Is there a defensive dilemma? By Mayur Joshi

It’s pretty clear that the main talk in all circles is the requirement of a central midfielder at United. The manager has tempered the loss of Van der Saar, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, John O’Shea and Wesley Brown with the arrival of David De Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones (so far) and recalling the likes of Cleverley, Welbeck and Macheda from loan spells.

Even with Phil Jones arriving this summer we haven’t really covered our defensive losses. Neville, O’shea and Brown were all excellent players for the club over the years but the time was right for them to move on (or retire in Gary’s case). It hasn’t escaped my attention though, that all three players predominantly played at right-back over the last few years, especially since Patrice Evra has made the left back slot his own.

I wrote recently that our squad is a little thin in central midfield with only three recognized senior players in that area. What seems to have gone largely un-noticed in the media and within United circles is the distinct lack of cover in the full back positions. We have the Da Silva twins and Evra as our only recognized full backs in the senior squad.

Whilst Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are capable of playing on the left and right of defense respectively, they are by no means recognized full backs and I wouldn’t want to have to rely on them on a regular basis. It seems to me that we are probably one player short in this department.

Add to that the relative inexperience of the Brazilian twins we could end up with a serious problem. I am certainly not criticizing the two players; I’m their biggest fan. However, it would be foolish to suggest that they have reached a level good enough to be considered automatic choices at a club like United.

Both players are excellent going forward although I would suggest that Fabio probably has more composure in attacking areas than his brother. Conversely, they can both be a little suspect defensively and Rafael has the edge over his brother in this area. They are still learning and developing and doubts still remain around their concentration and mental ability. Both have been known to lunge into challenges and they have both shown glimpses of a petulant streak. Lets hope they grow out of it.

Even if you do say that they are fully developed players at the top of their game, we would still be thin in that area.  An injury to Patrice Evra, for instance, would be a disaster on many levels. Firstly we lose the best left-back in the world (even if his form went a little awry last season). Secondly, we lose an experienced, senior member of the squad who is clearly a big character in the dressing room and on the pitch. Having already lost vast amounts of experience (more than 1500 appearances between them) through retirement and transfers it leaves us a little vulnerable if we were to lose Evra and Rio to injury. Given Rio's recent injury record that isn't inconceivable.

Next you have to consider the pressure that an injury to Evra would put on the two twins. To be starting every game for any club at a young age is difficult enough as it is; to do it for the champions is infinitely harder and with the Premier League and Champions League on our list of priorities we cannot afford to be carrying players in any position.

With this in mind, I was delighted at the beginning of the summer when we were linked with Philip Lahm. A proven, world class performer, he is equally adept at playing on the right and the left. He would bring experience, ability and steel to the full back positions. Unfortunately these reports seem to have died down since then and I’m pretty certain that Fergie isn’t going to be adding to this area of the team.

This was further confirmed with the changes he made during the most recent game on the tour of the USA. At one point we had four centre backs on the field with Smalling on the right and Evans on the left. It’s quite clear that those are the players the Sir Alex will be using as cover; and who am I to argue with that?! But having lost three senior defenders and our goalkeeper you have to wonder if the pressure will get to the younger members of the squad.

Having said that this season will be a pivotal one for the development of the Brazilian pair and I hope to god that they really kick on and establish themselves as top players. We all know what happened to John O’Shea after his famous nutmeg of Figo in the Champions League. As great a servant as he was for the club, he never really reached those heights again. The same can be said of Brown. A truly talented player with a no-nonsense style, I always felt he was missing something mentally to really challenge at the very top on a consistent basis. We will all remember John O’Shea’s smash and grab winner vs Liverpool and Wesley’s contribution during the 2008 season cannot be underestimated. I wish them both the best at Sunderland but I just hope their departures haven’t left us with a defensive dilemma that will come back to haunt us.