Could it not be that he just had a bad game, like most out there in a red shirt? One bad showing isn't necessarily down to his illness, and doesn't mean he's finished.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 12
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- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 2
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Yes that was an awful performance. Very conservative - but even then he couldn't get the simple stuff right. But I'm confident that was just a very bad day for him. He's shown in pre season and in glimpses previously he still has that grit and class about him. Hopefully it can all come together again.
I honestly didn't think the team were that bad, most were quite sharp throughout and there was some nice interplay at various intervals. A couple of crap to concede goals took the stuffing out of us. But I did feel there was something not right about him on the day. From my observation anyway.
Individually it wasn't shocking, but we didn't look cohesive. Just very average and lacklustre, something we've known for ages. I think heaping the blame on Fletch is a tad unfair, especially when he looked like a viable, or dare i say good option in pre-season.
I've said it before but I feel he's no better than Cleverley or Fellaini. I've great admiration for the man, but he should not be regularly starting centre-midfield for Manchester United.
Perception versus reality. 1st half only.
I watched the game and have seen a decent number of comments in the match thread and a few in here regarding how he played in the first half. One comment that came up a few times is how often he gave the ball away in the 1st half.
So I took some notes when watching the game again. I havent yet watched the 2nd half yet so this is just for the 1st half.
17 passes attempted.
15 passes completed. 5 of them forward, 11 sideways and 4 backwards.
1 pass was too strong and went out for a throw in. 1 pass when he was in the attacking third played into the box was intercepted by a defender.
I also noted that Herrera gave the ball away 6 times in the 1st half which may be related to why he was subbed instead of Fletcher although Herrera plays further forward where riskier passes are attempted. However far less critique of his efforts than Fletchers.
The point here is that based on comments I have seen that some made regarding the 1st half there is a clear difference between reality and perception.
I watched the game and have seen a decent number of comments in the match thread and a few in here regarding how he played in the first half. One comment that came up a few times is how often he gave the ball away in the 1st half.
So I took some notes when watching the game again. I havent yet watched the 2nd half yet so this is just for the 1st half.
17 passes attempted.
15 passes completed. 5 of them forward, 11 sideways and 4 backwards.
1 pass was too strong and went out for a throw in. 1 pass when he was in the attacking third played into the box was intercepted by a defender.
I also noted that Herrera gave the ball away 6 times in the 1st half which may be related to why he was subbed instead of Fletcher although Herrera plays further forward where riskier passes are attempted. However far less critique of his efforts than Fletchers.
The point here is that based on comments I have seen that some made regarding the 1st half there is a clear difference between reality and perception.
Don't want to give you any spoilers but the second half does not end well for him.
This.
I watched the whole game live, I already know about the 2nd half. The point is i do wonder what people see considering the comments about the 1st half etc.
This is the line that kills. At some point, we will have to come to terms and accept that he will never be able to play at the standards we need any more. Even Barcelona had to drop any form of sentimentality and accept that Eric Abidal would never be the same after his liver problems because something was more important than continuing a great story - having players who can perform without any chronic hindrance.
Pre season isnt a good example to use, the pace was slow which suits him. His game has changed to become more like Carricks. If we are dominating both players are perfectly fine, the problem is that when being pressed both players can be overrun.
Id rather Fletch stay as backup over Cleverly, but without a decent attacking outlet he becomes vunerable.
Id rather Fletch stay as backup over Cleverly, but without a decent attacking outlet he becomes vunerable.
I wouldn't say he's finished. He can still contribute to our season. But the tempo teams played pe season at did seem to flatter him. Main point is that he probably shouldn't be a key key player for us.
In the Fletcher vice captain thread I said he was neither a leader on the pitch nor good enough. I got rounded on for that but it was there for all to see again yesterday. Even at his best he was nothing more than a journeyman.
He was appallingly bad yesterday and needs to be shipped out.
He was appallingly bad yesterday and needs to be shipped out.
He would still contribute well for us but he shouldn't be a regular starter for every match.Being 3rd choice CM should be proper for him at this stage.
Yep. 3rd or 4th choice.
Seems to me that he slows our play down. Those sideways and backwards passes can be frustrating to watch when I think we should be attacking with pace.
This sums it up really. I'm sure we were all a bit emotional about his comeback, but truth must be told.
