Let's face it - for the last couple of weeks, we've all woken up in the morning hoping for the newspapers' headlines screaming that Manchester United have agreed to sign Wesley Sneijder from Internazionale. The supposed-transfer saga was always inevitable after the just as inevitable retirement of Paul Scholes, but is it really as justified as so many people think, and can a player like Scholes really be replaced?
Every successful football team needs a heartbeat, and every great football team needs a midfield maestro. Zinedine Zidane's recent statement that Paul Scholes was the most gifted player of his generation is testament to the fact that Scholes made the some of the best teams in United's history tick - the treble winning team of '99, the Champions League winners of 2008. Out of the famous "Class of 1992" which included the likes of David Beckham, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs, Scholes has arguably been the most influential in making Manchester United the most successful club in the history of the English league and making United the dominant force since the Premier League began, winning more Premier League titles than all it's rivals collectively. The point is that Paul Scholes, the player and the icon, cannot be replaced. Sir Alex recently referred to him as a "once in a generation" player. The manager, as he is inclined to do, has got it right.
The primary objective for Sir Alex and his staff is not to find the next Paul Scholes - it is to find a player that can replace Scholes in United's midfield most effectively. A player that can do what Scholes did - though it is of course unfair to expect this player to do it to the same standard as Scholes. A player who can dictate a game, determine the flow and rhythm of the game from midfield, distribute the ball with effortless accuracy and return a healthy 10 goals a season contribution. Scholes had the gift to do this in his prime, as Zidane said, better than anyone in the last 10 years.
The player that can do these things to the highest standard that United can expect to tempt to Old Trafford is indeed Wesley Sneijder. Surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, he joined Inter and was the main reason, along with Jose Mourinho, for Inter's treble triumph in 2010. The Dutchman is a world class superstar who would fit the bill at a club like United. However, Sir Alex has poured cold water on all the speculation but surely it is too early to write off the possibility of Sneijder moving to United just yet. One thing is for certain : if United don't land him this summer, they won't land him next summer either - not for £35 million anyway. Even if the move were to materialise, it would be a risk - parting with £35 million and more than £200,000 a week for a 27 year old who was beset with injuries last season and does not have his prime years ahead of him would certain be a risk, albeit a calculated one, from the manager who has seen all there is to see at the highest level of football.
Sir Alex has to make a decision. He can spend big money to bring in a replacement, such as Sneijder, Samir Nasri, or even Ganso from Santos, or he can wait. Perhaps the most sensible option is the latter. Remember that last season, Scholes played a peripheral role. He was probably United's best player in the first half of the season but think of how sparingly Sir Alex used him in the second half of the season. Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs were the main contenders for the two births in the centre of midfield. The manager has gradually eased Scholes out of the equation, for a couple of years now, for this very period of time. The fact of the matter is this, as much as it pains me to say - United's first choice XI will be the same irrespective of whether Scholes is there or not. It is the same team, besides of course the absence of Edwin van der Sar, but David de Gea has come in as a direct replacement, and certainly hopes at Old Trafford are high for a young goalkeeper who has immense potential and has already produced simply world-class displays in his short time in La Liga. It will be the same team that proved to be the best in England and one of the top three teams in Europe alongside the two Spanish superpowers.
The New Scholes? Does he exist? Justin Allen explains why there is no new Scholes.
As previously mentioned, Sir Alex gradually eased Scholes out of the spotlight at United, which proposes the question, why didn't Sir Alex buy a natural successor for Scholes when he no longer became an automatic choice in United's midfield. Well, maybe he did.
On 30 May 2007, United confirmed the signing of Anderson from FC Porto. Immediately, people started talking - this was Scholes's long term successor. This may seem a bit ambitious at this moment in time, but the young Brazilian deserves his chance to show that he can claim Scholes's place in midfield for the long term. Injuries have disrupted his development as a footballer but even so, his progress in the last couple of years has been notable, especially in some of his displays this last season, especially goal scoring displays against Blackpool and Schalke in a Champions League semi-final. Sir Alex should consider giving Anderson a consistent place in midfield to continue his development and win over the fans that remain unconvinced, and give Anderson the confidence that could see his emerge as United's diamond in disguise.
Tom Cleverley has been touted as a long term replacement for Scholes, and as much as he has shown remarkable ability and potential both at club level with Wigan and junior international duty, surely it is too early to expect him to feature consistently for United. In a few years time, or even next season, we can expect some of the potential unleashed, but for now, let him continue his development as a squad player.
It hardly needs to be said, but Sir Alex knows the situation better than any of us. If Sneijder were added to the United ranks, the team would only get stronger and I would be as delighted as anyone else. But the sensible option for the manager may be to keep the chequebook in his pocket and see if he already has United's next talisman in the squad already.
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