Is Anderson the new Scholes?

It's a cardinal sin, but I am very prone to criticising Alex Ferguson's signings. None more so than when, in the summer of 2007, he splashed out £40 million on two youngsters from the Portuguese league, Anderson and Nani. For two years, the pair appeared far too lightweight. But the latter has appeared to get his act together over the last two years, contributing plenty of goals and assists and sometimes looking half as good as Ronaldo. Which will do most teams just fine. For his Brazilian co-signing, however, the jury is largely still out. Can he ever nail down a regular place in the side? Recent evidence has suggested perhaps he can.

The more I watch Anderson, the more I am convinced Ferguson is a canny old bastard. He has been used sporadically, and at 23 this may prompt many professionals, especially those looking to get into the Brazil side, to seek out another club. But United have been desperately lacking a creative midfielder, especially this season, and it's clear that Paul Scholes can no longer fill the void. You just get the impression that, come August, it will be Anderson who suddenly emerges into this role, fulfilling the plan his manager had all along.

In the games where United have been at their most impressive this season, Anderson has played a big part. The 7-1 demolition of Blackburn, the 5-0 over Birmingham, the ground out 1-0 over Arsenal and the Champions League semi against Schalke. In all of the above, his energy from midfield has sparked some devastating counter attacks, his slide-rule balls have created endless chances, he has got on the scoresheet himself and wasn't afraid to put in a tackle. Which, unlike Scholes, he executed well; he has only been booked 5 times all season.

You can see, therefore, where my seed of positivity has come from. Turning into Scholes 2.0 requires a significant development, particularly in the goals department, but it is a transition the player, and more importantly the manager, is more than capable of making. There is always a surprise package in United's line up for the big games, and come Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona, Anderson's pace, tenacity and flair could be an interesting counter-point to Barcelona's tiki-taka. He lasted only 45 minutes in the 2009 final, so may be even more determined to prove how far he has come.

United are linked with some big names this summer: Sneijder, Modric, Ashley Young, but it would be just like Ferguson to shun these in favour of a lovingly-developed, 'home-grown' talent that is ready for the big time. Would they be that much worse off for it? Instinct says yes, which almost certainly means it would be another stoke of managerial genius.