When Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson came onto the scene last season with a few impressive long range goals, it looked like United had a player for the future that could replace the likes of Paul Scholes. However, this season the player that looked to be one of huge potential has been seen as more of a scapegoat for poor United performances. Would it be best for the club and the player if he was to move on?

It would certainly please the Republic of Ireland manager, Giovanni Trapattoni who believes the Irish midfielder should move in order to play regular first team football if he is to fulfil his potential. The Italian said, "He can do more. He has a big potential. If I was Gibson I would go to another team where I always play. By doing this you can build your mentality. Manchester is Manchester and it is an important club, but sometimes the young players need to play, play and play. It builds confidence."

With the criticism over recent performances this season, the player may start to accept his International manager’s advice and seek a move come the summer. It reminds me of Kieran Richardson’s time at Manchester United, as despite making some impressive performances, he wasn’t seen as a player who could become a first team regular at Old Trafford. However, since his move to Sunderland in 2007 the versatile winger has shown he has the class to be a regular Premier League player.

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You can’t ignore how challenging it is for the likes of Gibson to try and break into the United side at present with the likes of Paul Scholes setting such a high standard in the attacking midfield role. Perhaps it is why the critics are outing Gibson as the weak link this season as they thought that he was Scholes’ successor was in the making. However, Gibson has not had many first team starts for the Red Devils this season, not to mention the different styles of both players in question, making any comparison rather futile.

Conversely, on the issue of moving away from Old Trafford – Gibson does not see point. Trapattoni made similar comments last year to which the player responded with "Where else would I go from Manchester United? At what club, other than Manchester United, could I go to improve my game?” He also used Stoke City as an example move, saying that winning tackles rather than trophies will not make him a better player. Is he right?

Possibly, as it is clear that the player is ambitious enough to want to win trophies but the player seems to ignore the importance of playing regular first team football in order to improve his game. It will be interesting to see how many 90 minute games the player gets at the end of the season. Personally, I believe he looks like a promising midfielder who, at his age, should be playing week-in-week-out in the Premier League.