From boy to man: Jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard scored his first ever Manchester United senior goal yesterday in a convincing 2-0 win at home to West Bromwich Albion. The youngster's goal rounded off a week which saw him put in a very impressive Champions League display against CSKA Moscow where he also assisted a Wayne Rooney winner. What's been even more impressive about the academy graduate as of late is how he has managed to retain a starting position and keep Dutch hotshot Memphis Depay out of the side. But what exactly has been Lingard's rise to the top? Has he always been seen as having bags of potential? We take a closer look.

Academy Graduate: Lingard can be seen here (middle of the three youngsters) observing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Born in Warrington, Chesire, Jesse Lingard joined Manchester United's youth academy and quickly impressed. He rose through the ranks quickly and certainly caught the eye of the coaches. Perhaps his most famous achievement so far in a reds shirt was being part of the famous FA youth cup win of the 2010/11 season, which would subsequently lead to him signing a professional contract in that summer.

U21 coach Warren Joyce described the lad as "Different class" back in 2014 after once again impressing in the reserves league. After returning from his successful loan spell at Birmingham City, Lingard had apparently shown "great attitude" as he came back from a team where he was very much in the spotlight to playing at the lesser level of the U21's. Regardless of this however Lingard still went on to be Joyce's top scorer that year.

Three's company: Lingard starred alongside the likes of Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison

The 2010/11 season was certainly one to showcase the young talent of Manchester United. Their U21 side consisting of players such as now Juventus superstar Paul Pogba and Lazio man Ravel Morrison, certainly won the FA youth cup in style. This campaign saw some very impressive results for the young devils, including an emphatic 4-0 second leg semi final win against Chelsea and a 4-1 second leg final win against Sheffield United.

Many might argue that Lingard wasn't the best of this crop of promising youngsters. He didn't only have Morrison and Pogba to compete with but also young England striker Will Keane, who scored a hat-trick against Chelsea and a brace against Sheffield to win the cup. While Pogba and Morrison eventually left Old Trafford for arguably greener pastures, Lingard remained and seemed determined to make it to the very top of his boyhood club.

Eye for goal: Lingard scored a 13 minute hat-trick on his Birmingham debut

Despite hoping to skip the loan process and break straight into the United first team, Lingard was sent out on a month long loan to Birmingham City. The young forward quickly showed however, that he definitely had the potential to be a part of future United sides, as he scored a 13 minute hat-trick in the first half against Sheffield United before adding a fourth in the second half. His stats for Birmingham would read: 6 goals in 13 games, nearly an average of a goal every two games, which isn't too bad for an attacking midfielder.

By adding up his impressive loan displays and equally impressive pre-season performances for Manchester United ( highlights being goals against Liverpool and Barcelona under Louis Van Gaal) you can see that he certainly had quite a case for meriting a place in Van Gaal's team. At the start of the 2014/15 he was given just this chance. Van Gaal handed him his first ever Red devils start against Swansea City, however he sustained a nasty injury 24 minutes in, which would rule him out for the rest of the season. Utter heartbreak.

The start of something special? Lingard scored his first Reds goal against West Brom

While many along the years could see the potential that Lingard possessed, it is certainly a great compliment for the Warrington man to hear the praise that the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson had for him, as well as what he predicted for the youngster: "Jesse Lingard is going to be some player" the fiery Scot said three years ago. "He will become a player when he's 22 or so, as an attacking midfielder he has got a really good talent" If Fergie's words are to be believed then it would seem Lingard is right on track at the age of 22, after scoring a truly super goal at Old Trafford yesterday.

