Darron Gibson struggled to influence the game and was replaced
by Paul Scholes in the 73rd minute. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty
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In the end, Darron Gibson could reflect on a job reasonably well
done last night. He was prominently involved during those spells
when Sir Alex Ferguson's side dominated possession, he generally
took care of the ball and on the occasions he was a bit more
ambitious with his passing, we saw a footballer who can play the
ball long or short. So how can it be that this Irishman inspires so
little trust he has been in danger lately of ousting Bébé and
Gabriel Obertan as the player who makes Manchester United's supporters despair
the most?
That might sound terribly harsh given the qualities he has
demonstrated, sporadically, over time: a thunderbolt of a shot, a
decent passing range and a quality that should not be
under-estimated in football, namely the ability to carry the ball
with his head up, sizing up the game.
But that is not to say the scrutiny has been unwarranted.
Gibson's involvement, at the expense of Paul Scholes, who later
replaced him after 73 minutes, registered as a genuine shock and
what then unfolded scarcely lifted the sense that, without their
best passer, United lacked both the wit and creativity to represent
a more significant threat.
Gibson clearly has something if Ferguson should trust him with
such a key assignment. He is functional. He gets about, puts in his
quota of tackles and occasionally he might score a great goal with
that wonderful power in his right boot.
Yet the criticism does not attach itself to him purely because
of the fact his name is not Scholes. Gibson does not have the
passing range of Michael Carrick, let alone Scholes.
He is not a slouch, but he can lack mobility. And here's the
thing: this is not some kid trying to make a name for himself.
Gibson is 24 later this year and at that age, it is no good talking
about potential or of him learning the game; he should be imposing
his personality on football matches as the norm rather than the
exception. If a player has not established himself at his club at
that age then it is probably worth wondering whether he ever will.
If that comes across as unduly severe for what was, in essence, a
decent enough six-out-of-10 performance, then consider the fact it
is five years since Gibson made his debut, in a Carling Cup tie
against Barnet, and that there has never been one concerted spell
since when he has given the impression of establishing himself in
the team for good.
Giovanni Trapattoni, his manager for the Republic of Ireland,
will tell anyone who cares to listen that Gibson should accept it
is not going to happen for him at United.
The opposite view, you might say, is that there is something
admirable about the way Gibson grits his teeth and refuses to let
go, but the frustrations of those who watch him on a regular basis
are not without foundation.
Or perhaps there is a wider issue here and Gibson's presence
alongside Darren Fletcher and Carrick symbolises the shift in style
that prompted such an astute reader of the game as Didier Deschamps
to comment on the eve of the match that there was no longer the
same "fantasy" attached to the modern-day United.
They were the most devastating team in Europe when they last
played here in the Champions League, the Class of 1999
incorporating four players – Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and
David Beckham – who had legitimate credentials to be recognised as
the greatest midfield quartet in the history of the sport.
Giggs and Beckham brought artistry and penetration to the wings.
Scholes was Zinedine Zidane's favourite player (enough said). Keane
was not just in the engine-room; he was the engine-room.
The current side lack that kind of stardust. It can happen,
particularly when there are financial restraints in place. Is
Gibson the man to replace Scholes in the coming years?
Few would say he was. That man was available last summer but
Ferguson, spending £7.4m on Bébé said there was "no value in the
market".
The man in question cost Tottenham Hotspur just a little more.
His name: Rafael van der Vaart.