available in January. I just don't think it will happen for a decent price, and if waiting till the summer gives us better and more reasonably priced options, then we should wait. Clubs generally don't let their best midfielders leave mid-season, and any club willing to deal will squeeze us.
Professional football is a cutthroat industry for players. For all the talk of player power Roy Keane wasn't far wrong when he talked about how clubs treat them. Their only deemed as valuable as the benefit their services can provide, and for footballers that rarely strays too far into their 30s. However Fletcher's fitness progresses, we aren't going to give him a pension. He'll be out on his ear in his mid-thirties anyway. A time when every other man in the world should be hitting their prime.
It's the kind of scrapheap challenge that sent Gazza off his axis. Anyone assuming Manchester United or any other club will continue to employ a player, official or any other mother for significantly longer than their use is beneficial performance wise or economically, is being naive.
They may be some vestige of loyalty keeping him here, but it'd be more heavily tilted towards what a re-couperated match fit Fletcher could provide on the field, and not an overly romantic sense of duty and patronage.
It's the kind of scrapheap challenge that sent Gazza off his axis. Anyone assuming Manchester United or any other club will continue to employ a player, official or any other mother for significantly longer than their use is beneficial performance wise or economically, is being naive.
They may be some vestige of loyalty keeping him here, but it'd be more heavily tilted towards what a re-couperated match fit Fletcher could provide on the field, and not an overly romantic sense of duty and patronage.
Tbf when someone earns as much as your average footballer you aren't going to get any sympathy because they stop earning at 32 or whatever.
With that said, I think there is a lot of value in how we treat our players looking from the outside in. It's every player's fear that they might get a long term illness or injury and we've been impeccable in the way we have looked after players who have long term problems and while that might not be any sort of a deal maker when negotiating with a player to come join us, it certainly doesn't do our reputation as a good club to sign for any harm.
Makes sense. You want to be seen as a good company to work for no matter what line of business you're in. Nobody wants to work (or play) for a club or company who shows its employees the door when they get seriously ill or injured.
It's called insurance.
The roles of Hargo and Fletch are incomparable I'm afraid but I sort of see your point.
(This isn't in reply to the actual point you were making, which I believe was that it's not true to say Hargreaves was given less support / fewer chances - I agree with that.)
There is a major difference though - as you say, Hargreaves was with us for 4 years. Fletcher has been with us for 18 years.
For me that counts for a lot - I think you should make more effort to acommodate a lad who has been part of the club since the age of 11, never knowing any other footballing surroundings, and just as he was hitting his peak suffered a horrific illness, putting into serious doubt his chances of ever playing for anybody again.
Lucky you aren't a Villa fan - you'd have been infuriated when the soppy idiots went and gave Petrov a coaching role!
This. How could you compare Hargreaves to Fletcher is beyond me. The former was as injury-prone as they get and there were some serious question marks over how he dealt with it. The latter suffered a horrible illness, not related to football, which could have done him. What's more, that was one time event, however serious and lengthy it was. This is totally different to having injury-prone knees etc. He deserves a chance to have a go. Smith broke his leg and we didn't ship him out before giving him chance to show he's good enough. He wasn't, hence he was sold.
Played for the U-21s today. Did OK. Looked a first team player with his confidence.
He has a long way to go though. And I really don't know if we will see the rampaging Fletcher of old.
He has a long way to go though. And I really don't know if we will see the rampaging Fletcher of old.
The game on Sunday makes me lament Fletcher's condition even more - it was a joy to watch him play against them and even more so for Wenger to whinge about it aftewards.
Fletcher and Park always excelled against Arsenal.
So did Rooney and he is in the form of his life.
Pleased that he played a full match. Big step for him, still no where near playing but a massive boost for him.
good news - TBH I never even expected him to get this far so any further progress is a massive bonus.
He's gonna do it. He'll be back. Come on Fletch, we are behind you.
A realistic target for him is to get back to a level where he could sign for a smaller PL team, or maybe play in Scotland. Just to be able to get a few years of playing professional football at some level would be a fantastic outcome.
It's too early to speculate regarding realistic targets at this stage. If he is now - for all intents and purposes - cured, I wouldn't put anything past him. This guy is as dedicated as they come and if this operation gives him half a chance, he'll take it. The fact that he lasted the full 90 in only his second game back is very encouraging. His passing has looked sharp, too. I have a much better feeling about his chances having seen him in them two u21 games.
Maybe its the fact I havent seen any u21 games then that I find the possibility of him playing for the first team again to be non-existent. I guess one should never say never.
Same here. I believe he can come back into the fold after seeing him play for the U21s. Always hoped he would anyway. Nice to hear him say Moyes has been supportive.
I don't think he will set his sights on that, and rightly so. May wind up there but I would say that's the most likely outcome, not his target.
This is a guy who was written off several times early on in his career. He was even central to Keane's MUTV rant. I remember times when he got a right earful from him mid-game, the sort that would have you running home to your mummy and wuitting football altogether just to avoid that bad man again. Yet he carried on and out of nowhere was the one chap we lamented having suspended going into a CL final. Trust me, if the illness is behind him and it's just about fitness and mentality, he'll be back. Will probably have to agree to pay-as-you-play or something of the sort though as he needs time.
Just realised he has the Scot bonus factor there as well. Stars are aligned
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