With the addition of his excellent display and assist against CSKA Moscow, as well as having a decent game away at Everton a few weeks ago, Jesse Lingard looks set to get quite a few more games this season. "Lingard impressed me when I first came here" Van Gaal said, speaking to the media after their victory against West Brom. "Other clubs wanted him on loan this season, but I said I wouldn't do that, I wanted to keep him"

After receiving so much praise in recent weeks, Lingard himself must certainly be thinking he can make a real difference this year. He seems to be one of the few players this year who has gotten fans off their seats, with Van Gaal's men being criticised of playing 'boring' football. Manchester United have always had wide men, capable of dancing past and beating opposition players and this seems to be exactly what Lingard is capable of, showing this quality in games against Manchester City in which he also hit the crossbar and against CSKA Moscow. 

All in all, Lingard has certainly fulfilled his dream of playing in the United first team and scoring goals at Old Trafford in front of 75,000 adoring fans, which is certainly a far cry from Leigh Sports Village where the U21's usually play. Fellow players and fans alike however, will definitely want to see him on the pitch at the 'Theatre of dreams' for many years to come.

Derby Day Delight?

Manchester United take on Manchester City tomorrow in the seasons first Manchester Derby. The two North West heavyweights go head to head at Old Trafford with both teams in excellent league form. Manchester United having just battered Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park and Manchester City routing Bournemouth 5-1 at the Etihad. The encounter certainly looks to be a close one.

Dangerous Devils: United put four past City last time out

The last time the two sides met it was indeed the reds of Manchester who put in a devilish display against their 'noisy neighbours'. Goals from Ashley Young, Marouanne Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling condemned the blues to a thumping 4-2 defeat, putting Manchester back in the red, for now at least. United went into the game as slight underdogs, however as this fixture rears its head back into view this term, the 20 time Premier League winners have been made slight favourites for this one, surely a sign of how far Van Gaal's team have come.

Former player and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson is one man who believes City may fail at Old Trafford tomorrow: "I don't see United losing this one" The former Arsenal man told Sky Sports. "City are Just too open for my liking... They just go all out attack, which is fine against lesser teams but United will be solid and could then pick them off" Merson also predicted a 2-1 victory to United, currently in fourth place in the league.

United are certainly going into the game with alot of confidence in the league on the back of an emphatic 3-0 away win at Everton, with most fans and pundits alike claiming it to be the most complete performance of this United side under Van Gaal they'd seen so far. Van Gaal was also notably pleased with his teams win: "I'm very proud of the players, because it is a fantastic performance" 

Mata and Herrera check into the Lowry Hotel, Manchester

For Van Gaals men there were no new absences than ones already known, with Luke Shaw ruled out indefinitely along with Ashley Young and Paddy Mcnair unavailable. Their 18 man squad consisted of: De Gea, Romero, Valencia, Darmian, Smalling, Jones, Blind, Rojo, Shchneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Carrick, Herrera, Fellaini, Mata, Rooney, Martial, Memphis, Lingard. Jesse Lingard's inclusion in the squad is thought to be on the back of some impressive and promising displays away at both Everton and CSKA Moscow. 

Despite United drawing in Russia there were very promising signs, as they controlled the game from start to finish, despite looking vulnerable to the Russian counter attack. They'll certainly be hoping to control the game against City, however this will be no easy task, considering the strength of their midfield. We highlight Kevin De Bruyne to be the danger man for United tomorrow and they'll have to keep him quiet if they want any chance of winning the game. The Belgian has scored 5 goals in 9 games since joining Manchester City from Wolfsburg so United will indeed have to be wary of the former Chelsea mans abilities.

With such evenly matched teams coming together in what will surely be a tight clash, we couldn't resist but put together our own predicted United Starting XI: 

De Gea, Darmian, Jones, Smalling, Blind, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Mata, Martial, Herrera, Rooney

Hungry Herrera: The Spaniard certainly impressed in his last Manchester Derby

We feel Van Gaal might adopt a similar approach at the back as at Everton, by deploying Smalling and having Jones replace Blind, simply because Wilfried Bony, very much like Lukaku is a very physical forward and one might feel he'll target Blind should he play at Central Defence. Smalling and Jones certainly did a job on Evertons main man, can they do the same against City's? After a torrid time in Moscow, it's perhaps unlikely also to see Rojo feature at Left Back after he was certainly given the run around by Cska's forwards.Daley Blind is thought to be more suited to play here. 

