Strikers
Wayne Rooney: Rooney is Manchester United’s best player, just as he is England’s best player. The difference is that at United last season, he became the number 2 behind RVP and he didn’t deal with it well. This season he is back performing to the level we all know he is capable of, and if he and Van Persie play together in the majority of games, United will win games. Since RVP joined, him and Rooney have started 28 games together, with 22 victories and only 1 loss. Absolutely vital part of the team, and under no circumstances should he leave. Stay.
Robin Van Persie: Top scorer last season, and sealed the title with a superb hat-trick against Villa, scoring his best goal of the season in the process, a goal which demonstrated exactly how devastating his partnership with Wayne Rooney could be. Without RVP last year, United probably don’t win the title, and with all of his injury issues this year, he is badly badly missed up front by the champions. Stay.
Danny Welbeck: Another player who, like Cleverley, is loved and appreciated by other players and managers alike, but not by fans. Often forced to play out wide and do a job for the team, has got his chance in his favoured position this season due to RVP’s injuries. Finally it looks like he has found his shooting boots, and the goals have started to come, resulting in Moyes setting him a target for the year of 20. Vital part of the post-RVP era at Old Trafford. Stay.
Javier Hernandez: A goal-poacher of the Michael Owen variety, whose partnership with Rooney before Van Persie joined could at times be electric, but he has really struggled to make his mark this season on the league. Seems to be resigned to the super-sub role, but looks to be lacking confidence and is missing some chances that normally he would snaffle without question. You have to feel that if United want to improve their options going forward then the Mexican is the one striker that is ‘expendable’. Leave. No need to buy a replacement necessarily.
Angelo Henriquez: Henriquez is a player of whom great things are expected, but who has never been given the chance at United and who struggled to make an impact on loan at Wigan last season. Lightning quick, with a real nose for goal, could be moved up to have more chances next season in the first team. One to watch. Stay.
Federico Macheda: When the Italian burst onto the scene at Old Trafford with that terrific last-gasp goal against Aston Villa, expectations for the young man rose spectacularly. Seemingly unable to cope with this, his form plummeted for both the first team and the youth team. Now out on loan and unlikely to ever play a part with the first team again. Leave.
Conclusion
In summary, I would like to see: Varela, Macheda, Hernandez, Fabio, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra, Buttner, Lindegaard, Young, Nani, Anderson, Giggs and Bebe leave the club on a permanent basis, with Giggs and Ferdinand moving into coaching roles, with Zaha getting a loan away. A squad overhaul of this magnitude is clearly going to be expensive, but the Glazers will back Moyes to do what he needs to do to get the squad back to where it should be. But has he got the self-confidence to do it and really stamp his mark on the squad? We will wait and see.
Oh, and can someone please tell me why on earth Gary Neville hasn’t been approached to join Moyes’ backroom staff?!?! Surely that is just a logical step! He has stated his desire to come back and work with the team, so why has he not been given the chance?? Okay, mini rant over.
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