What happened to the XI that started the most incredible result in Man United’s recent history? We profile each player from Anderson to Nani.
As Ashley Young rattled a wonderful curling shot into the far corner, Old Trafford exploded into delirium. After all, its not often you subject a traditional rival to such cruel humiliation.
Man United 8-2 Arsenal was supposed to herald a new era, the dawn of another great United team characterised by an influx of Carrington-grown alumni. Fergie’s Fledglings mark 2, if you will.
Five years on, however, just five of the XI remain. A team that looked certain to extend United’s domination stuttered and stagnated under David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, flogging young talent and leaving potential unfulfilled. So, where are they now?
David De Gea
Just five years ago, United’s goal was guarded by a scrawny 20-year-old, his slight frame barely filling the shirt he inherited from the great Edwin Van Der Sar. Letting Shane Long’s daisy cutter slip through his arms on his Premier League debut weeks prior hardly calmed the nerves. Yet, a brilliant penalty save to deny Robin Van Persie with the score at 1-0 sparked De Gea’s career into life. In the preceding years, the Spaniard has evolved into one of the world’s finest keepers and remains the only player in United’s history to win their Player of the Year award three years in a row.
Phil Jones
Joining from Blackburn for £17 million earlier in the summer, it was clear from the outset how highly United rated the tough tackling 19-year-old. Phil Jones had everything: power, pace, the ability to thrust forward at will. Such was his vast potential, Sir Alex Ferguson’s claim that Jones could become one of United’s greatest ever players didn’t seem so ridiculous at the time. However, a victim of his own versatility as well as countless injuries, Jones has slipped down the pecking order for club and country. So much so, that a reported transfer to Stoke City appears his best chance of reviving a career that promised so much.
Chris Smalling
Another gifted centre-half scouted and signed by United in his teenage years, Smalling is the only member of Ferguson’s last crop of youngsters to still be enjoying regular game time at Old Trafford. Even captaining the side on a few occasions, Smalling has ironed out the naïve mistakes that characterised his early career, developing into a potential United stalwart for years to come.
Jonny Evans
Sold by Louis Van Gaal weeks after his appointment, Jonny Evans remained a divisive figure at United throughout his seven seasons in the first team. Sir Alex described him, perhaps generously, as one of the most talented defenders in England during a breakthrough 2011/12, but silly mistakes and a tendency to lose concentration continued to rankle with supporters. Evans has enjoyed something of a renaissance at West Brom, however, filling in to great effect at left-back under Tony Pulis.
Patrice Evra
Talking about divisive. Yes, Evra was hardly the most watertight of defenders, his penchant for switching off at crucial moments costing his team many a goal and point over the years. However, the outspoken Frenchman was a serial winner, claiming a remarkable 15 major trophies at Old Trafford. His leadership and forceful character was badly missed during the tedium of Van Gaal’s regime but, in Luke Shaw, United appear to have discovered Evra’s long-term successor. Although, successive Serie A titles with Juventus suggests it’s too soon to consign Uncle Pat to the retirement home.
Anderson
History has not been kind to Anderson. Regarded as the epitome of an expensive flop, derided as overweight and idle, the braided Brazilian’s departure from Old Trafford in 2015 appeared long overdue. However, it’s easy to forget that the now 28-year-old enjoyed a sensational first season at United after arriving from Porto for around £17 million in 2008. A sublime passer and a powerful athlete, injuries wrecked Anderson’s career and reduced him to the lethargic has-been currently plodding around his homeland with Internacional.
Tom Cleverley
Like Anderson, ‘TC23’ is not helped by hindsight. Currently warming the Everton bench after a semi-successful loan spell at Aston Villa, the 27-year-old became something of a scapegoat for United’s malaise even during the latter stages of Sir Alex’s reign. The quick, incisive link play that underpinned his early success in United’s first team soon gave way to a frustrating inability to pass forwards or even, on occasion, to a team-mate. A petition to ban Cleverley from England’s 2014 World Cup squad gained 4,000 signatures. Says it all really.
Nani
Is there a more frustrating footballer than Luis Nani? Capable of moments of sheer sublime skill, rocket shots from 30-yards or crosses copied and pasted from the David Beckham manual. But then there was everything in between. The sliced swings, the cul-de-sac dribbles, the never-ending series of awful, awful corners. Nani remains a thoroughly likeable figure and United fans will be wishing him well in his first season with Valencia. Though he’s not exactly missed.
Ashley Young
2011 was Ashley Young’s year. A star man for England, Manchester United’s stand-out summer signing, Young’s two sublime strikes in the 8-2 demolition appeared to confirm the theory that the goalscoring wideman would add his name to United’s illustrious history of world class wingers. Five years on, however, Young is little more than multipurpose sub, despite a mini revival at wing-back under Van Gaal.
Wayne Rooney
With just eight goals standing between himself and history, Wayne Rooney remained an essential presence under Ferguson, Moyes, Van Gaal and, now Jose Mourinho. 242 career goals to his name in United red, Bobby Charlton’s record is in sight. However, Rooney has netted just one league hat-trick since his sublime treble five years ago, and doubts persist about his long-term longevity with Marcus Rashford waiting in the wings.
Danny Welbeck
Like Jones and Cleverley, Welbeck’s career has been stunted by injuries and inconsistency, with the early promise he showed after breaking into United’s first team at odds with the hard-working yet profligate attacker in temporary residence in Arsenal’s physio room. Out for another few months, Welbeck almost epitomises the unfulfilled potential characterising English football.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