Further up the pitch, Carrick will come in for Bastian Schweinsteiger after the German has started two consecutive games and may now be rested in order to preserve fitness, additionally Michael Carrick has superior experience to him in Derby games.After some fine displays in his last few games, the Frenchman Schneiderlin should retain his starting spot next to Carrick, whilst Juan Mata is thought to be recalled to the right side of midfield, with Anthony Martial on the left, to allow Wayne Rooney the lone strikers role.This leaves of course Ander Herrera to play just in behind him.                                                                                    

Despite having their two talismans David Silva and Sergio Aguero injured, Manchester City still have a side very much to be feared by Van Gaals men. Raheem Sterling hit Bournemouth with a hattrick last week and looks in fine form, along with Wilfried Bony who's scored 3 goals in his last 2 games for the Sky Blues. The midfield battle will certainly be entertaining tomorrow as both seem equally matched, it will be interesting to see which side can cease control from the other. 

All in all its shaping up to be a great game and a very even contest! We feel however United might just edge this one, but nothing can predict what may happen on the pitch.

We're going for a 2-1 home win.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Herrera Heading Home?

Reports over the past week have been certainly brewing transferwise, with Ander Herrera seeming to be one of the bigger names to be mentioned. It's believe Barcelona may be interested in bringing the midfielder back to spain, due to vulnerabilities in their squad with Messi, Iniesta and Rafinha injured. Herrera put in some stellar performances last season and certainly won over Reds fans, however with new midfield additions this term, it would seem that he may be in for quite a fight to start, in the middle of the park.

Hispanic connection: Herrera and Mata have a certain Chemistry in midfield

In his debut season, Ander Herrera scored 9 goals in 31 appearances and certainly became a favourite among United supporters. Herrera has been praised for adding a certain energy to a sometimes static and predictable midfield. When passing hasn't been as quick or as crisp as it should, he has certainly lead by example, seemingly always looking to play a forward ball. Playing alongside Juan Mata has certainly seen him excel and settle in quickly. It's certainly been noted that the two enjoy a certain chemsitry on the field of play, which only means trouble for opposition sides.

Despite the afore mentioned aspects of his game, which seem like necessities, as a midfield player for Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal didn't always have Herrera down as a regular starter in his first season. It would seem the Spaniard has fallen down the pecking order yet again this season, all be it to German maestro Bastian Schweinsteiger and French midfield battler Morgan Schneiderlin.

Many have called for Ander Herrera to be pushed into the number ten role behind the striker, however early on in the season, Van Gaal pointed out his reluctance to play him there. "I like a second striker in that position, rather than a third midfielder" The Dutchman told the press after Uniteds victory at Aston Villa. "He is more of a controlling midfielder". 

With this in mind, it would seem that Herrera is destined to be fighting for a one of the two central midfield spots that Van Gaal prefers to utilise. However to break into one of the two positions is no easy task. One would think that when Bastian Schweinsteiger is fit, he will always be picked because of his world class ability and wealth of experience. Other Midfielder players like Michael Carrick and Morgan Schneiderlin offer a little more in terms of Physicality, which is why they may be making the cut over him, as United are crying out for their holes in midfield to be covered.

Messi Missed? Barcelona are thought to struggle without their talisman

So where do the Catalans come into this? It is widely thought that they are monitoring the situation of the Manchester United midfielder due to injuries within their own squad to players like Lionel Messi, Rafinha and now Andres Iniesta. Certainly the players they've lost will test the depth of the squad, however it's thought the Catalan giants are looking to recruit in January to solidify their team, with Ander Herrera thought to be favourite.

In terms of how he plays, Ander Herra certainly fits the 'tika taka' bill that Barcelona have been so famous for. There have certainly been glimpses in his first season of Herrera initiating such elegant one and two touch football, most notably with compatriot Juan Mata. Renowned for playing with a midfield three, Barcelona might see Ander Herrera as a potential cog to slide into their system to play alongside the likes of Ivan Rakitic, Sergi Roberto and Sergio Bousquets. 

