Man United; Is Fletcher good enough?

In seasons gone by the presence of Darren Fletcher’s name on the team sheet has often filled me with a curious mixture of disbelief and fury. Think Victor Meldrew at his angriest (I did actually mutter the infamous ‘I don’t believe it’ on more than one occasion).
It got to the point where, upon seeing the starting eleven, I would actually be annoyed if I saw Fletcher’s name instead of Scholes, Carrick & Co. The game was in mortal danger of being ruined if the number 24 was taking up a precious midfield spot.
This season, however, I have warmed ever so slightly to the Fletch as he has produced (for him) consistently good(ish) performances – praise indeed. He is clearly a talented player and his performances are always packed with enthusiasm and commitment, but, and this is a big but;
Is he really good enough to warrant a place in starting eleven of the English and European Champions?
I know people will argue Fletcher has had to be selected because Anderson has been injured, Scholes is getting older and Owen Hargreaves suffering from Louis Saha ‘itis’. I sometimes wonder if United ever actually signed Hargreaves or whether I am confusing life with one of my football manager saved games again (it has happened before believe me).
Anyway, back to Fletcher. His quality (or lack of) is a hot topic amongst many United fans I know. There are the Fletcher fans who claim his reliable, hard-working and selfless style is worthy of a United first team place. Then there are the group who despise his ‘boring’ 5 yard passes, lack of flair and uncanny knack of slowing down an attack.
Admittedly he appears to have bulked up over the past 12 months and appears to be getting forward with more purpose. His determination and hard work alone ensure he is a valuable squad player but top class he is not. Fletcher lacks the touch of genius needed to dominate a game in the way Keane/Scholes could and Carrick can.
A few years ago I remember hearing that Beckham was going to be sold and this new kid on the block was going to effortlessly fill the number 7 shirt on the right of midfield. The idea of Fletcher replacing Beckham seems as preposterous today as it did then – can you really see Fletcher selling all those shirts. Actually to be fair I suppose Beckham could pass the ball too.
Anyway, Darren Fletcher; underrated by fans or overrated by Fergie?