United's midfield options
By David Wall & Alex Dunn
Last Updated: 01/01/70 1:00am
Opta take a look at Manchester United's plethora of options in the centre of midfield.
Manchester United boasted one of Europe's finest midfield pairings last season in the guise of Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, but that has not stopped Sir Alex Ferguson from adding competition for places.Owen Hargreaves' big money arrival from Bayern Munich will manifest a real poser for Ferguson, who will have to prime two from three - or change his system.
The likes of Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea will also be eager for playing time and while they may find themselves on the periphery at times, it seems likely they will be called upon at some stage, as United hunt for silverware on four fronts.
Opta take a look at all the contenders for a starting spot next season at Old Trafford, with some of the findings likely to be eye-opening.
| Player | Michael Carrick | Paul Scholes | Darren Fletcher | John O'Shea | Owen Hargreaves |
| Team | Manchester United | Manchester United | Manchester United | Manchester United | Bayern Munich |
| Appearances | 33 | 30 | 24 | 32 | 9 |
| Minutes On Pitch | 2,512 | 2,596 | 1,426 | 1,719 | 720 |
| Goal Attempts | |||||
| Goals | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Shots On Target | 7 | 17 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| Shooting Accuracy | 28% | 65% | 44% | 100% | 46% |
| Chance Conversion | 12% | 23% | 17% | 80% | 0% |
| Passing | |||||
| Goal Assists | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Total Passes | 1,822 | 2,069 | 854 | 1,039 | 371 |
| Pass Completion % | 84% | 91% | 83% | 81% | 85% |
| Crossing | |||||
| Total Crosses | 70 | 28 | 34 | 19 | 19 |
| Cross Completion % | 43% | 21% | 24% | 21% | 21% |
| Defending | |||||
| Tackles Made | 89 | 95 | 67 | 58 | 102 |
| Tackles Won % | 69% | 76% | 70% | 76% | 49% |
| Discipline | |||||
| Fouls | 29 | 48 | 21 | 20 | 20 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