Despite him not always being at the top of LVG's list of starters, United legend Paul Scholes certainly has taken a liking to the man from Spain: "He looks like he's going to score goals, he looks like he's going to make goals" The former maestro told Irelands Newstalk radio, that he thought he'd been the best of last seasons signings, which included the likes of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao.

 

 

Whether or not Barcelona are planning to intergate him into their first eleven remains to be seen. The issue could simply be that they're looking for players to fill in and cover for their stars when they're injured, like Iniesta, Rafinha and Messi are at the minute. However with Herrera's current situation of being third or fourth choice central midfielder at United, the lure of the European champions could be quite overwhelming and maybe hard to refuse. We at RedCentral and United fans alike certainly hope this scenario won't play out and that it's in fact just a rumour, but in the world of football you can just never be too sure.

Mata is the Juan for United!

Having played 7 games, Manchester United sit at the top of the premier league table with 16 points. Red devil fans certainly have a lot to shout about, the revelation of Anthony Martial, the re-signing of David De Gea and certainly the form of fellow Spaniard Juan Mata. The former Chelsea man has certainly been one of United stars so far this season, scoring 3 goals and managing 3 assists from the right wing.

Magic Mata: The Spaniard scored his first of the season against Swansea City

Ever since signing for David Moyes's United back in 2013/14 in the January from Jose Mourinho for an estimated £37.1 million, Mata never really looked like he was absolutely on top of his game, as he was during his Stamford Bridge days. Under Moyes Mata was played out on the left and out on the right and hardly got a sniff to play in his favoured number ten role. Playing with a struggling team was hard on the Spaniard, who's abilities were thought to be stifled, playing the way Moyes wanted him to.

At the end of a dismal 2013/14 season, United finished 7th in the league table, with Mata ending the season with a mere 6 goals and 4 assists to his name, hardly the type of form that had earned him consecutive player of the season awards at Chelsea, to be fair to the Spaniard though, having arrived in January, he displayed an impressive goal return in his first few months with the club.

Under Louis Van Gaal though, it has certainly been a different story for the midfield Maestro. The Dutchman has seemingly now turned Juan Mata into a right winger, with the tendency to cut inside onto his wand of a left foot. This transformation of position has certainly paid dividends for the Red devils. 

"I think Juan Mata is always one of my better players" Van Gaal told press towards the end of last season. "Now he is playing as a false right winger and the combination with Herrera and Valencia gives him more opportunities" Juan Mata's form in the 2014/15 was very much highlighted during their tough six game run, which would end up shaping the top 4. United had to face the likes of Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea all in quick succession. Juan Mata certainly stood up to the test and was certainly counted.

Derby Delight: Juan Mata won the game vs Liverpool in spectacular fashion

Mata went onto score in both the derby games against rivals City and Liverpool, including a tremendous scissor kick at Anfield to seal the win over the scousers. Some impressive stats were to follow from the game on Merseyside as well, it was revealed that Juan Mata actually covered more ground per minute than any of his team mates in these games. A statistic such as this might make Jose Mourinho go a bit red in the face, as his main issue with Juan Mata at Chelsea was largely that he didn't run as much as he needed him to. Oops.

The Spaniard also formed a very fluent combination with fellow Hispanics Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera on the right side. They proved to give many teams a problem, most notably Liverpool. Going back to the matter of statistics, it was revealed that last season Mata was very efficient in providing opportunities for his team mates when going forward. In the final third, Mata found a team mate with 82.2% of his passes, better than the rest of the United side.

Juan Mata went onto end the season as United's joint second top scorer, with 10 goals, alongside now ex-red Robin Van Persie and just behind captain Wayne Rooney who scored 14 goals.

