Darren Fletcher has come along way from the young Scot who got ripped to shreds by Roy Keane in that infamous MUTV interview, to the player we all thought could have made a difference in our Champions League final against Barcelona.
In 07/08 he really started to build up a reputation as a ‘big game player’, which was only enhanced by his performances against tough opposition in 08/09.
Fletcher has admitted today that it was difficult to come through the ranks at United, when surrounded class midfielders, but that he always had faith in his own ability.
“I’ve always believed in my ability,” said Fletcher. “It is difficult when you are a young player coming through at Manchester United. You are surrounded by top midfielders – Roy Keane, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. When my chances came it was in the wide right area and that wasn’t a natural position for me. But this season I’ve had a long run in central midfield and my game has improved because of that. I am a central midfielder and that’s where I want to be, I enjoy playing there and it brings out the best in me.”
It is clear that United fans will rate him more highly than any fans who don’t get to watch him week in week out, with his tagged with his former reputation. However, Fletcher has insisted he isn’t concerned what other people say about him, as long as his manager, team-mates and fans recognise his contribution.
“There are always doubters in football, even if you have a good season,” said Fletcher. “It is part and parcel of football. You’ve just got to hope that your teammates and the manager appreciate you. That’s all you’ve got to do. Obviously it is nice to get recognition from other places, but as long as your manager appreciates you and your fellow players know what job you are doing, that is all any player can ask. As long as the lads know I am doing my job, the things that go unnoticed and are unseen by the fans. As long as the staff and the manager know, that is fine by me.”
Man Utd News 24/7
Surely that should say he isn’t concerned what other people say about him.
I personlly don’t think that Fletcher would have made much of a difference. I think it’s easy to say that.
We were just beaten because the majority of our team didn’t turn up and because of that Barcelona took full advatage and gave us a beating.
Alpha, I agree he certainly wouldn’t have made matters worse, but playing a half fit Rio and with Vidic off his game was the main reasons. Also Anderson was awful and Carrick couldn’t find his passing range, but if 11 players don’t turn up against a very good side then you are going to loose.
“However, Fletcher has insisted he is concerned what other people say about him”
maybe the opposite ?
i really hope Frazer stays. But in case he leaves Fletcher’s name will be on the back of my kit.
@Stephen
You’re quite right that he wouldn’t have made matters worse as we couldn’t have played much worse for 80 minutes of that game.
Much has been made of Barcelonas defensive tactics and how dirty they were. But in the end United didn’t test Barcelonas defense enough and also they brought us down whenever they could. That was there tactic and United should have been good enough to overcome that. You have to beat what is put infront of you. We just didn’t
I expected wave after wave after wave of attack but if just never came. It’s like we surrendered. Quite embarrassing really.
It was a combination of tactics and players not turning up.
@Corea
Rooney is the name on the back of my shirt! Love it.
We can always blame tactics mate, they worked against Arsenal and we changed them at half time, simply the players have to take the blame for Rome in my eyes, if you play badly you loose.
@ AlphaRS
yes, of course. i have Scholes there.
Roon and Ron are too much hype for me. But i don’t blame you, fantastic player!
@Stephen
I see what you’re saying but Barcelona had 3 out of there 4 defenders either playing out of position or 2nd choice. We didn’t put enough pressure on them to exploit that. Even when we were 1-0 down.
It’s actually quite bad saying that but there you go!
@Corea
Reason I had Rooney over Ronaldo was because of his work ethic and never say die attitude. I know he isn’t living up to his full potential for whatever reason at the moment but those are attributes I really admire. He will never come off the pitch not giving it his all.
@ AlphaRS
Rooney has his share of respect from the fans. Plenty of them have his name on the back. But some players need the respect they can get. I don’t think having his name on my back will help the cause but who knows. That is the only thing i can do right now.
Rooney is a future legend without some of this attributes.
Spot on mate, but the players are responsible for that, Rooney should have run at that fookin cheat Puyol and Ronnie at Toure and Pique especially as he was on a yellow!
