Manchester United: 10 Former United Legends to Fix the Current Midfield Problems

What if you could go back and select 10 players from United's past to solve their current midfield problems?

This list delves into the club's roster of legends to highlight the players that would have the greatest impact upon Sir Alex Ferguson's current side.

From the recent past all the way back into the ages of black and white photograph, take in the list, enjoy the selections and then head to the comments box to offer up your own suggestions and opinions.

Bryan Robson

Captain Marvel for both England and Manchester United, Bryan Robson was a record £1.5M signing from West Brom who would become a cult figure at Old Trafford with his endless appetite to battle for the centre of the pitch, surge forward into the opposition's box and throw in the tackles required to keep the defense safe and secure.

Bryan Robson was the quintessential, never-say-die English midfielder in the best possible way. Not only endowed with a hunger and drive to succeed, United's captain was a highly skilled operator with the passing abilities and goal threat to supercharge forward plays.

Transport a young Robson into the present midfield, and he would instantly go about grabbing games by the scruff of the neck with his powerhousing abilities across the pitch.

Paul Ince

Whilst Ince's return to English football with Liverpool may sour his reputation for some, the self-styled "guv'nor" was a monstrous player for Manchester United in the early 90s.

Ince was the type of player who could physically dominate his opponent whilst also possessing the footballing skills to bamboozle and outfox the opposition.

His match up of brutality and ability made Ince an excellent box-to-box midfielder, and his all-round game would be a perfect fit for United and its currently anemic like of midfield bite. 

Roy Keane

Roy Keane wasn't just a highly gifted footballer and miserly defender, unwilling to give a scrap to the other side, but a natural born leader on and off the pitch.

With Keano in your side, players either perform or face a showdown with the viciously committed midfielder. He marshalled, tackled, closed down, surged forward and got stuck in completely, setting the tone and high standards that he expected those under his charge to meet.

The Irishman was an underrated creator and technician, too, working on a two-man midfield pivot at the centre of United's treble winning 4-4-2. Above all his abilities and appetite, though, Roy Keane can be summed up in one word: presence. That stern, unblinking desire and explosive drive to win would elevate any midfield's performance levels.

Let loose upon the present day fixtures and fittings, Keane would quickly have his troops ready for battle.

Nicky Butt

Nicky Butt's post-United career may not have been filled with glitz and glam, but he as a member of the treble winning side of 1999. He was Fergie's go-to ball winner.

With Darren Fletcher currently recovering from long-term illness, Nicky Butt could take up at least some of the Scotsman's combative duties in the middle.

He may not have been the most gifted player of his generation, but he was a willing and able champion for his team's fight and cause. 

Nobby Stiles

As one of only three Englishmen to win the World Cup and European Cup, Nobby Stiles was a player before his time.

Standing at a diminutive 5'6", Stiles compensated for his slight stature with impressive tenacity and skill. He was the ball-winner and possession retainer of Busby's 1968 European heroes and could be considered an early prototype of the holding midfielder.

Nobby Stiles would provide a solid baseline for United's more artistic front runners to play off. With their backs secured, the likes of Rooney, Nani and Young could get back onto the business of eviscerating defences with glee. 

Sir Bobby Charlton

A living legend of the club and game in general, Sir Bobby was one of the most talented and effective players of his, or any, generation.

He was the midfield third of United's holy trinity along with George Best and Dennis Law, and a key player in England's 1966 triumph.

Transplanting Sir Bobby Charlton into today's midfield would ramp up the team's creativity and technical expertise along with providing an active, on-field awareness for tactical developments and an anticipation for oncoming threats. He would be a passing hub and play making director, oversee his team and the match itself, pushing on and pulling back as the situation dictates.

Duncan Edwards

Most of us only know of Duncan Edwards through old anecdotes and stories, but the facts speak for themselves. Until a Michael Owen burst onto the scene in 1998, 18-year-old Duncan Edwards was the record holder for youngest English international ever.

Able to play in any position and win games singlehandedly, he could well have become one of the greatest of his time, or of any time if Sir Bobby Charlton is to be believed.

Whilst Phil Jones may have garnered comparisons to the Busby Babe, the terms in which Edwards is remembered in suggests a truly special player. Its impossible to say what his impact would have been on this current United team, but he would have undoubtedly made an impact.

David Beckham Circa 1999

Now on to the wild card candidates...

If you go back and watch the closing minutes of the 1999 Champions League final, David Beckham was everywhere: closing down opponents, running the ball, consistently finding teammates with crisp, sharp passes and pressuring the Bayern players at every turn.

His fanatical energy and industry won United their fateful corner kicks, which Beckham delivered into history. If the focus and fire he felt in those final moments could be bottled, you would have the essence of a perfect, hectoring midfield performance.

Dennis Irwin

Dennis Irwin is one of United's greatest ever defenders, and possibly the finest left-back to ever wear the famous red shirt.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that the accomplished Irishman be moved out of position and into the midfield. Instead, the two-footed full-back could play on the right, a position he was equally adapt at playing, freeing up Phil Jones to become United's midfield terrier.

Radical? Yes. Unnecessary? Possibly. An excuse to bring up one of Old Trafford's most distinguished servants? Definitely.

Juan Sebastian Veron

OK, so Veron didn't quite make it to Manchester United legend status, but the Argentinian wizard (or little witch going by his nickname back home) would be an interesting solution to the club's current midfield predicaments.

With his comfortable composure on the ball, playing just in front of the back four, Veron would create, scheme and supply the forward line from deep. United are a club in love with raking diagonal balls to the wings that break open a defense in one, and Veron, just like a latter-day Paul Scholes, is the perfect player to provide the long-range artillery to the forwards.