-------------------------Van der Sar--------------------- -------Brown-----Ferdinand-----------Vidic---Evra--------- --Ronaldo--Carrick/Hargreaves--Scholes/Anderson--Giggs/Nani- -----------------Rooney---------------Tevez----------------
Other key players: O'Shea (versatile option in defence).
United's success was undeniably helped by the fact that they were able to field a pretty settled team - especially defensively. Indeed if you take Giggs, Scholes & Gary Neville (who was out virtually all season with injury) out of the equation due to their age (they surely don't have too many seasons at the top level left) it's debatable how much "strength in depth" United actually have if they were hit by a real injury crisis.
Park Ji Sung also missed most of the season but was a key player - especially in European games - when he came back - possibly putting in some of his best performances in a United shirt.
For the future:
Fraizer Campbell - Whether he'll make the grade at United must be debatable but he's been a key factor in Hull's promotion bid whilst on loan (15 goals) and if he isn't going to have a career at Old Trafford I'd expect him somewhere else in the Premier League (whether that's Hull or elsewhere) sooner rather than later.
Jonny Evans - Perhaps best known for some pretty unpleasant allegations after United's Christmas party he went out to Sunderland on loan afterwards. A centre back he's in a similar situation to Campbell. My guess is that his move to Sunderland will become permanent but he's a promising player nonetheless.
Chris Eagles - I'm not sure how promising this attacking right-sided midfielder really is. But his situation perhaps highlights the difficulty for all the players in this section to "make it" at Old Trafford. Eagles is already at the end of his 6th full-time year (so he's 22). He finally got his first team chance at the start of this season (when he made one league start & three substitute appearances) and then promptly (& with the exception of the CL game with Roma) disappeared back into the reserves.
Febian Brandy - Striker who scored the winning goal for United in the Champions Youth Cup last year. Went to Swansea on loan for the second half of the season after scoring 4 goals in 9 reserve team games.
Sam Hewson - Attacking midfielder for the reserves. Made the first team bench. Unless he's ready to step up to the fringes of the first team (which I doubt) a decent loan next year should be expected.
Danny Welbeck - Possibly one of United's most exciting prospects. A member of England's squad at last year's U17 World Cup. 8 goals in 13 games for the U18s and 5 in 11 for the reserves (where few of United's first years were involved). Highly thought of enough to make the first team bench too.
Federico Macheda - Unlike the other "big four" clubs United don't seem to go crazy with their cheque book for "young talent" from around the globe - perhaps because they can afford to buy them fully developed. So perhaps their purchase of this young Italian striker from Lazio should be noted. 11 goals in 19 games for the U18s and one in his first full start for the reserves suggest so.
Fabio and Rafael - these two exciting Brazilian twins (left & right backs respectively) apparently signed for United before last year's U17 World Cup. Fabio looked like a very exciting prospect for his age. I'm not sure what the situation with them is though. I think they are still in Brazil - and unless they already have EU passports - I would imagine they would need a lengthy spell on loan somewhere in Europe (probably Spain or Portugal) to get their EU citizenship.
Rodrigo Possebon - box-to-box midfielder signed from Internacional in Brazil in January. He's 19 already - so given United's success with bringing both Nani & Anderson straight to the first team it seems unlikely that he will remain a "reserve team only" player for too long.
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