I always get the names on my kits wrong. I got Rooney #8 shortly before he changed his number to #10. I got Alan Smith #14 shortly before he was badly injured and then later sold. I got Owen Hargreaves #4 when he arrived but now it seems he might not be coming back from his injury any time soon…or just not at all!
I hope I get the next one right. I was thinking Vidic, Carrick, Berbatov or Evra. I hope I don’t bring any bad luck with me…
@ Gudjohnsen
i would have ordered the Hargo’s kit but i have a friend who bought it last summer that’s why i will choose between Frazer and Fletch.
But i am afraid Frazer is heading in another direction.
the title of the article is pretty tabloid.
Since we came back from Rome we’ve seen Anderson pull out of the Brazil squad because of injury, then Carrick do the same with England, followed by Rio. The up-for-sale Gibson is also out of Ireland’s party because of injury.
Do I detect that we went into the European Cup final with a squad that simply wasn’t fit? That would perhaps explain a lot, especially in that heat and humidity.
That being the case, credit Fergie and United for not using that as an excuse. Certainly the non-stop Fletch could have made a difference in those circumstances – and if Carrick was in pain, it might explain why so many of his passes went awry.
One other thing – and forgetting about the game itself – our trip to Rome could so nearly have been ruined by the chaotic organisation out there and the Italian police. I was wondering whether others had problems.
In our case, we were one of the first flights in on Wednesday morning, but the police wouldn’t let us out of the airport nor (I’m told) let any coaches in to pick us up. And everything was shut in the airport so you couldn’t get any refreshments. That was a delay of about 3 hours for us: others, I’m told, were held up even longer. I’ve even heard of some not getting to the ground until after kick-off. Then instead of being taken to the fan parks in the city centre, we were dumped in a scruffy ‘coach park’ about a mile and a half from the stadium itself and left to fend for ourselves in a bleak area we had been told by the authorities to avoid as dangerous. At the ground, although we had ‘United end’ tickets, the police wouldn’t allow us to enter at that point, nor go to the United fan zone, but forced us to take a long detour (roughly 45 minutes) round the stadium complex to go in the same entrance as Barca fans. There, the police were stationed all ‘tooled up’ in body armour, riot shields, helmets and batons, with water cannon on hand (they also were after the game). Fortunately, both sets of fans were getting on so well there was never even the slightest chance for trouble. After the game, we had to find our own way back (with great difficulty) to the coaches without help from police or stewards, with the instruction to get on the first available, then pick up the first flight available. It was chaos.
I’d like to hear whether our group was unique in being on the receiving end of such shambles or whether others had unhappy experiences in Rome which can be attributed to shambolic organisation.
As people may already know I am a big fan of Fletch. Fair play to him and playing alongside the likes of Keane and Scholes has certainly helped him out. He also “bulked” himself up last summer and that has made a big difference. Top attitude as well, I would have him United captain one day if not Rooney if he keeps up this progression. From former scapegoat and “ok squad player” to our number 1 midfield enforcer. I really do rate him.
Darren is an example that sometimes you must not give up on a player too soon.I remember watching the United-Chelsea 1-3 match 4 years ago and thinking to myself:”I hope someday Fletcher turns out being as good as Lampard”.He didn’t become the next Lampard of course but he did become the immense Darren Fletcher.Now i find myself saying:”I hope Gibson becomes as good as Fletcher”.That highlights the progress that Darren has made in the last year.
Fletch is a top lad but he should be no more than a good back up, he has bags of energy but no real star quility which our midfield is crying out for currently.
MKRed@13:14 – Your “gentle” queries about the fitness of Rio, Carrick, and Anderson are, I think, eerily reminiscent of the situation that led to UTD’s abysmal showing in Milan a few years earlier.
But, be that as it may be, Fletcherinho WAS MISSED. He had been absolutely huge in the previous CL matches. Would he have been “the difference” between victory and defeat – I doubt it. The big issue was the three squandered opportunities in the first ten minutes – goals change games !
