Darron Gibson

[Jicked]

Whatever about Giles, Dunphy is getting progressively worse, OTT, sensationalist just to get a reaction.

But if you think they're bad you shouldve switched over to Fat Pat on Setanta, oh sweet jesus. For some reason, he felt the result was a great reason to say how overrated Rooney was and how he is only rated by people who watch english football and think they know football as a result etc etc.
Sorry for the offtopic.

Fat Pat is so desperate to get a gig on that RTÉ panel in the future it's embarassing, he's says the most ridiculous controversial stuff just in the hope he'll be the long term replacement for Giles/Dunphy

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think I could handle Pat at RTE.

I thought Fletcher was better than Gibson, but that's because he's a better, more experienced player. I thought Fletcher was a little subdued, whereas Gibson really raised his game. He still has a lot to learn from Fletcher in terms of closing down players - I don't think it's because Fletcher works harder, it's just that he can do the donkey work in midfield with great economy of effort, whereas Gibson seems to have to work harder to have the same effect. He's definitely improving, and hopefully he gets 3 or 4 starts in the run-in as Alex realises he needs fresh blood in the centre.

[Longfordian]

Fat Pat is so desperate to get a gig on that RTÉ panel in the future it's embarassing, he's says the most ridiculous controversial stuff just in the hope he'll be the long term replacement for Giles/Dunphy

A couple of months ago he was going on about Roy Hodgson being overrated and how would he be able to inspire a team, then last night he was saying "it's taken him a long time to get the recognition he deserves in his own country" blah blah. He's a ridiculous pundit.

[MuckaTucka]

I have to laugh at some of the comments about Gibson. What exactly do people mean by saying they're 'wary' of him?

Semantics. What I mean by wary is that I'm not utterly convinced that he is going to go on and hold a place for the national team. He does some great things, and I do like him as a player at times. It's just don't know who he fits alongside in midfield for Traps 4-4-2?

[irishfan86]

I think Gibson could be a top top player if played in the right system. He may be a "luxury" player, but if he was given more freedom to play a role similar to the one Lampard played under Mourinho, I think he could be that sort of goal scoring midfielder. I think he could even play the Gerrard role behind a main striker...not entirely certain he's responsible enough to play in the centre in a 4-4-2.

[Acornvilla]

he plays a bit like a striker sometimes he gets way to far ahead of the play (for a midfielder) sometimes i notice

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought that too, but I actually think it's the way he's been asked to play. With only one man up front, you really need a mobile midfielder who'll bomb ahead without the ball, and Gibson seems to be the guy who does it when he's on. Park did the same to devastating effect against Liverpool. Obviously Gibson is still raw and sometimes he just looks out of position, but I can see what he's trying to do.

[Irish_Praha]

Didn't start today but came on with 35 mins to go. Just following this with text updates from the internet but it looks like since he came on UTD have started to turn the screw a bit more.
He's getting involved and shooting at evey chance. Hopefully one of his shots will produce something. I'm not a UTD fan but would like to see the title race go down to the wire and of course prefer to see the Irish players win something.

[Razors left peg]

Im watchin the game here. Hes doing ok, getting stuck in anyway

[yapster]

Gibson will score some goals for Ireland in the future.

[Predator]

Semantics. What I mean by wary is that I'm not utterly convinced that he is going to go on and hold a place for the national team. He does some great things, and I do like him as a player at times. It's just don't know who he fits alongside in midfield for Traps 4-4-2?
'Semantics'? What do you mean? I simply questioned what people meant by saying that they were 'wary' of Gibson, who, while he may not have grabbed the football world by the scruff of the neck, has been slowly but surely improving for United, scoring some cracker goals on the way.

Anyway, a lot of players drift in and out of national squads, based on a number of factors. Gibson has ability; he has proven it and he should be at the top end of football in England for years to come. Hopefully while he's at it he might gain some more caps and score a few goals for Ireland.

[Charlie Darwin]

That's a fair analysis. We're talking about a player trying to break into the second best team in England and Champions League finalists the past two years. Lampard didn't sign for Chelsea until he was 23 and didn't break until the England squad on a regular basis until he was 24. He's playing in a position where players don't typically break through as early as in other positions, for physical and technical reasons, so it's not a huge concern that he's still on the fringes. As long as he continues to impress (he looked a far bigger threat than Scholes today, and Carrick/Fletcher on Wednesday), he'll get his chance to nail down a place.

Not saying he'll be as good as Lampard, but he's another example of a player who made gradual rather than meteoric progress.

