The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsNew Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger arrives at Old Trafford at the wrong side of 30, but should that matter?
Look at former United midfielder Paul Scholes and what he accomplished after he turned 30, and watch how Michael Carrick has adapted and improved his game since reaching the milestone.
Schweinsteiger is a more than impressive midfielder, capable of dictating the play as well as creating assists and goals. The German captain’s arrival at Old Trafford has been greeted with as much positivity as optimism, and he can go on to have a successful career with the Red Devil’s.
But over the past couple of seasons with the Bundesliga champions, it is no secret that the midfielder has suffered numerous injuries. The 30 year old made just 15 Bundesliga starts last season as his side won the league, but he insists the worst are behind him. One of the concerns over his contract was that he’d been handed a three year deal, but if he manages to stay injury free then surely tieing him down on a longer deal will be better for the club in the long term?
Look at Paul Scholes, his career appeared to blossom further after he turned 30. Taking on a more attacking role, the midfielder became more aware of the goings on the field, and he matured with age with the way he played the game.
During his final eight seasons at Old Trafford, Scholes won eleven trophies, including five Premier League titles, one Champions League, two League Cups, one Club World Cup and two Community Shields. During this spell, the midfielder scored 20 goals in 165 league appearances, and a further six goals in 46 Champions League games.
His record speaks for itself, and with Schweinsteiger no longer the week in week out player like his earlier days at Bayern, or for Germany for that matter, he too will have to adapt his style of play as Louis van Gaal looks for a strong central midfielder, capable of both defensive and attacking options, but he is more than capable to do so.
United lacked this creativity last season, with Captain Wayne Rooney often dropping deep to create any opportunities. When fit, Michael Carrick coped with the task, but his deception to injury made this occurrence all to inconsistent.
Where Carrick has been compared to Roy Keane, Schweinsteiger bears similarities to that of Scholes, and if both the Englishman and German can stay fit, they could construct a formidable partnership. Failing any injury free spells, fellow new singing Morgan Schneiderlin is just as capable, maybe even staking a starting eleven position all together.
Given the new signings at Old Trafford, there is now a delicate balance between experienced and promising young players. With the experience of Carrick and Schweinsteiger and talent of Schneiderlin all competing for a central midfield role, van Gaal has a number of options ahead of next season.