Scottish Diamond
Again. Nadal is more talented than Federer ? What a fucking backup ?
He is a first-teamer. He is class. There are 11 men who play football. Not everybody is Maradona.
They are the two best tennis players in the world, sorry don’t get your point?
Fletcher doesn’t have to be Maradona to do his job.
what did you mean with “star quality” ? he proved that he is great in the big games, what more he has to do ?
He is a top player but with him, Carrick and Anderson we need a top draw midfield player at the club.
I love the lad but you cannot say he is world class, Carrick is a shoe in starter and depending on if we play 2 in the centre we need a top draw midfielder in there, if we play 3 Carrick will start him or Andy will go in there and another is needed.
Gattuso to ManUnited ? Why not ?
Fletcher is top class. That’s how i see things.
That would be a decent punt, ideally De Rossi but one can only hope!!
Fletch has never looked comfortable at right wing and same applies to Gibson.
and Rooney has again said today he would prefer to play as a striker.
@king eric
a video for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X11WtlAV-ds
Gotta hate Tiny TEVEZ – I am at work and the computer I am on won’t let me on to your link mate. I will have a look as soon as I get home. What is it? Give me a clue please.
Stephen – I agree he is not World Class but I honestly think he will be key to United over the next 8 or 9 years. Lets not forget he is still only 24 or 25. Some of his passing has been better this season, got a couple of important goals early on and he seems to do that little turn that Scholes has always done to buy himself time and space. Work on his passing and he will be top drawer.
That picture of him just shows how much he’s bulked up…
I’ve always felt it was 06/07 when Fletcher’s big game reputation was solidified. Superlative performances against Liverpool, Roma and Milan were really when I started to see him as a big game player. Hell, even going back to his breakthrough season, in 03/04 – he was excellent against Arsenal in that semi final at Villa Park, and he followed it up with a good display in the final (anyone remember that dribble he had against Millwall?).
King Eric, I agree mate he is a true United player, but our midfield lacks a World class player, Chelsea have Ballack, Lampard and Essien, dippers Stevie Stepdad, Mascherano and even Alonso, Barca the obvious two we simply could do with at least one genuine world class player in there, Carrick is very good but not World class, and Scholes was but time has not been kind.
Liverpool, Chelsea don’t have Rooney, Ronaldo and what ?
Hargo is world class. Fletch if not now but you will figure it out next season.
@ King Eric
what is World Class in your opinion ?
Will Hargo be the player he was, or will he ever be fit.
He broke his leg 3 seasons ago, the season before last he had an interupted season and last season was a right off, and people say he won’t be fit now until the new year, I hope he does but have my doubts.
@ Stephen
if you base your thought on Hrago not beeing fit again maybe you are right.
I hope he is mate but the signs don’t look good, but my glass is always half empty!
http://www.tribalfootball.com/fixture-congestion-threatens-next-seasons-premier-league-248928
interesting article. we are in for a cracking and very grueling season.
king eric its emily singing about eric the king
Corea@ 15:04 – Gattuso ? Great shout. He’d cost nothing – except wages for two/three years – and he’s a fantastic heart-and-soul guy.
Gotta hate tiny TEVEZ – Thanks mate have seen it now. Spot on. She is a little star your Emily.
Corea – “interesting article. we are in for a cracking and very grueling season.”
Just as well we have not got the Super cup and World Club Cup to compete for as well then!
King Eric – just to recompensate all of this we will have to play 2 weeks less.
and then WC. i just don’t know, i support the english side. maybe it’s better for them not to go to the WC ? Poor Ronney. I would rather see him shine there. He deserves his share of glory.
* recompense )) sorry.
thank goodness we are not there in CWC and Super cup next season.
Barca will definitely struggle with their schedule next season.
even heard that a club like Fulham would have to play 17 matches before getting to the KO stages of the Europa league. Platini (twat)