224: Darren Fletcher, Manchester United, Topps Match Attax Trading Card Game, 2009/10

Mat Jolin-Beech takes us back to the ongoing psychodrama that is Manchester United with this post on a solid midfielder who followed up his 342 appearances for the Red Devils by entering the Byzantine world of the club’s backroom staff. Unlike his hard work and efficiency on the pitch it’s less obvious what he’s up to these days. Perhaps Mat has solved the riddle.

One lunch break at work, scrolling though YouTube to pass the time, coupled to my pesto pasta salad, a theme cropped up from the INEOS revolution hopefully taking place at Old Trafford. The role of the imminent director of football, and how the club can conform to, and thrive within, the FFP (or whatever they will be called with the shakeup and alignment to European regulations – Brexit, what Brexit?) was something kept coming up.

One key theme within this was the role of the academy to produce players for the team, but also players that can be sold for, under FFP rules, pure profit. Players like John O’Shea, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Fabio and Rafael da Silva, and even James Garner, now of Sean Dyche’s Everton, were all mentioned. The latter, Garner, as an example of a player who should have been sold for more, and to boost the coffers and freedom within the FFP framework. The former players in that list were all names as players who, while not necessarily starters or world beaters, as solid and dependable squad players able to step in, play a role and save the club hundreds of millions in transfer fees for bought in second XI-ers.

Within the restructure chat, and an example of the “well you’re here so why don’t you have the job” culture that has plagued United under the Glazier reign, was Darren Fletcher. Now, I’d not sure exactly what his role at the club as technical director actually means, but he was one of those solid squad players that, in the current environment, would probably be a £40m midfielder. And more than that, he because an important first teamer, if never quite the ‘Scottish David Beckham’ he was touted as when he first broke through into the first team. The prime example of just how important Fletcher became to United came as he was absent due to his ulcerative colitis and any injuries. Notably in the Champions League final in 2009 against Barcelona when he was missing and the triumvirate of Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets overran the midfield and dominated the game.

Despite stints at Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion at the end of his career, he’s always been inextricably linked to Old Trafford. But, until recently, his kids weren’t. They were, in fact, training at Manchester City’s academy. Now, this may seem like treason, but, somewhat annoyingly (and funded by Middle Eastern oil money), City’s academy and facilities are better than United’s. Again another failing by the old – and I suppose current, but not new – United owners.

However, they have recently moved back to Old Trafford, and aim to continue the Fletcher dynasty. There are high hopes for Tyler and Jack Fletcher to grace the United midfield just like, or perhaps even better than, their old man. So for being a stalwart of the Fergie years, the shocking early-post-SAF era and for pulling the future Scottish midfield rug from under the oil barons at the Etihad, Fletcher will always have a found place in most United fans’ hearts. Even if we still don’t know what his current role is!