Sir Alex Ferguson Should Look to Sporting Lisbon To Fix His Midfield Issues

The secret is out: Manchester United have major issues in their squad and the majority of them stem from the middle of the field.

Alex Ferguson has seen his side lose their grip on the top of the table and fail to reach the Champions Leagues semifinal stage in the space of a month.

Manchester United have struggled to perform to the high standards that they have set for themselves.

When Wayne Rooney has been absent or failed to torment the opposing defense, Manchester United have struggled.

The midfield has failed to step up and contribute as much as in previous years. Man United has only scored 22 goals from midfield this season in the Premier League.

With three games left to play in the league that total has plummeted from 33 goals scored last year from the midfield and 43 in 2007/08.

Right winger Antonio Valencia has scored the most goals for United from midfield, with five. 

Major question marks have been raised over the future of Brazilian midfielder Anderson, who has failed to deliver on his huge price tag since signing from Porto.

Michael Carrick was dropped for Darren Gibson for the Manchester derby, which was the biggest game of United's season. 

Carrick is another player who has failed to live up to expectations after his inflated transfer from Tottenham.

In big games against Chelsea and Manchester City, Alex Ferguson decided to call on the aging Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs over his more youthful players.

Paul Scholes recently singed a one-year extension to his contract and is a major sign of the manager's uncertainty with his team's midfield.

Alex Ferguson needs to address the lack of creativity in the center of the pitch if Man United are to progress forward in the coming seasons.

In 2003, Alex Ferguson signed a certain Portuguese right winger from Sporting Lisbon. Gary Neville urged his manager to bring Ronaldo to Old Trafford after suffering a torrid time opposing him during a preseason friendly.

Alex Ferguson needs to cast his eye back over the Sporting Lisbon squad to find the answers to his midfield problems.

Man United are in desperate need of an attacking midfield who can break forward with and without the ball. When Alex Ferguson has decided to play with five in midfield the lone striker, be it Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov has been isolated.

Darren Flecther does drive forward, but his best role for the team is sitting back and breaking up play. He needs someone to play beside him who can use the possession that he wins, creatively and potently.

His name is Joao Moutinho.

The Sporting Lisbon captain has netted eight times thus far in the Portuguese top division.

The 23-year-old is the heart and soul of the Sporting side. He is a hard-working midfielder that gives it his all with dogged determination. The most important aspect of his game is his flair and creativity. Something United have missed in recent games.

Moutinho would offer United a creative outlet that could knit the midfield and front line together.

The young Portuguese midfielder is built in the mould of the Paul Scholes of old. If he was a summer acquisition for Man United, he would be the perfect partner to Darren Fletcher in the center of the pitch.

Both Tottenham and Everton where on the verge of the signing the young starlet until the deals broke down.

Another possible signing for United would be Joao Moutinho's Sporting Lisbon teammate and fellow countryman Miguel Veloso.

The 24-year-old Miguel Veloso is similar in play to that of Real Madrid's Xabi Alonso.

Veloso prefers to be the quarterback of the team's midfield. He tends to operate from the centre of the pitch, stringing pass from defense to attack.

Miguel Veloso would be a perfect fit for United if Alex Ferguson is planning to operate with five man midfield more often, which seems to be the case.

Both Veloso and Moutinho have a great range of passing and can deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Both are more than capable of finding the gap in the oppositions defense.

Alex Ferguson has previously snapped up a young prospect from Sporting Lisbon that went on to a future Ballon d'Or winner.

If he picks Sporting Lisbon's young talent again, he is not guaranteed a future Ballon d'Or winner again, but his midfield headache would be eradicated.