His Name Is Rio And He Dances In Midfield?

In the 62nd minute of Man Utd's 5-0 win over plucky(tm) Burton Albion, Fergie did something that made 45eachway cry "Eureka!" He brought Rio Ferdinand off the bench and gave him a run out in midfield.

The idea that Alan Smith could become a defensive midfielder now looks ridiculous, but Rio seems ideally suited to the role. Doubts over his concentration have damaged his reputation as a top-class defender, to the point that 45eachway prefers to see Terry and Campbell starting in England shirts. But as a holding midfielder...

He's a ball winner, he's got a great first touch and sprays the ball about with the best of them. He always looks most comfortable striding out from the back, ball at his feet. So why not liberate him from the discipline of defending that he finds so difficult and let him loose in midfield?

45eachway can see Rio doing this job for England in the future, like a long-legged Claude Makelele. The experiment with Ledley King was semi-successful but Rio's comfort on the ball make him a more suitable choice.