Injuries and transfer talk brushed aside by a strong season finish...Story of the season “A lot of my injury problems stemmed from not having a full pre-season,” Nemanja said in April. “Instead I went straight into competitive games.” He was in and out of the team in the first half of the campaign – only Patrice Evra escaped unscathed from the injury curse that tore into the Reds’ rearguard in late 2009. Then a nerve problem in his right leg proved stubborn to overcome and disrupted his involvement at the start of 2010. Sorely missed, but gleefully welcomed back in February, his return was intrinsically linked to United’s New Year form. His presence at the heart of the back four brought a stability that had previously been frustratingly absent - by the end of April he’d played in only half of the Reds’ matches. Better late than never, though, his colossal displays highlighted his importance to the team.
Finest moment Vidic has become a cult figure at Old Trafford for his no-nonsense, all-action, physical approach. Rarely was that more evident than his towering display in the 4-0 win over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium in March. A straightforward win? Hardly. The Reds no.15 sent long ball after long ball back exactly where it came from - he even headed one cross, and with it Darren Fletcher, at one stage.
What’s in store? Press speculation continued to surround the Serbian and his future – with a move to Spain frequently mooted. But Vida insists he's happy at United. He can only presume the rumours surfaced because he was out of action for long periods, and were therefore difficult to bat down. He dealt with the transfer tittle-tattle like he does a pesky striker or constant opposition aerial bombardment; trademark short shrift. “I’ve never said I wanted to leave and the speculation has all been generated by other people,” he said. “I’ve never spoken with any other club. United is a great club, I’ve had a lot of success and made a name for myself. I appreciate that.” Here’s to plenty more blood, sweat - and for opposition strikers tears - from our Serbian hard man.