'A Barca style of play': United played 44 passes in succession for Mata's goal against Southampton

With the new season upon us like the shining sun, Juan Mata has also shone brightly so far. Scoring against Swansea, Southampton and Sunderland and assisting 3 more. His style of play has been identified as roaming in between the lines between the opposition defence and midfield. Coming in from the right wing onto his left foot has proved effective and he has provided an excellent outlet for his team mates. His ability to switch play quickly, put chances on a plate, as he did for Memphis against Sunderland and overall vision, makes him a very dangerous midfielder going forward, he's certainly been one of the form men in the league so far.

Perhaps Mata's most impressive goal this season came at Southampton. In this goal, Louis Van Gaal's philosophy was demonstrated perfectly. Possession with purpose. The red devils played a 44 pass consecutive piece of play which resulted with Juan putting the ball in the back of the net himself. In an interview with the independent, Mata talked of his joy of finishing the move. "It wasn't just possession for possessions sake, it was a great example of how to manage the situation when you are winning away"

Manchester United have a tough 3 match league run now, which see's them travel to the Emirates and Goodison park for what are sure to be tough away games against Arsenal and Everton. Following this, Juan Mata and co. will host Manchester City at Old Trafford. Can Mata continue his excellent form and be the difference? United fans alike will certainly hope so.

Fergie: I only had 4 world class players

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that throughout his 26 year reign of the red devils, he only ever managed 4 world class players. The news comes just after his new book 'leading' was released, in which he goes into detail largely about his years with the red devils and how he became so successful with them.

Four for Fergie: The Scot claims only four of the players he's managed were world class

You'd be called a liar if you thought that Fergie would only say he's managed four world class stars, fans and maybe even players must be absolutely astounded by the latest statement from the club great. "I don't mean to demean or criticise any of the great or very good footballers who played for me during my 26 year career at United" The scot began "But for me there were only four players who were world class: Cantona, Giggs, Ronaldo and Scholes"

Sir Alex Ferguson has always been one to come out with statements of shock, but many feel this could be a step too far. The Schmeicels, the Beckhams, the Nevilles etc didn't even get in, some of these players were the best of their generation, but then again who are we to question Fergie? The man has defied the odds time after time, he's beaten the best and been the best. His trophy laden managerial career is simply unmatched in the world of football, especially with the longevity of 26 years and 38 honours in total.

All is revealed however in his new book 'leading' which we will be getting a copy of very soon, however in recent interviews, Ferguson was given chance to explain his views on his 'Fantastic Four'. "Ryan and Scholes were just fantastic players and the thing about those two was the longevity" the former Aberdeen man told the media "Are there any players who have played right through the whole of the Premier league and performed at the top level they have? None, Absolutely none"

Le Magnifique: King Cantona is still sang about to this day

When Asked about Eric Cantona: "It was just his mere presence and his ability to make and score goals" Fergie went onto describe Cristiano Ronaldo as the "Ornament on top of the Christmas tree" of the four and described him as a "Genius". The question remains however, well multiple questions about so many different players who served the scot proudly down the years at Old Trafford, surely there had to be more who fitted into this top bracket?

We take Roy Keane for example. Ofcourse it is well known about the mutual hatred and utter dislike both men now have for eachother, but in those years from 1997 to 2001 of Keane's Captaincy, he was Fergusons midfield general and could arguably boss and dictate the whole game himself. A great example being how he pulled his United side through in the Champions league semi final away to Juventus, scoring an equaliser and putting in a stand out performance, despite being banned for the final. Does this not merit a mention in Fergies top bracket?

What about David Beckham? This man was unquestionably the best free-kick taker of his generation. His Unique ability to bend a football seemingly any which way from a deadball situation was truly remarkable, hence the expression to "Bend it Like Beckham". The England Midfielder was sold by United to Real Madrid to become part of their Galactico setup, but does this still not get into Fergies very top top players list?

