Nemanja Vidic To Return? Good or Bad?
Aug 2, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Inter Milan defender Nemanja Vidic (15) dribbles the ball during the first half of the match against Roma at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
Reports from a number of news outlets have been circulating today that Nemanja Vidic could be making a shock return to Old Trafford after only six months.
The Serbian defender was United captain until his departure in the summer and although nothing has been confirmed there has been talk of a return.
Currently at Inter Milan, Vidic is just the latest name in high profile defenders who have been linked to a move to United, although manager Louis van Gaal has denied all reports so far of transfer talk especially that concerning defenders.
Let’s take a look at the pro’s and cons of this possible deal and weigh up if it is a good idea or a bad one.
Good
Vidic is a hero round these parts and having him back would be a massive boost surely? The return of a legend to fix the defence, to inject needed grit and determination and provide a role model for the young defenders to look up to.
Vidic is also immensely experienced and would add more class to an ever growing team. His presence in the changing room would also be a welcome addition – and could provide that extra voice of authority as a senior player alongside his successor as captain, Wayne Rooney.
Partnering a youngster like McNair could help improve the youngsters game and if he partnered Rojo the defence would be much more imposing than it is. The Premier League is a physical league and at times it appears United lack that physical presence in the defensive area. Bringing Vidic back in would solve that issue.
Bad
You only have to look at Rio Ferdinand’s spell at QPR so far this season to realise even the best have to hang up their boots someday. Ferdinand was a staple in the Red’s defence for so many years and when he left he was obviously a big loss.
Yet he hasn’t performed as expected. He hasn’t really performed at all. His defending has been very questionable and his place in the team seems to be under threat with strong performances from other players.
This is the same story for Vidic in Italy, having been dropped by boss Roberto Mancini and has made to date only nine appearances. His debut also saw him give away a penalty in a defeat. Not the best of starts to say the least.
Plus, the emergence of young talent like McNair and Blackett means there shouldn’t really be a need to sign old players like Vidic. Not only would their chance of first team football decrease but the time spent developing them this season would be wasted.
And does Vidic really want to play for United again? He did say on his arrival in Italy:
“I should have arrived to Italy many years ago”
This was said in perfect Italian and does give rise to whether he thinks he should have played for United for as long as he did. So if he played again, would these comments come back to haunt him?
Overall
I personally am a big fan of the Serb and would love to see him back in a red shirt. I don’t think he will falter like Rio has and if anything will continue to improve. Man United has a history of working with players of all ages, players like Edwin van der Sar, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs all played for a very long time without losing any of their immense talent and at times played the best football of their careers despite their age.
Perhaps the return of Vidic could see more of the Ferguson-era style of United come back and provide reinforcement without too much disruption. It also gives rise to a possible return of Patrice Evra, who has made only six appearances for Juventus in Serie A so far. Again, the effectiveness of this partnership has to be questioned but it is better than nothing at the end of the day.
I’d like it to be a short term loan deal rather than a permanent signing depending on how well he does. That minimises the risk of doing a Ferdinand and ensures he isn’t wasting a squad position.
Regardless of where he goes and what happens, Vidic is a Red Devil. And he always will be.