I won’t lie I look at United through rose tinted specs thus it makes discussing United with me unbearable according to my brother so even he was shocked at how badly I received Darron Gibson.
I was less than overwhelmed by some of Gibson’s early performances especially as he was being touted as a future starter and successor to Paul Scholes but slowly my stance towards the Irish midfielder has softened to the extent that I look forward to seeing how he progresses as a player at the club.
Gibson is a player that divides United fans, some don’t think he is good enough to thrive at the club and although he may end up a Premier League player, he isn’t a United player and sometimes I see that in Gibson but at other times Gibson really does impress and looks like he could make it here.
The problem Gibson faces is that he is not being allowed to develop at his own pace, rather in this modern game of football players are expected to be the finished article before 23 so the fact he has shown talent but not consistently has fans doubting him.
Gibson has a lot to work on if he is to succeed at United, you don’t need me to tell you that. But what he does have working in his favour is the fact that he appears to be a goal scoring midfielder. In his sparse appearances last season he grabbed 5 goals and I feel if he plays and or starts more games that is a figure that will increase.
Good goal scoring midfielders are hard to come by these days so Gibson could be a real asset, his passing is reasonable with either foot and he can get around so with more games under his belt and the chance to work at a higher level than the Carling Cup provides he could develop quicker than he has.
He is just 22 years old and carrying the experiences of this past season he should play more games than the 23 he did this one. If he can find some level of consistency he could very well help with our push towards regaining the title as well as turn some of his doubters into fans.
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Gibbo might be a talent waiting to flourish no doubt but he could so easily be the next ‘next Paul Scholes’ to not even reach the ankle level of the great man. I personally think that he is not quite United material. He has a terrific shot on him, no doubt, but then again, from what I have seen of him in the first team this term, he doesnt have anythin but shooting boots on. He’s not physically strong enough to outmuscle tough opponents; he is not a pass master like Carrick nor is he a midfield maestro like the Ginger Prince. He might be a good squad player content with playing about 10 games a season, most of them from the bench but I really dont think he will be more than that. That said, 3 seasons ago, most people were talking of Fletch in the same vein too. The biggest problem that Gibbo has is the wealth of talent and class ahead of him. After Scholes retires, he might climb up the ladder but with Hargreaves ready for a full campaign and Ando expected to finally do a ‘Nani’, it eill be interesting to see what happens.
Cheers
Gibson does not have the pace or mobility to thrive at United as a midfielder (look at those barrel thighs!) which is a physical limitation no amount of experience can overcome. He’s also become far too enamored of his long range shooting, which on more than a few occasions cost United where other players were better positioned. Add to that the fact he doesn’t possess a great skill set, particularly with his passing, and isn’t the greatest of defenders, and one is left to wonder exactly what he really has to offer United other than a position on the bench as a decent squad player a la O’Shea. He’s certainly no star of the future.
I’d agree that Gibson needs more aspects to his game. But I’d also agree with Chudi in that he’s still young and deserves more time to develop before judging his fate. Some say he can “only” shoot long-range, but that “only” is a huge asset in midfield. Further, if his shot is seen as a threat by the opposition, it will draw their defense away from our forwards.
True enough, he will never become a starter if he doesn’t improve his passing, but I’d wait and see if he improves in this regard over a couple of seasons. He’ll probably never have the long range passing of Beckham or Scholes, but in his position, he mostly just needs effective mid and short range passing.
Gibson has been one of the better midfielders in the reserves in the later part of last decade.
He showed the flashes of quality and if a lot of the people passing judgement on him had seen this, they would lay off and give him time to develop.
I think his problem is that apart from shooting he does everything but nothing outstandingly. He can defend, get forward and he can pass but none of these things to the extent that it makes you say wow
If Sir Alex and the coaching staff, the people that see him day in and day out, have seen something in him that makes them think that he could go on and do things at this club, then I will await. This isn’t to say I will have blind faith but I have seen enough to think he could be a decent player.