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It would be a huge understatement if you labelled David Moyes’ first season in charge of Manchester United as poor. 2013-14 has been nothing short of a disaster from start to finish for the reigning Premier League champions.
The old guard who served Sir Alex Ferguson so well for many years are most definitely coming to the end of their prestigious United careers with Moyes making it clear that he wants to bring in new, fresh, younger blood into the Red Devils’ squad come next season.
Nemanja Vidic has already announced that he is to leave Old Trafford in the summer and players such as Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, and Ryan Giggs, who have been associated with the club for the best part, if not the whole of their careers, are unlikely to be in the United squad this time next year either.
But whilst bringing players into the club to replace these likely outgoings in the summer is of the utmost importance for Moyes, there are plenty of talents already at the club. Whilst most of the younger members of the United squad haven’t performed to the required level consistently this season, there is without doubt some tremendous prospects at Old Trafford. I mean, most of them did help them win the title last season after all.
To give United fans something to get excited about in these difficult times, let’s take a look at the five best performing players aged under-23 at Manchester United this season, all based on Squawka Performance Score, of course.
5. Rafael Da Silva (150)
Rafael Da Silva
Despite Moyes being rumoured to not fancy the Brazilian right-back, he is most definitely the best player in his position at the club. Rafael hasn’t had the best of seasons but with Chris Smalling’s recent dodgy performances at right-back in mind, United fans will be hoping the 23-year-old can get a sustained run of games as soon as possible. Rafael has cut the errors out of his game as he is yet to make a defensive error this season as well as winning 52% of his 42 attempted tackles.
4. Adnan Januzaj (176)
Adnan Januzaj
Januzaj has been a revelation in this season of turmoil for United. The 19-year-old is now seen as the future of the club after looking like their most dangerous player on several occasions this season. The young midfielder can play anywhere across the pitch and has created 22 goal-scoring opportunities in the league this season. He has also won 35 take-ons at a 56% success rate and has had to deal with plenty of challenges flying in at him. Januzaj has won 46 free-kicks for his side this term and rarely complains about the sometimes rough treatment.
3. David De Gea (250)
David De Gea
The Spaniard has been ever-present between the sticks at Old Trafford this season and he is certainly one of the most talented goalkeepers in world football right now. In fact, the goalkeeping position is one of the few areas that Moyes shouldn’t be worried about because De Gea has developed into one of the more reliable goalkeepers in the Premier League. His shot-stopping ability has been as good as ever this season, as proved by his saves per game ratio of 2.37. The area of his game which has improved the most is his effectiveness on crosses. De Gea’s claim success stands at a mighty 96% this season.
2. Danny Welbeck (368)
Danny Welbeck
Although Welbeck has plenty of critics, United fans generally regard him as an extremely reliable and highly talented player. He may have not shown what he is capable of on a consistent basis in the past but there have been signs of that creeping into his game this season. From mid-December through to the end of January, Welbeck scored six goals in six league games but a combination of injuries and the return of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney from their own spell on the sidelines have seen him receive fewer opportunities in recent weeks. But the fact he was regular under Ferguson and at international level throughout World Cup qualification shows how highly he is thought of by our countries top coaches. And don’t forget he is still just 23-years-old, meaning there is plenty more to come from Welbeck.
1. Phil Jones (400)
Phil Jones
Jones has proven himself to be exceptionally versatile in his relatively short United career. But there is no doubt that he will need to make a position his own soon if he is ever going to reach his potential. There seems no better time for the 22-year-old to nail down a centre-back slot with the impending departure of Vidic and the end of Ferdinand’s career both on the horizon. Jones has all the necessary attributes to become a successful and lasting presence at the heart of United’s defence. The England international may be injured at the moment but he is rated as the Red Devils’ best young player this season by Squawka. He has won over half of his tackles and headed duels whilst completing an average of nine defensive actions per game, including 95 clearances and 36 interceptions.
