Lose of players not stopping United
The injuries continue to mount up, but United are getting better and better as a attacking outfit.
Whilst it is a concern that we’ve lost the entire first choice central midfield (and we had three to pick from), it is good to know this hasn’t affected the performance of the side. Our key player last season was Paul Scholes. Without him the previous season we were half the team we could have been. We ended up playing O’Shea and Giggs in central midfield. With him, we were champions. At the time of writing, we don’t know the extent of the knee problem he has, but let us hope he returns soon.
Michael Carrick broke his elbow in an unfortunate accident on the pitch and will be out for a while still, and Owen Hargreaves is on his way back from a catalogue of miscellaneous injuries. Stepping into the gap was Anderson, our 19 year old Brazillian. He has done very well, putting in some excellent passes and looking very busy in the midfield. Against Kiev, Darren Fletcher came into the side at very short notice. I was perhaps a little harsh in my match report as he was clearly not fit and yet was able to play the full 90 minutes and did not make any glaring errors.
Players like Fletcher and John O’Shea are vital to any team intending on challenging for the league. Whilst they would never be 1st choice players, they do not complain and when required come into the team or off the bench and do the job. Remember O’Shea against Liverpool last season? O’Shea, in the same manner as Phil Neville is particularly valued as he can play in a number of different positions, even goalkeeper 
With almost constant injury doubt Louis Saha still out, it is vital that a) Rooney and Tevez stay fit and b) United sign a new forward. Both Rooney and Tevez, broken metatarsals aside, look to have the physic not to be injury prone, but the selling of Rossi still looks like a bad move not that 20LEgend has retired. Even then Nani, Giggs or Ronaldo could work as a makeshift forward.
It’s a good job that the forwards are getting into the groove, because the defence is starting to wobble. Evra is now out with a calf injury and Vidic missed a game after concussion against Wigan, and didn’t look quite right against Kiev. More than any other part of the team defence needs stability and this can be proved in the case of Wes Brown. In the past when he was a bit part player, desparately unlucky with injury, he often formed a trio of blundermen with Barthez and Silvestre. This season as an ever present at right-back he looks solid and commanding. He is also getting forward better and putting in some good crosses. Have we missed Gary Neville that much?
So, don’t get worried about the injury situation, now we really do have strength in depth and as the new players bed into the team more and more, United will only get better and better.
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