So Beppe Rossi would've become the 30 goal a season man he has at Villareal and got loads of chances if he'd have stayed? Gerard Pique certainly would be first choice Spain centre back if he'd have stayed too?
Players develop with experience and if you're not playing games you can't get that. There's no way the two players I just mentioned above would be anywhere near the level they've achieved after leaving United had they been content to appear 10-15 times a season as understudies.
Fletcher is a horrible example to use as Fletcher emerged when Hargreaves got injured: it took the removal of an obstacle to allow him the run of games in the first XI that were required for him to become one of Fergie's big game players.
If you buy Sneijder at least one of Ando, Cleverley or Pogba stagnates unless two out of the three completely outshine him in which case you're left asking why you spent all the money on him in the first place for?
Look at Barcelona they've flourished since putting their trust in Xavi and Iniesta but when Cocu, Davids, Deco etc. were at the club they were seen as bit part players (don't forget Xavi played against United in the 3-3 at the Nou Camp back in 98/99, loyalty alone kept him waiting patiently.) If you don't give players games no matter how good they are they don't develop and its only been as a result of Pep's Catalan's first policy (which also saved Pedro from being sold) that these guys have flourished.
People talk about what we need to do to match Barcelona. For a start we could follow their example of putting some faith in our home grown talents and trying to create a team from our own template instead of trying to graft in big names about whom there is no certainty of seeing gel into the system Sir Alex likes to use.
