What's Wes Done To Upset Fergie?

Wes Brown’s performance against Liverpool wasn’t any worse or better than his team mates, although unfortunately had an own goal to his name after an Edwin Van der Sar mistake. Yet for some reason, Brown has been entirely overlooked since this match.

I understand why the manager would want to give Gary Neville as much time on the park as possible, to speed up his return to fitness after such a long time out injured, but does it have to be at the exclusion of Brown?

Now Rafael Da Silva is ahead of him in the pecking order, so you have to wonder, what is going on?

“I need to work out whether I go with Evans’ ability but lack of experience or whether I opt for Wes’ experience,” Fergie said before the Chelsea game a couple of weeks ago. So what, Jonny Evans has superior ability but inferior experience, whilst Wes just has the latter in his favour? Not exactly the kindest of comments.

Against Bolton, Wes wasn’t even on the bench, with Evans and John O’Shea taking up the defensive spots available.

“I opted to leave Wes Brown out but he’ll be involved on Tuesday,” said Ferguson. Opted to leave him out? Why? There is no talk of an injury or a reason. Why would you ‘opt’ to leave out the player who played more games for us than anyone else last season?

In last night’s match against Aalborg, Wes Brown was back in the squad, but again demoted to the bench. It wasn’t Neville taking up his place on the pitch, but Rafael Da Silva.

Now, whilst I have a lot of time for this young lad, who so far, has been given more chance to shine that his twin brother, I don’t think we should be playing him at the expense of Wes. When you consider Neville is now our first choice right back again, with Wes being used as cover for the central or right-sided defensive positions, then Champions League matches are a great opportunity to give him the match time he deserves. There’s plenty of time for Da Silva to get a run in the team, but for now, Wes should be ahead of him in the pecking order.

“Some people might have been a bit surprised I picked him over Wes Brown but I feel the boy has something special,” said Ferguson after the 3-0 win the Champions League. “Rafael has no fear of playing and has great belief in himself. He is only 18 but he has started very well.”

What’s going on?