[elroy]

He did alright today, def the most aggressive I have seen Gibson in a game.
United are going to be in transition for a while now, the likes of Giggs, Neville and Scholes are on their last days and will need to be replaced by hopefully the likes of Gibson. Very hard to see them winning the league now, in fact Id have City favourites for the derby on sat. If Gibson was deemed good enough to start against Bayern, think there is a good chance he will also start there.

[DeLorean]

Whatever about Gibson's future prospects, it's no surprise that United's season has fallen apart when they are relying on the likes of him at this vital stage of the season. The most common type of praise for him on here is by saying that somebody else was actually worse, which is no praise at all really. As somebody who wanted to see United winning the last couple of matches I honestly felt they'd a lot less of a chance with him on the pitch. Outside of a decent shot his contribution is minimal, at that's against the likes of Wolves, nevermind Bayern or Chelsea.

[MuckaTucka]

'Semantics'? What do you mean? I simply questioned what people meant by saying that they were 'wary' of Gibson, who, while he may not have grabbed the football world by the scruff of the neck, has been slowly but surely improving for United, scoring some cracker goals on the way.

I mean that being wary and not being totally convinced by a player is much the same thing.
Speaking without the Irish blinkers on, I honestly believe there's no reason to say he hasn't actually done anything to suggest he is going to be any better than the likes of Jonathan Greening yet. Just because he's playing for Manchester United seems to buy him a lot more credit than the likes of Meyler who's with unfashionable Sunderland but playing very well.

I would love to see Gibson go on to become a top class player for Ireland. I'm not saying he's crap, doesn't have any potential, or is undeserving of a place in the Irish squad. He just should be judged on the same standards as any other midfielders playing consistently well in the Premiership no matter if it's Manchester United or Wigan. I accept getting a start for Man United might be more difficult, but on the otherhand playing against inferior opposition should make things easier once he's out on that pitch.
Is Gibson a better bet than Fahy, Wilson, Meyler or McCarthy in the Irish midfield? It's hard to say.

We seem to have a raft of young midfielders now that haven't been involved in a competitive game for Ireland. Which is fantastic compared to the beginning of the last campaign.

[OneRedArmy]

In the context of the international side, Gibson's current strengths seem to be as an attacking midfielder pushing forward and getting shots. He isn't there defensively, as a passer or as a "controller" of a game who will play in a system, keep it tight and keep it moving. Rightly or wrongly its the latter than Trap looks for. Maybe he might get a game if we play 4-5-1, but he's a bit to go to get into a team playing 4-4-2 IMO.

[SkStu]

In the context of the international side, Gibson's current strengths seem to be as an attacking midfielder pushing forward and getting shots. He isn't there defensively, as a passer or as a "controller" of a game who will play in a system, keep it tight and keep it moving. Rightly or wrongly its the latter than Trap looks for. Maybe he might get a game if we play 4-5-1, but he's a bit to go to get into a team playing 4-4-2 IMO.

agree with this summary of his position and to be honest it has shown in the games he has played under Trappatoni.

[ofjames]

Darron's goal-scoring prowess is getting praise from Sir Alex. Hopefully he gets substantial playing time in the last 4 games of the season

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11667_6092619,00.html


Alex Ferguson

Meanwhile, the vastly-experienced Scottish tactician has praised the goals output of Darron Gibson, who took his season tally to six after scoring against Bayern Munich last week.

Ferguson believes it would be unwise to ignore Gibson's goal-scoring prowess and has likened the 22-year-old's ability to find the back to the net to that of Paul Scholes.

United's long-serving manager believes with more regular first-team football the Republic of Ireland international could make a telling contribution from midfield.

"You saw Gibson's performance against Bayern Munich," he said. "That was his sixth goal of the season [in all competitions] and you cannot dismiss that.

"It is the kind of contribution we used to get from Paul Scholes. He used to get me 12 to 14 goals from midfield all the time and we haven't had a player like that in a while.

"Who is to say if Gibson had been playing all the time where he would be in terms of goals? But he is getting recognition now and even the players are commenting on how much he has improved."

[rebelmusic]

Point about his goals is fair enough. He has 6 goals in what, 12 appearances? And how many of those as a sub? If he had been a regular all season i would see him up around the 15 mark

[tetsujin1979]

According to this - http://www.skysports.com/football/player/0,19754,11667_324568,00.html - he's only got 5 goals this season (2 VS Spurs, 1 VS West Ham, Bolton and Bayern) who's the sixth against?

[Charlie Darwin]

Yeah, that's all of them. He probably just got mixed up. Still a great return considering the limited time he's had on the pitch. Alex needs to back it up by picking him for the last 3-4 games now.