Absolutely this. Not sure what the thinking behind giving him the VC title is - I hope it's more because of his experience around the squad and in the dressing room etc and NOT because he's a key first XI player for us.
Could be, but one thing that worries me the most is that it looked like he was in some kind of energy-saving mode. He had a great pre-season so I was hoping he is in better shape.
His role is extremely energy-consuming, after all he is playing in 2 man midfield.
In his prime he was all about energy and getting around the pitch, that was his job and he was brilliant. Now he's lost the dynamism due to illness and his age and he was never a great passer of the ball, he is finished at the highest level. He's such a great professional but he's played about 20 odd PL games in total in the last 3 seasons and that shows, the game has passed him by.
I believe his contract ends next summer and sadly it should not be renewed. He is only 30 so I could still see him going to another lower PL team and doing a good job for a few years.
I believe his contract ends next summer and sadly it should not be renewed. He is only 30 so I could still see him going to another lower PL team and doing a good job for a few years.
Tbh Fletcher is a good back-up but no more. We need more quality in midfield and specifically a box to box midfielder who can defend and enforce the attack. He has had a good pre season but on his first competitive match he looked to be short of quality and has left the defence exposed at times due to lack of concentration and not tracking down the opposition
If that's the best Fletcher can do in the Premier League, then he shouldn't be back up either, if we're one or two injuries away from, well, this.
He's got to go, it really is that simple. We should be looking towards the future and he cant under any conditions be part of it.
I agree, unfortunately. It's all well and good that he COULD play as a 3rd or 4th choice CM for us, and as a squad player, but in reality what is the point in that? Cleverley and Fellaini are arguably both at his level (if not above it) and are younger options. It's a shame that his illness robbed him of another few seasons at his best, and at his best he was very good, but he just isn't up to it anymore.
if you look at the selection united has, he's only decent player to play alongside Herrera. Swansea was poor for him but all players has a poor game, and dont forget the system is completely new to Manchester United. To think they'll play world class in a instant is ridiculous, united need depth within the team. United has lost a strong bench now, its lucky united wasnt in europe because united wouldnt survive with the squad they have. Fletcher cant play every game, with Carrick out its more pressure on the guy. i doubt they wont be many axing too many players too soon.
After Herrera we've signed nobody in central midfield. If Fletcher goes ( and Carrick is still injured ) then we've got Fellaini or Cleverley to play alongside Herrera.
Simply no.
Then wee need to get in the market and get some quality in. its totally unacceptable for a club our size to have a player who's well past it in midfield.
I'm sorry but he's hardly shown an decent form since he's come back, in fact he looks well out of his depth. His illness has robbed him of the qualities that made him a good footballer thinking he'd be decent after that is nothing short of a pipe dream.
It's not his fault that he isn't a proper defensive midfielder. People say you don't need one with 3 at the back, but there'll always be that gap between defence and midfield without one.
I was always under the impression that he was a defensive midfielder, even under Sir Alex I remember Fletcher playing alongside Carrick as a defensive midfielder, although from time to time both would venture forward.
Saturdays game though, I believe he was at fault for the second goal as he should have closed Sigurdsson down but rather decided to watch from a distance.
I always thought Carrick was a bit more defensive, also better in it and Fletcher compensated the lack of pure abilities with a lot of running. He's not as offensive as Cleverley for example or a typical modern CM, but he's also no real defensive-midfielder IMO, we only have one defensive midfielder and that's Carrick, all the other one's - Cleverley, Fletcher, Anderson, Fellaini, Herrera are all better in advanced positions. 4 of those players have contracts running out in 2015.
He was definitely at fault for at least one goal, yeah.
Sunderland 1:1 Man Utd
He's not up to the pace of this league. Sad to say.
He's terrible I'd rather we kept Fellaini and loaned Fletcher out.
The thoughts of him playing regularly this season depresses me. Happy to have him as a squad player but not a starter. He's so completely off the pace.
The guy really is dreadful, he can't even play a short pass, i honest think we'd be better off with a League 1 midfielder instead of him, yet he's vice captain 
He should have retired, he isn't up to pace anymore.
He's finished. He's past it. I used to be sentiemtal about it, but times up. We need a whole set of new midfielders.
Not a premier league level defender. Manchester United level is something else all together.
He needs 40 yards of space to bring the ball under control.
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