Next season is a crucial one for Manchester United.
With the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and the arrival of David Moyes, change is in the air at Old Trafford.
Moyes is not the only notable man coming in, though. The playoff final between Crystal Palace and Watford on Monday will be Wilfried Zaha's final appearance for the Eagles. Officially he is already a United player and he's currently on loan in South London. Next season, he might well be a key part of Moyes' squad.
Zaha can play either as a winger or a striker but, given the fact that Antonio Valencia, Luis Nani and Ashley Young all disappointed out wide this campaign, it is on the wing where he's most likely to find himself utilised.
Picking a starting XI for next season incorporating the young starlet is by no means a simple task. Each match will be judged on its merits since football is far more of a squad game these days than ever before. Despite this, here is one man's guess at a 4-4-1-1 counterattacking formation in a similar vein to tactics used by Ferguson in some of the biggest games of recent years.
There is absolutely no question that the goalkeeper has to be David de Gea. The young Spaniard excelled this term and was rewarded with his first Premier League winners' medal. If the 5-5 draw on the final day against West Brom showed us anything, it is that Anders Lindegaard is nothing like as accomplished as the club's No. 1.
The right-back position is another with one outstanding candidate. Rafael da Silva was arguably United's player of the season, adding defensive solidity to his tremendous attacking prowess.
Although the team still look at their most solid with Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence, the veterans don't quite have what it takes to play twice a week these days. It is highly likely Phil Jones and Johnny Evans, two extremely promising young players, will continue to feature in place of one or the other stalwart on a regular basis. Chris Smalling, if he can maintain his fitness, is another youngster likely to play more often in the years to come.
Patrice Evra is still United's best left-back by quite some distance. Although Alexander Buttner has not quite proven to be the disastrous signing some fans feared, he is clearly not up to the standard required in the toughest encounters.
With Nani likely to leave and Young as frustrating as ever, one can only hope Valencia's poor form this season has been an aberration. He's the only real candidate for the right wing slot but, on current form, it's safe to say he's the best of a bad bunch.
In the centre of midfield, on the assumption that Wayne Rooney will leave rather than reinvent himself as the next Roy Keane, Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley are the likely starters. Carrick had a magnificent campaign, his best since joining the club, while Cleverley is another youngster starting to look the part.
Though right-footed, Zaha's best chance of a starting place is on the left wing. Ryan Giggs is not getting any younger, and Moyes would be wise to tell his young charge to seize the moment. If his dazzling Championship form can translate to the Premier League then there is much excitement in store.
Up front, Robin van Persie, off the back of a marvellous debut season at the club, must start. It might make sense for him to play behind one of Danny Welbeck of Javier Hernandez. Welbeck has been in fine form, but it hasn't quite led to an abundance of goals. On that basis alone, Hernandez just edges ahead of him in this starting XI.
The season has only just concluded, and there are likely to be plenty more comings and goings in the transfer window before the Premier League returns. Different games will require different tactics and personnel. For all that, the starting XI described here would win a fair few games, and in style—which is all one can ever ask for as a fan.
Curled from:bleacherreport.com
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