carrick and scholes between 2006-08 were great

Yes I suppose Scholes was only 31/32 then

2006/7 season was the best football we have played in my lifetime

But I mean, really strong as in capable of dealing with anything.

Our forward lineup that season was world class

Hargreaves Carrick Anderson

IMO

Hmmm, I was very excited by our football at the beginning of last season, when Clevs and Ando were partnered.

But playing nice football and winning games is to different things.

Compare our CL winning team to now;

Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Hargreaves, Scholes, Carrick, Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney


We have certainly declined.

I suppose I'm just so used to thinking we need a new CM that I forget how things were.

Seems like forever we've talked about replacing Scholes and here were are with him nearly 38 still saying same thing.

Goes to show how good he has been for us

No midfield can deal with anything. In fact, our heralded Beckham/Scholes/Keane/Giggs midfield were embarrassed by lesser teams on many an occasion.

Any midfield combination we have at the club at the moment would look good if the defence was working properly and the attack was putting away the chances they get. Giggs, Scholes and Carrick looked very good against Liverpool in the cup this season and were only let down by Evra being a liability.

Yes true Funrob, but you know what I mean

When did you last think to yourself, wow that's a strong CM ??

In terms of 'wow that's a strong CM' compared to a decent central midfield it would be way back when Scholes and Keane were in there, and that's quite a scary and frustrating thought.

Paul Scholes is one of the greatest players I have ever seen. Not at his best anymore but even now you can only marvel at his vision, technique and general awareness.

People bang on about Gazza and rightly so because he was really gifted. But Scholesy has been better for me.

When players like Pele, Zidane, Henry, Xavi wax lyrical about you and managers like Lippi, Guardiola etc you know you are special.

We are extremely privileged to have had him at our club. And Giggs. Both are absolute legends. Although Scholesy has always just edged it for me over Giggs.

Hargreaves was never really a first choice CM. Scholes and Carrick were pretty much always ahead in the pecking order.

Scholes is far more talented than Giggs. Giggsy has amazing longevity, and has consistently been a very good player.

But Scholes natural vision, and ability to pick a pass is almost unrivalled. As said above, even watching him now is a joy.

Giggsy was best as a young, whippet of a winger, he tore many a right back to shreds.

For me, our very best midfield in my lifetime were Ince and Keane with Giggs and Kanchelskis either side. I know it missed the creativity that Scholes brought but with Cantona just ahead of them and with those wingers we look very threatening and yet solid defensively.

If I remember rightly, and I am pretty sure I do, Hargreaves really did not play that often in the CM. He played a fair share of his few games at RB and RM.

Correct you are VC. Hargreaves has grown in legend since that season. As good as he played when he was fit,

1) he played the biggest games on the right
2) Scholes, Anderson and Carrick played the majority of games in the middle.

funrob

I know he played RB in the two games against Barca.

If I remember correctly Messi was pretty much restricted to a scuffed shot over two games.

VC

Yeah, and for some reason it took another season for Barca to realise that Messi is less effective on the wing and moved him into the middle where he could cause chaos.

I'd have loved to see Carrick and Hargreaves play together for a few seasons but even before we bought Hargreaves he was injury prone and Sir Alex took a gamble on him and lost.

Right midfield, is still a part of the midfield. It isn't as though he played as a winger now is it.

I wouldn't say he lost.

We won the CL and the league that season with Hargreaves.

Right midfield, is still a part of the midfield. It isn't as though he played as a winger now is it.

........................

That is exactly where he was playing. Out wide, on the right.

Yeah looked good 3-4 years ago wi Hargreaves, Fletcher, carrick being pretty solid, Anderson developing and scholes and Giggs still able to contribute. Was pants last season and average the season before

VC

He lost in the sense that for the price we paid, getting just one season out of the player was a massive waste of money. We could have bought a far less injury prone player (and we knew Hargreaves was a risk before we bought him) for the same money. I dare say we would have won the CL without Hargreaves that season considering how well we did the year before but without the addition of Nani, Tevez and Anderson.

Was pants last season
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Really?