Mid term report

Van der Saar: A very impressive campaign so far and has rightly been rewarded with an extension to his contract. 8.5/10

Kuszczak: Only a couple of appearances this season but has looked useful and must not be unhappy with learning from Van der Saar. 5/10

Neville: Committed captain, fantastic fullback. Has got the balance spot on this term between going forward and marking his man. His crossing has been excellent but injuries stop him from getting a higher mark. 8/10

Evra: Has looked a solid signing this season, particularly going forward where he has arguably been better than Heinze. 7/10

Heinze: Has just got back from injury but is nearly back to his best. Occasionally looks vulnerable when up against pace but rightly deserves a starting place 7/10

Vidic: What a season so far. Very committed, strong in the air, strong in the tackle and a danger from set pieces at the other end. 8.5/10

Ferdinand: Has been in impressive form this season. His reading of the game continues to make him look graceful even when under pressure. His partnership with Vida is the best I have seen for some years. 8.5/10

Silvestre: Who? The guy has done nothing wrong but doesn’t have a prayer of having a big impact on this side this season. Hopefully, he will be content to play cup games and a few league games as he still has experience to offer the team. 4/10

Brown: His future suddenly looks less certain but he is still 3rd choice centre back and with his injury record, that may just be as good as it will ever get at United. He is a very good defender and well worth having around. 5/10


Scholes: Majestic on the ball despite now playing a little deeper. He makes everything tick and is a huge loss when not playing. It would be nice to see him get forward a little more and score more. 8.5/10

Carrick: Has fitted in well. Has brought a calmness to our play and has ensured possession of the ball with clever, quick and incisive passing. Good at breaking down attacks with minimum fuss, as shown against Chelsea this season. Needs to move quicker to receive the ball in order to get more time on it. 7.5/10

Fletcher: He has won over more of the crowd with his combative and committed displays. No longer seen as a poor replacement. Instead he is being seen as the useful squad player he is. 6.5/10

Giggs: Had a wonderful start to the season with some magical displays for both club and country. He did so well the Brazilians even started talking about him. His form has dropped a little recently but you sense the number of games has caught up with him a bit. Will benefit from having Park around. 8/10

Ronaldo: Has been absolutely fantastic and my player of the season so far, despite Rooney making it close. He has played more games, had to deal with the events of the summer and has produced exhilarating and more mature displays than ever before. 9/10

Park: It has been largely a season on the treatment table so far but expect him to be starting sooner rather than later, in order to keep Giggs fresh. 4/10

Richardson: He has the talent but he has repeatedly failed to deliver. The pressure of playing for United seems to be getting to him. The crowd have been on his back and as a result of his poor performances he has been playing reserve football. He still needs time, but will he get it? 4/10

O’Shea: The ‘John’ of all trades has put United first and as a result must be commended. He is always good but never better than that. I still think his best position is at full back. With Hargreaves potentially on the way and with Neville in need of some competition we may see him revert to fullback next season. 6.5/10

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Rooney: The boy wonder has been back to his best in recent weeks. And even when he isn’t at his best he is still head and shoulders above most. It has just been a pleasure to watch him and Ronaldo in action. We are watching one of the best there has been. 9/10

Saha: The goal against Chelsea showed the maturity and ability of the player. After the penalty-miss against Celtic he was under pressure. He answered it. Firstly with his left foot and secondly with a Gaelic shrug. This is his best season. 8/10

Solskjaer: He is just back (again). His experience at stealing a goal at crucial times could be significant this season. The best substitute the club has ever had. 7/10

Smith: Breaking his leg was a significant injury, mainly because the picture has changed now he is back. He has looked too slow but with the speed training he is on he may just come back to help lead the line in the FA Cup. 4/10