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The season ends on a rather disappointing note for the Red Devils in spite of being miles ahead of others in the League, winning which now remains just a formality. This is because a lot was expected of them at the start of the season when they secured the signing of Robin Van Persie from under the nose of the likes of Juventus and Manchester City. From being just contenders for the League title, they were made overnight favourites for wrestling their title back from their neighbour’s grasp.
Talks of a treble started surfacing with Ferguson claiming that the current quartet of strikers are better than that of the Treble winning 1999 team.
And everything was going according to the Ferguson’s master plan until that dreadful evening on the 5th of March, when the whole world was baffled by a shocker of a decision by the Turkish referee. While it is pointless to debate whether the decision was a correct one or not, it certainly delivered a huge psychological blow to the Red Devils, which has seen them bow out of the FA Cup as well. They have nowhere been close to the form they showcased earlier in the season and the promises of a Treble lie unfulfilled.
Surely, Ferguson has some thinking to do in the summer. Though the squad depth is good enough, they have been constantly plagued by injury problems over the course of the season. Also, it seems that this season is the end of the road for some players who have failed to live up to their potential during their time at Old Trafford.
So, let us have a look at 5 young talents who Ferguson should look to bring in for next season.
Michael Carrick has been in superb form this season and Cleverley has complimented him really well too. However, there have been certain matches in which United have felt the lack of steel in midfield, someone in the mould of Roy Keane. Ferguson deployed Phil Jones in midfield against the likes of Real Madrid and Tottenham, and although he performed really well defensively, he does not offer much while on the attack and has also been injury prone this season.
Kevin Strootman, the midfield terrier of PSV Eindhoven, looks like a perfect match for the United midfield. He can play as a holding midfielder as well as a deep lying playmaker and is equally comfortable in an advanced role. He has cemented his place in the Dutch midfield too.
Also, with Paul Scholes about to retire and with recent reports of Anderson ready to leave the club, United will definitely face a shortage of midfielders. Nick Powell is still young and learning while there is no return date on Darren Fletcher yet.
Strootman’s versatility is his biggest strength and having been linked to United in the January transfer window as well, it won’t be a surprise if he dons the red jersey of United next season.
Manchester United’s wingers have been really disappointing this season. Nani, Valencia and Young – none of the three have been consistent and have spent more time on the treatment table rather than on the pitch. This has prompted Ferguson to deploy Welbeck or Kagawa on the flanks or even play the ‘Diamond’ formation in some matches. And naturally, this hasn’t worked too well for them.
Ferguson has already identified this problem and has bought the rising England U-21 star Wilfried Zaha, who will join the team in June’13. However, he is still young and has plied his trade only in the nPower Championship. The Premier League is a completely different ball game and it might take time for the youngster to adjust to his new surroundings.Thus, Ferguson might have to look for another winger, someone like the Colombian James Rodriguez.
James Rodriguez has been a revelation at Porto this season, having scored 11 goals till date for club and country together this year.
Nicknamed the ‘El Nuevo pibe’, he is the perfect wide forward player that United are looking for. A versatile forward, his dribbling, first-touch and devastating ability to make things happen in the final third are reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo. He also has excellent distribution and vision and is able to play with his back to the goal and link up with those behind him.
Manchester United have already scouted the young star a couple of times this season and he could just be the player who could continue Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Old Trafford.
With Rio Ferdinand yet to sign a contract extension for next season and age also slowly catching up with Nemanja Vidic, a new central defender might be on Ferguson’s mind when the summer transfer window opens.
Though Smalling and Phil Jones are equally capable of playing in central defence, Smalling is used as a cover for Rafael at Right back and Phil Jones is finding life in midfield much more easier and enjoyable than in defence.
In these circumstances, the 26-year old Ezequiel Garay can be the perfect successor to Rio Ferdinand. Quick, comfortable on the ball and fond of passing the ball out of defence, he has all the attributes to succeed at Old Trafford. Bravery and consistency are two words that are often associated with the former Real Madrid man. His speed also allows to him to play a higher pressing game and also do the sweeping up for his defensive partner.
He can be a mainstay in the Manchester United line-up for the coming years and his partnership with Vidic/Evans can prove to be really formidable for even the best teams to break down.
Manchester United’s midfield troubles have already been highlighted above. Apart from Rooney, and at times, Kagawa, they lack someone who can provide the creativity in the final third of the pitch. They need someone who can provide the killer ball behind the defence, who can run past opposition defenders and is also capable of that moment of magic which can turn games around.
Mario Gotze has long been linked to Old Trafford and has also recently made it publicly known that he is open for a move to the Red half of Manchester. With the departure of Kagawa in the summer, Gotze took on the mantle of the main playmaker and has been sensational for Dortmund this season. He already has amassed 18 goals and 10 assists to his name for club and country so far in 2012-13 and he doesn’t look like he is finished yet.
Ferguson has been chasing him for a while now and there is a huge possibility that he might join his former teammate Kagawa at United next season.
Another midfielder who has been linked to United in the past, Wanyama has been the star of the season for Celtic. He is a powerful, holding midfielder, who has a brilliant understanding of the game and also a superb positional sense. These are exactly the attributes that United are looking for and he could also be an ideal long-term replacement for Michael Carrick.
He was sensational in Celtic’s victory over Barcelona in the group stages of the Champions League and was also impressive in their knockout match against Juventus, where he did a good job on Pirlo. He also has the capability to deliver that odd long range thunderbolt, something the United faithful have missed seeing since the decline of Paul Scholes.
All in all, he is the complete package for a central midfielder – reads the game exceptionally well, has great burst, tonnes of upper body strength and a calmness on the ball.
Ferguson could move in to purchase any of the above players. However, it also depends on whether certain players like Anderson, Nani, Scholes or Ferdinand decide to call time on their Old Trafford careers and whether he is planning to build a team for the future that can be successful even after Ferguson himself decides to end his tenure at United.
All in all, it promises to be an action packed summer for the Manchester United fans, who will definitely look forward to some excitement after a rather tame end to the season.