Despite the revelations however, David Beckham has expressed his content with the managers comments, even if he was left out of the list of four. "I tend to agree with the manager, there's certain players you can call world-class, thankfully i played with many of them" 

What About Wayne? The now Manchester United Skipper has scored 234 goals in 487 games for United

What about Wayne? The current reds skipper has surely proved himself to be one of the leagues deadliest ever strikers and has now become Englands all time leading scorer, but even he did not make Fergusons final four. Why? Why is such a decorated player, with his goals record not be included in a list of world class players? 234 goals in 487 games ( essentially a goal every two games one average) and having scored in World cups, Euro championships and Champions league finals surely merits a mention at Fergusons top table. 

Notable mentions also to some outstanding players go to Peter Schmeichel, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Dennis Irwin, Edwin Van Der Sar, Partice Evra, Gary Neville and Robin Van Persie could also have very strong cases to warrant a last accolade from the greatest manager of all time. These players were undoubtedly United Legends and have forever left their mark on the club. As for Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary fiery Scotsman who turned Manchester United into the greatest club in the world should not be questioned, but thanked, for all he has done for football and Manchester United, despite his sometimes controversial opinions.

Rampant reds sink the scousers!

Manchester United recorded yet another victory against Liverpool under Louis Van Gaal. The encounter at Old Trafford ended in a 3-1 victory to the Manchester side, leaving reds fans purring and leaving Liverpool in tatters. Here we've got a quick recap of the events.

Front man Fellaini: The Belgian was trusted to lead the line for the red devils

With captain Wayne Rooney injured, Marouanne Fellaini was picked by Van Gaal to play as the sole striker, with Ander Herrera supporting him from the number 10. role. Fellow Spaniard Juan Mata played on the right, with Carrick in the centre alongside Schweinsteiger in front of an unchanged back four, with Memphis playing wide left, who was the only real source of pace for United.

 The first half however did not live up to the build up, it was often quite pace-less and slow, with neither teams really looking likely to penetrate. A game of possession really, which just isn't be-fitting of one of the biggest Derby games in world football. Both sides went in at half time with the score 0-0. Fellaini had looked quite ineffective, while also missing an early chance, which culminated from a poor throw from Simon Mignolet.

Brilliant Blind: The Centrebacks superb strike gave United the lead

 Early in the second half, the deadlock was broken. A free kick, won by substitute Young was taken by Juan Mata, who instead of crossing from the left side, cut the ball back across on the edge of the box for Daley Blind to run onto and curl home from 18 yards. A wonderfully worked move by United, with Liverpool all at sea.

From this point, the game seemed to liven up, with Ashley Young adding some much needed pace, there seemed a lot more urgency in the play now. At the other end of the pitch, newly signed David De Gea had a few stops to make, the Spaniard received a warm welcome from the Old Trafford support after recently signing a new four year deal with the reds.

Powered Pen: Herrera smashed home his spot kick to make it 2-0

United seemed to be in control leading up to the 70th minute when an opportunity presented itself to go 2-0 ahead. A super ball was fizzed into Ander Herrera by Carrick into the box and the United playmaker was brought down by Liverpool defender Gomez. Penalty given. With Juan Mata off the pitch, Herrera stepped up and didn't fail his team, he powered home his penalty to make it 2-0.

Jubilation swarmed round Old Trafford as the home side remained in a comfortable position. Liverpool continued to create however and their efforts were rewarded in the 84th minute with an absolute top drawer acrobatic finish from Cristian Benteke. He produced an overhead scissor kick from a deflected cross, giving De Gea no chance.

Bentekkerz: Benteke scored a showstopping overhead kick

Suddenly the atmosphere around Old Trafford had changed, the fans were nervous. They didnt want a good display to be tarnished by a Liverpool equaliser or even worse a winner. However United fans need not worry, as they had a player in their ranks who was just about to announce himself to them in incredible fashion.

Magnifique Martial: The next Henry? The first Martial!