[rebelmusic]

Aye maybe it is 5, still a good return based on appearances tho for a midfielder

[MuckaTucka]

Gibson starts today in arguably Manchester United's biggest game of the season.
That is real testament to Gibson that he's managed to get the nod from Fergie in the Champions league v Bayern and now against Man City in what Fergie has described as the biggest derby in 30 years.

[Razors left peg]

Gibson starts again today,Fergie really starting to put faith in him

[MuckaTucka]

Gibson starts again today

That's old news :D

[ofjames]

notable absence of ealing green from this thread lately.

must have his tail between his legs given that gibson seems to be closer to being a united first pick now than evans is.

hope he resets his reminder again for next year

[Razors left peg]

notable absence of ealing green from this thread lately.

must have his tail between his legs given that gibson seems to be closer to being a united first pick now than evans is.

hope he resets his reminder again for next year

he probably doesnt care about Gibson anymore since he said that Gibson wouldnt make the Norn Iron team anyway

[paul_oshea]

and given todays performance he would probably be right. Off gibson just as i say it.

[twoenz]

A great bit of faith from Fergie, but it's a shame Gibson didn't put more of a stamp on the game. Seemed like a rotten game though, only listened to Alan Green's commentary. He really could make the most exciting game seem boring though.

[Charlie Darwin]

He didn't ever really look to get into the positions he needed to. Granted, City stacked 9-10 men behind the ball at all times, but he needed to be more lively and demand the ball in space. Good to see him get a start though.

[yapster]

fair play to Ferguson for picking Gibbo,

[carloz]

He got slated for his performance on the forum on 365. It was annoying to read. Not a word about Giggs who was every bit as bad as Gibson. I am even being a bit harsh there. Gibson wasn't bad, he just did little in the game. It annoys me seeing so many United fans tearing strips off the guy. These same United fans were wetting themselves when Fergie blew €18 million on Tosic. Of course he is from a foreign land with a noce name, so he must be good

[Charlie Darwin]

Fans opinions don't really matter though. How long did it take Nani to emit a 100% reversal in the opinion of every single United fan in the world - like 25 minutes against Arsenal?

[geysir]

I can't say I was focussing too much on that game against City but he was more noticeable for what he wasn't doing than what he was doing. At times he had the look of a detached figure on the team, looking on rather than being involved.

[elroy]

Has to be the poorest united midfield in a long time. Giggs and Scholes are very limited these days. Fletcher is good at what he does but he is never going to be a creative influence on the team. Carrick offers very little and Nani is far too inconsistent. In light of this Gibson is def worth a shot. He did ok yday, were United any better after he came off?? No def not, in fact City were the better team in the last 20 mins of the game. The only midfielder united have of a top quality these days is Valencia. The best right winger they have had since Kanchelskis imo.
If Gibson can continue to improve and grow in confidence he has a chance to establish himself at United.

[Razors left peg]

amazing how United are just one point off the top of the table if their midfield is as poor as people make them out to be.

[elroy]

amazing how United are just one point off the top of the table if their midfield is as poor as people make them out to be.

Some argue its due to an overall drop in standards in the league this year, plus united have played alot of this season with 5 in midfield (perhaps to strengthen a weak midfield) with Rooney (who has been sensational) heading the line up front.

[Charlie Darwin]

I don't think the overall standards have dropped, but the gap between the top and the rest has definitely tightened, probably due in part to Real picking off some of the top 4's best players and those teams being less able or unwilling to spend money. I think Scholes showed during the second half how valuable he can be and Giggs had an excellent first few months this season, but I think they'll have to be used more and more sparingly as impact players, kind of like how Ferguson used Sheringham in his twilight years.

[EalingGreen]

notable absence of ealing green from this thread lately.
Actually, I have been absent from the entire Forum pretty much over the last while, only browsing from time-to-time.



must have his tail between his legs given that gibson seems to be closer to being a united first pick now than evans is.
Not sure about Gibson's place in the current pecking order at OT, but Evans has not been considered for selection recently, due to his being injured. He was, however, recalled by Ferguson for their crunch derby game against Citeh on Saturday, where he played the 90 minutes.

I didn't see that game myself, but here is what David Walsh, Chief Sports Writer of the Sunday Times (UK Edition) wrote in his his match report, which was the lead item in the Sports Section:
"For much of the game, the stars were defenders. Vincent Kompany recovered from a nervous start to outplay Wayne Rooney, who started for United without seeming fully fit.
But Evans was the game's outstanding defender. For one so young and relatively inexperienced, his maturity is a wonder and he has all the physical gifts; he tackles well, wins his headers, doesn't often commit fouls, is quick and reads the game intelligently.
Like most of the best defenders, he is brave. Twelve minutes before half-time, Adebayor touched the ball into Gareth Barry's path but Evans threw his body forward and blocked what seemed a terrific strike.

