Richardson's United Career Is Over?

I must admit I am one of Kieran Richardson's greatest fans. He impressed me during his early days here and he was instrumental in keeping West Bromwich in the Premier League in 2005. His last season was decent, his performance and his goal against Charlton made me feel he could even make it here. His inconsistency did not worry me unduly, it could be attributed to his age.

However, it seems he failed. It maybe too early to tell but think about the Wigan game. Ronaldo and Park out, and Giggs just back after a hamstring injury so I expected Richardson to start as he was the only fit winger. But Fergie who was ready to play him against Spurs and Reading opted for two strikers, Rooney and Solskjaer to play on the wings - it must be a bad omen for Richardson. His two games as a starter were lamentable: he looked bemused and completely out of his depth. Could not beat a man to save his life, his passing was awful and against Reading he failed to hit the ball when he should have scored.

I hope it's just a spell of bad form. But I fear for him: perhaps he's simply not up to the scratch. I talked to some fans who suggested we should try him in the middle because he could be a player of the Scholes' type. I think that cannot be considered as a serious idea. Richardson will never have the vision and passing skills that Ginger Prince have and he's a physical lightweight.

He's quick, but not very fast. He has a good shot, he can cross so I think he can be a decent, useful member of a mid-table team. But he does not seem to be United material.

Patrice Evra, meanwhile, is going the other way. A lot of United fans were perplexed (myself included) when Fergie signed him in the winter and his first few games suggested he would be a flop. However, he's seriously impressed me since the start of this season. The little Frenchman started to apply himself in the left-back's position really well, his tackling and attacking work improved a lot, he's steadily maturing into the team. He seems wonderfully assured on the ball so I think we can count on him whenever Heinze whom I still consider to be our first-choice left-back is absent.

He's definitely better than Silvestre whom I like but his place in the squad can be questioned. In central defence we have Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand and O'Shea. The latter can play at left-back where we have Heinze and Evra. Johnny Evans and Pique is coming back next year so there's no place for poor, injured Silvestre who can easily find himself out of Old Trafford come next August.

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