The midfielder should thrive at Goodison, having never really been given a fair chance at Old Trafford.
Darron Gibson’s first appearance of the 2010-11 season epitomised his United career.
It was a 0-0 draw at home to Rangers, Gibson was the club’s biggest goal threat, and after a number of shots, the cries of ‘shoot’ turned to boos.
By time he next played, probably chastened by his manager too, he avoided shooting at all costs, as if to prove a point.
If United fans had waited until this summer to decide Gibson was not good enough, and the criticism started only now I could understand it.
But the fans got on his back 12 months too early, telling him he was not good enough and making him a pariah at his own club.
Don’t forget it was only six months before that he had broken into the first team, netting twice in a Carling Cup victory over Spurs, following it up with a screamer away at Upton Park.
So by time Gibson played at Old Trafford in the Champions League semi-final against Schalke, scoring one goal and providing an assist, his positive performance made no difference, lines in the sand had already been drawn.
There were bad performances last season, away to Blackpool in January was one of his worst, but by this time the fans had got on his back, adding an inordinate amount of pressure every time he got into the first team.
Nobody is saying Gibson should not have been sold, Everton is the right club for him to do well at, but were his performances that much worse than some of Anderson’s?
When you consider the criticism and abuse Gibson received, a graduate from the youth team, compared to Anderson, a £17 million signing, with both turning in indifferent performances there was a real balance missing from United’s supporters.
Undoubtedly now the time was right to sell him, in view of his contract expiring, but he had retreated into his shell as a footballer at Old Trafford before he ever got a chance to establish himself, and now has a point to prove at a new club.
Darren Fletcher experienced the same heavy criticism in the early years of his career, he had the mental toughness to come through it, Darron Gibson did not, but he has a right to feel harshly treated.
images: © Bart_68, © Paolo Camera
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