Few current United players evoke such passionate and differing views from fans as Darron Gibson. There are those who don’t rate him at all and those who think he has great potential and isn’t far off. I have to admit that I am one of those who has been critical of Gibson, following some abject displays this season.
Maybe I am being a bit harsh but I genuinely question whether the Republic of Ireland international is good enough to make the grade at Old Trafford. For me, he is too light weight for a position in the centre of the United midfield and I don’t just mean in the physical sense.
Gibson can occasionally look tidy and in fact, he played some nice passes against Crawley on Saturday, although the overall team performance was poor. However, I wouldn’t want him in our starting eleven if we were to play a Chelsea or Barca for example. Too often, he can go missing in games and also give the ball away from time to time. Similarly, he is not good enough defensively to be deployed as a more defensive midfielder.
If he were to make the grade, it would be as an attacking, goalscoring midfielder. We all know that he can strike the ball well and has a good shot from distance. This has almost become a trademark with ‘shooooot’ can be heard echoing around Old Trafford every time he gets the ball on the edge of the box.
Is Gibson good enough for United?
Although, I think his shooting too can be over rated and can also mask the frailties in his game. He has scored nine goals for United in his career; hardly prolific. I know he has been on loan at Antwerp and Wolves but it is still an unimpressive return.
Granted he has only been involved in ten or eleven games in the league this season but I haven’t been all that impressed with what I have seen. At 23, Gibson can hardly be classed as a fledgling either. It is coming to the time where a call will have to be made on whether he stays at United.
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapatoni again urged Gibson to move club to peruse regular first team football. Gibson may well be happy to be on the fringes with United and winning medals but it mightn’t be his call, ultimately. It will be an interesting summer at United with changes imminent in the centre of midfield. Scholesy will be moving on soon and it is possible we might also see the back of Carrick and Gibson.
If I’m honest, I would probably like to see a quality midfielder brought in, rather than Gibson staying. I understand he has potential but my feeling is that he is not good enough to hold a starting slot in the centre of our midfield. I know he has his fans too, among them the excellent Man United 24 blog, and I fully acknowledge the need to give these guys time and trust Fergie’s judgement. It wasn’t so long ago I had written off Darren Fletcher.
Really interested to get other United fans views on Gibson. What do you guys think?
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As you have taken time to write a well versed and detailed account, resulting in thought provoking debate, I feel it necessary to reply in a more lingual manner than any normal “blog/text” style approach. With that said I only wish to lend a short amount of time to this, as I think every honest or more ambitious utd fan will see evidence of your opinion each time gibbons dons the famous shirt.
I eagerly take up my place in the west stand tier 2, each time utd grace the famous green below me, and as I finish climbing the final few steps, a little excitement and a little more confidence unfortunately ebs away when I here that gibbson has made the cut for that particular game.
I must say that I am always a beleiver, in fergie, in potential and basically all things utd, however, and really all of us should unfortunately have to admitt it, this guy is just not good enough.
Regarding the ever increasingly tiresome and somewhat embarrassing inane cries of “shooooot”, which, whenever gibbson seems to touch the ball anywhere, rather than just around opposition penalty areas, I have personally started to cry a rather sarcastic, high pitched, and obviously negative “shoooot”, just a couple of seconds after the missjudged positive ones, to try to quash this behaviour.
Have you ever heard the saying “things only become an issue, when you talk about them”? Well, and really think about this before answering, if gibbson was no longer with us, how long would this debate continue?
Not to be seen as too negative, and not to negate your earlier comment, but I personally think Fletcher has lost his way recently as well.
I will leave a final question to anyone who is a Gibson fan. When do you think he would appear in barca’s or even dare I say it, Manchester city’s midfield. (appogies for writing such a provocative combination of two words together, but it does pose some thought).
Nez, thanks for the great comment! Some great points made. Firstly on the Fletcher point, I agree with you. He hasn’t been on form this year but I do believe he will come good again. A couple of years ago, I had written him off completely only to be proved completely wrong following a couple of quality seasons.
It is difficult to utter the words but the reality is that Gibson wouldn’t get into the City midfield, in my honest opinion. I am the same in that I don’t want to be overlynegative on the guy but by the same token we have to be honest what what we think, or what would be the point in having a blog at all? You have to ask yourself, would you be comfortable playing him in a massive game against a top side in the morning? I personally wouldn’t but thats just my opinion. Poteniital? Yes, of course. He wouldn’t be a professional footballer if he didn’t have potential. I’m just not convinced this potential of a 23 year old is good enough for Manchester United.
Tom, I completely agree. Also have a look at the nani tweet blog it’s quite amusing.
You have raised some great points Nez, especially the one regarding him getting into the city midfield!! That is sadly these days a fact!
I’m still trying to make up my mind on Gibson, he had a decent run last year and did well even in the Champions League. This year he has been awful but then the last couple of games I have watched him he has been decent, scored a screamer for Ireland and ya think maybe all he needs is some confidence. I would rather see Carrick leave than him but unfortunately to benefit his career he may have to move on.
I was saying to a friend of mine who is a Villa fan that i thought Gibson had a good game against Crawley and his reply was straight to the point: “yeah, he did, looks like he has found his level!”
Says it all really
As much as I’d love to see a midfield player come through the ranks to consistently bag over 10 goals a season I just don’t see Gibson making it. He’s a squad player at best at a Champions League club. In my opinion the most he can hope for is a role similar to that which is played by John O’Shea.
However, O’Shea is flexible in that he can play anywhere along the back four and has even been used in the middle of the park, up front and in goals! O’Shea is dependable without being anywhere near outstanding, unfortunately for Gibson that just won’t cut it as a central midfielder.
When you look around the league, Gibson is not in the same class as Essien, Lampard, Gerrard, Meireles, Fabregas, Modric, Van Der Vaart, Yaya Toure and co. I think it’s time for Fergie to invest in this particular area of the squad. It needs to be completely overhauled. I’d like to see Fletcher and Anderson stay. Scholes stay on for another year for Cleverley to learn from on a daily basis. Carrick, Hargreves and Gibson out to be replaced by one world class midfielder and one other.
I’m sorry but nez is talking rubbish and his spelling is shwocking. Sorry I have a speech
Inperdamant
Bombay reds, you make a very sound argument. I think that there is a vacancy waiting for you as an intern reporter, a the metropolis times, where your first assingnment will be reporting on spiderman and whether he is friend or foe. Insidentaly, while in your first interview with spiderman, would you be so kind as to ask him if he would like to sign for Manchester utd. If so then you may wish to suggest to Mary Jane, that utd would be interested in offering Darren Gibson as a sweetener in the deal.
Well nez I truly wish I could say the same for you, are you a new age fan? or a former
Blue,dipper or dare I say it, a scum. A red is a red after all, what really is your problem with
Gibson?