Premier League 2018-19: Why Manchester United don't need a complete reshuffle

Let's go back to April 2003. Manchester United, who had lost the Champions League away leg 3-1 to an unbelievable Real Madrid side, were counting on a heroic performance to turn things around at home. After all, United were the perpetual kings of the Premiership back then, and it was expected that they would restore some of the lost pride on their home turf.

As it turned out, United did restore some pride on an eventful night of football, but there was something that happened during the game that wasn't expected at all. Within the first ten minutes of the match, John O'Shea, a player often derided by fans and critics during the not-so-successful Ferguson years, nutmegged Luis Figo with a sense of cheeky adroitness that only a world-beater can pull off.

The reason why this particular moment stuck with United fans was quite simply that one of their Davids had shown the minerals to get the better of a real Goliath. And that's before Beckham's match-winning free-kicks were taken.

Manchester United FC v SL Benfica - UEFA Champions League

Then there was Darren Fletcher, who was instrumental in taking United to the 2009 Champions final with a series of incredibly industrious displays. In retrospect, fans would rightly say that he had a very respectable career, but some tend to forget that he was a much maligned figure in his early years, and things had gotten so bad at one point that a fan even put him up for sale on eBay.

If you must know, there was no minimum bid.

But that's digressing from the point. The truth is that at United, for every Paul Scholes or Cristiano Ronaldo, there has always been an all-important John O'Shea or a Gary Neville.

This isn't to say that the above mentioned players lacked technical ability altogether. But these were the players who embodied Ferguson's era at United more than the world class talents did. These were the professionals who would come in every single day and give their absolute best in training or the pitch.

You could never criticize them for a lack of application.

Moreover, fans who are casting envious eyes over the alluring football being played at City and Liverpool forget that these are two of the most hard-working teams in the league.

Yes, you could say that Sir Alex was a genius at getting the best out of his players, whoever they were. But there's more to it than just Sir Alex. Even though Pep Guardiola says that Old Trafford isn't the fortress it once was, you can't help but feel that there is always a sense of fear among opponents about which United team will appear from the tunnel. And this has nothing to do with tactics or personnel, but with the loyalty and the love that the fans and the club shows to its players, and the performances that result from acts of loyalty.

It is the reason why United go into every match with a chance, no matter how badly the team is playing.

Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League

Yes, Sir Alex is gone, but perhaps now is the time for all United fans to take up his responsibility. It's true that players like Ashley Young and Fred can make fans pull their hair out, but it's time to give the criticized players some confidence, some hope and some time.

Their John O'Shea moment will come in due time. After all, loyalty is an investment that is worth twice its weight in gold. It is why we consciously or subconsciously started supporting the club in the first place.