How many times have you heard over the last two or three years that United are a team in decline? This theory gathered more followers when Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo left the club. Then it hit over-drive when Wayne Rooney seemed certain to leave United at the start of last season. However, as has been the case for these stories, the noise and commotion is loud and clear around August, September and October, while you struggle to find the premature ‘judges’ towards the business end of the season.
Who would have thought United would claim a nineteenth League crown, reach the Champions League final and FA Cup semi-final after the less than convincing start to the football calendar in 2010/2011. But once again, Sir Alex and the squad proved their critics wrong. But what I find a little bit more interesting is the new crop of players coming through. Time and time again, Sir Alex Ferguson has revamped the squad to blood a new set of youngsters.
This current era, will be the closing years to his tenure at Old Trafford unfortunately, and I think it’ll be the first squad that has the ability to touch a sensitive spot inside the hardened Scotsman. The ‘Golden Generation’ are all parting now, with only Ryan Giggs remaining. Scholes, the Nevilles, Beckham and Butt are finished at United and the time will come when the starting line-up isn’t featuring as many ‘household’ names. But I remember when Sir Alex was questioned about his retirement and how the club will survive, and he said, after dismissing the retirement rumours, that he would leave the club in the best possible condition and the United chapters would continue. It certainly seems that way at the moment.
Looking at the new influx of youngsters, you have to sit back and think that there’s going to be a title winning squad within at some stage. The likes of David De Gea, Fabio & Rafael da Silva and Javier Hernandez will be at United, I hope, for many years to come. Then we have the up and coming English talents such as Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Oliver Gill, Tom Cleverley, Ravel Morrison, Nicky Ajose and Danny Welbeck. Take those names in a few years, add the experienced players who could still be at the club – Vidic, Carrick, Valencia, Nani, Rooney – and I can’t help but think, ‘Fergies only gone and done it yet again!” [It's worth pointing out that David De Gea kept a clean sheet last night against the Ukraine, as Spain emerged 3-0 winners. The soon to be unveiled United keeper also conceded a penalty and redeemed himself by saving it!]
The Under 21′s European Championship highlighted this a little better also, showing that United are claiming a lot of the young English talent. For example, in last nights game with the Czech Republic, England’s starting eleven featured four Manchester United players (one being captain), more than Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Danny Welbeck is one who is really at an important stage in his career. He seems to have been around for years upon years, and yet he’s only 20 years of age. Making his Premier League début for United in 2008, he’s found it a little hard to sustain performances and found himself trying to impress at both Preston and Sunderland on loan spells. If Welbeck isn’t given enough opportunities in the coming season, or if he fails to impress, I can see fans losing patience and putting pressure on the lad. Hopefully that doesn’t happen. For the Under 21′s, Welbeck managed to score twice in the past few days, but unfortunately for him and the other Red Devils, the Three Lions won’t be going to the semi’s after a disappointing loss to the Czech Republic.
Don’t get me wrong, there are weakness, mainly in midfield for United as I’ve alluded to before, but with two months to go in the Transfer Window, United will surely be making additional signing-s. In the past few seasons, we’ve seen that buying all the talent (Man City) is just as risky as blooding virtually all youngsters (Arsenal). The balance is needed of the experienced heads and the young players.
Obviously, things don’t always work out as you’d wish, and football is probably the most unpredictable thing about. On paper and on the past, United are in good shape on the field. The only area I feel could be damaged severely is when Sir Alex isn’t in the dugout and we’re all looking on this new man to take the reigns. No matter who it is, I’m sure there’ll be a tense teething period for the club.
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