Midfielders Needed

How many of United's starting XI would make it into City's? For me a combined team of players would look like this:
Hart
Richards, Kompany, Vidic, Evra
Nani, Barry, Toure, Silva
Rooney, Aguero

That's seven City players, and four United. If the Reds are going to compete with their bitter rivals next season, there must be drastic changes made. The obvious place to start is in midfield. Although a couple of defenders and maybe a new striker would help United's cause, midfield is where they struggle most.

Nani and Valencia must be kept by the club. Neither can afford to be sold based on the performances of both over the last couple of seasons. Valencia should be ok but there are always rumours flying around Nani, and there is no doubt he can see himself in the white of Real Madrid one day. One day must be how it remains. Other than Rooney, Nani has been United's best attacking player since Ronaldo's departure and his assists and goals are vital. On the wing United also have Ashley Young who certainly has the potential to be an Old Trafford legend, if his first few games before the injuries kicked in, are anything to go by.

There is then the problem of central midfield. Tom Cleverley is going to be a fantastic player, and already is very good, but he cannot be relied upon, partcularly when you take into account his injury record this season. Michael Carrick still puts in a good shift, despite all the criticism he gets, but he does not score enough goals or strike fear into opponents' eyes. He is a very good squad player and is useful against certain teams, in certain games, but for Untied to make progress he needs replacing. Darren Fletcher of course is taking an extended break and it would be an incredible and extraordinary story if he was to come back as good as he was at his peak in 2009. I think deep down, we all know that if he does return, he will not even be half the player he used to be. Meanwhile it is extraordinary that Ryan Giggs can still play at the level he does, but this will not last forever. The return of Paul Scholes is bizarre and even if he can play at a decent standard then it is still not a long-term option (I personally am strongly against his return anyway, it just shows desperation). On the other end of the scale, Phil Jones has seemed to be a better option as a midfielder in recent games than as a defender, but he is still developing his game and should really be seen as a future United centre-back than midfielder.

So what needs to be done? I personally believe two central midfielders must be bought. One could be enough, and he could play alongside a rotated trio of Carrick, Cleverley and Jones, but the best teams seem to have solidity in their midfield. This season, three central midfield partnerships have stood out for me. One is Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry for City, another is Scott Parker and Luka Modric for Spurs, and of course the domineering Newcastle pairing of Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye, who ran rings around United a few weeks ago. For me, Cheik Tiote is a must buy. He controls the midfield, tackles brilliantly, passes accurately and his presence is fearsome. No player wants to come up against Cheik. Cabaye has been a phenomenal find by Pardew and would be a fantastic addition to United too, but you cannot buy everyone and I'm sure when the bids inevitably come in for both midfielders in January/ the summer (as well as for Demba Ba who I'd also love to see in a red shirt), Newcastle will want to prove they are not a selling club. Despite this, one purchase at least should be possible with the right money offered, and if Ferguson is to put his hand in his pocket for anyone before next season, I would like it to be Cheik Tiote. He would without doubt add an extra dimension to United's midfield and would help bring them onto a par with City.

Who would play alongside him though? Well there is a long list of potentials. Cabaye is unlikely for reasons just stated, and then there is Luka Modric who would be perfect for any team, and in my opinion is the best midfielder in the Premier League at the moment. It would however, take ridiculous amounts of money to prise him away from Tottenham and by the end of this season, Spurs may have finished ahead of United anyway! Realistically, there is one man who I think could partner Tiote and turn United into a dangerous force in the long-term. It is a name that is constantly floated around and linked to joining the Reds, Jack Rodwell. He is a great player already and has the potential to be one of the best midfielders to grace the Premier League. Young and English, he could be around for a long time and would help take United in the right direction in the future. In my opinion, the biggest positive is that Rodwell would be another addition to the growing array of young, English talent at Manchester United, and Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup could have a squad of players dominated by United. You would expect Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young to be there as part of the more experienced side of the squad. Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Danny Welbeck are all expected to go to the Euros this summer, and if Tom Cleverley can recover fitness and form he will have a chance too. By 2014 they are more than likely to be regular starters. Add Rodwell to the equation and you have seven Manchester United players, all in the main England squad and very possibly in the starting XI. The majority of Spain's players play together week in, week out at Barcelona and Real Madrid, meaning they understand each other and can play together easily. Having Rodwell at United would not just bring about success to the Reds, but to England too, if the players are playing together every week as well as on a national level, success becomes much more realistic.

United's midfield needs change. There needs to be a vision, the future needs to be taken into account. City will without doubt pull away over the next couple of years if United do not address this issue with a couple of big buys soon. Tiote and Rodwell are two of the brightest sparks in Premier League football at the moment, both are very different players and both would fit nicely into United's squad. There are obviously other options but as far as realistic and very good purchases go, Tiote and Rodwell seem to be the best options.