Incidentally, Walsh, who originally comes from Ireland and has been voted Irish Sportswriter of the Year four times (and its UK equivalent three times), did not mention Gibson, who was withdrawn on the hour.

[carloz]

Evans was only playing yesterday as a result of Ferdinands groin injury, but he took his chance. It was his best performance this season quite easily. He has had a poor season this year when he has been given his chance, but he was excellent yesterday and looked very assured. Helped him also that Vidic was finally playing at the level we all know he is capable of playing at. If I remember correctly Evans did a nice little pass to create space for Evra for the assist to Scholes goal

[EalingGreen]

he [Ealing Green] probably doesnt care about Gibson anymore since he said that Gibson wouldnt make the Norn Iron team anyway
Actually, I said last season, when Gibson had yet to play a full 90 minutes in an EPL game, that he would not (imo) be first/second choice for one of the two Centre Midfield places in the NI team. And this opinion was at least partly down to the fact that he wasn't getting a regular start for the ROI team at the time, either.

Of course, he looks to have made progress since then, though how much of that is due to his own (clear) improvement and the (equally clear) decline in the quality and depth of MU's centre midfield options is a matter of debate*.

Still, it seems I am not permitted an opinion (other, perhaps, than to have it misrepresented by those such as yourself who would rather "play the man than the ball")


* - Indeed, has been debated on this very thread, by fans of both ROI and MU.

[EalingGreen]

Evans was only playing yesterday as a result of Ferdinands groin injury, but he took his chance. It was his best performance this season quite easily. He has had a poor season this year when he has been given his chance, but he was excellent yesterday and looked very assured. Helped him also that Vidic was finally playing at the level we all know he is capable of playing at. If I remember correctly Evans did a nice little pass to create space for Evra for the assist to Scholes goal
Indeed. From my observation, Evans actually had a clear dip in form since the New Year, so maybe the wee spell out of the limelight served to restore his confidence?

I also think he plays better for MU when paired with Vidic, rather than Ferdinand, due to the former's physical prowess complementing him (Evans) better. I feel Evans and Ferdinand are too similar in build and style etc to be the ideal combination.

[Razors left peg]

Actually, I said last season, when Gibson had yet to play a full 90 minutes in an EPL game, that he would not (imo) be first/second choice for one of the two Centre Midfield places in the NI team. And this opinion was at least partly down to the fact that he wasn't getting a regular start for the ROI team at the time, either.

Of course, he looks to have made progress since then, though how much of that is due to his own (clear) improvement and the (equally clear) decline in the quality and depth of MU's centre midfield options is a matter of debate*.

Still, it seems I am not permitted an opinion (other, perhaps, than to have it misrepresented by those such as yourself who would rather "play the man than the ball")


* - Indeed, has been debated on this very thread, by fans of both ROI and MU.

relax, I said it tongue in cheek

[MuckaTucka]

I don't know did anyone hear the Roy Keane quotes on Gibson and Meyler? He said that he thought that they'd make a decent midfield partnership for Ireland.
He also thought that Gibson needs another couple of years before he matures into a more complete player. Whereas defensively minded/athletic players like Meyler reach maturity a lot quicker. But he did say he thinks Gibson is a proper player. He played with him at United. Talked about him having a great shot, and he can learn and develop the other parts of the game by staying at united and playing with better players.

[ofjames]

quotes from fergie describing gibsons future at the club as 'guaranteed' along with few of his other young players.

seems to dispel any prospect of him leaving old trafford any time soon


"People don't recognise that we've signed three players for £20million already," Ferguson declared. "Young Chris Smalling from Fulham has signed for us, Mame Diouf has done well, and Javier Hernandez from Mexico will join us after the World Cup.Those are three young players whose futures are guaranteed at this club.

"There are others who come into that bracket like Jonny Evans, Federico Macheda, Gabriel Obertan, Danny Welbeck and Darron Gibson.

"So we have a good nucleus and foundation of players who can carry the club for a long time."

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6133935,00.html

[geysir]

Darron is what you'd call, a 'made man'.

[Sullivinho]

Darron's been working on his set pieces.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwOvQ3bWQN8

[Longfordian]

He could do with working on losing a stone or two in weight from the looks of him last night. Good free kick though.

[elroy]

Really Really want Darron to step up to the mark and fulfill his promise this season. Fergie seems to believe in him and there def is potential for him to break into that midfield, its the weakest Man U midfield in a long time.

[Crosby87]

Wow is young Gibson starting to go bald too?