New signing Anthony Martial was subbed on to great effect during the second half. In the 86th minute the Frenchman picked up the ball on the left wing, took on Skrtel and Lovren before he cut through the liverpool defence. He single handedly tricked his way into the box and slotted home with the composure of Henry himself to put the game to bed and announce himself to the world. Magnifique. Old Trafford's roofs were nearly blown off by the crowd who went wild after seeing such a brilliant goal from their New man. The game finished 3-1.

A jubilant United boss also commented on his new signings superb goal: "When you make a goal like Athony you cannot wish for more". The Dutchman was reasonably pleased with his teams performance, however he still hinted that there is room for improvement despite the emphatic win: "We played better in the first half, we had far more control, but we didn't create much, that is why i changed Memphis, to improve that last pass".

Manchester United play on Tuesday the 15th now, away to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

David De Gea 'Happy' at Man Utd

Spanish international and Manchester United goal keeper David De Gea has been reported as saying he is happy at Old Trafford, despite missing out on a deadline day move to Real Madrid in quite peculiar circumstances. The former United number one was speaking to the press last night after Spains victory over Macedonia in the European qualifiers, with fellow reds team mate Juan Mata scoring the winner.

Safe hands: De Gea has become one of the worlds finest goalkeepers.

He told reporters last night upon playing against Macedonia: "I really wanted to play, now i have to keep working and see if i have some good fortune at my club as well". De Gea played his first game of the season in the 1-0 win over Macedonia after being dropped by Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United amid increasing reports that the player was bound for Real Madrid.

Having lost his NO.1 spot with the red devils, it will be interesting to see whether Van Gaal will recall De Gea, or whether he will keep him out of the side and try to prepare for life without him. It is widely thought that next year Real Madrid will swoop in and get their man for free after his contract runs out, that is, if he doesn't sign another one with the Manchester side.

However there are small hints that the Spaniard may still be in Van Gaal's plans. His inclusion in United's Champions League squad suggests this, but perhaps he may just be 'making up the numbers'. Louis Van Gaal has a reputation for being stubborn and dropping some of the world's best players, we saw a prime example of this last season with Angel Di Maria.

Despite this however, De Gea seemed to be in good spirits after his national sides victory. "My future will be the same as now: remain calm, keep working and improving" he went onto say: "In concrete terms, to enjoy my football, I am happy." While De Gea comes across as being somewhat motivated and happy to be at Manchester United for the time being, he may face stiff competition in between the sticks. Argentina International Sergio Romero hasn't really put a foot wrong since his debut for the reds, 3  clean sheets from 4 games in the Premier league isn't a bad start, despite a disappointing performance against Swansea City. 

Slipping Sergio: Romero was partly at fault in Uniteds loss in Wales

Having come under criticism in Uniteds away defeat to Swansea City, Sergio Romero may not have a secured starting spot on Saturdays crunch game against arch rivals Liverpool. Poised for a return, David De Gea may get the nod over the Argentine as it is widely thought that De Gea has the more quality of the two and this point is hard to argue with, considering his past two seasons for United in which he has been exceptional in goal. 

Sergio Romero though has told the media in Argentina that he will fight for his NO.1 spot against De Gea and won't give it up easily. "Playing for United is a dream and if God let's me, this dream will continue" In terms of who will be picked this weekend, we feel Sergio Romero may be the favourite, taking into account Van Gaal's philosophy on putting faith in the players that have played well for him, perhaps it will be quite a few weeks before De Gea is fully re-integrated back into first team action. If Romero does begin to put in stand out performances however, especially against the old enemy Liverpool this Saturday, he may make De Gea's wait to return to the first team quite a long wait indeed.

Chris Smalling: From Maidstone to Manchester

Chris Smalling has turned out to be something of a revelation in a Manchester United shirt, the England centre half has really come into his own, under the management of Louis Van Gaal and is turning into a very promising central defender. Here we look at his journey from non-league side Maidstone to European heavy weights Manchester United.

Familiar face? Smalling's early footballing years were spent with non league side Maidstone United F.C.

Following a short spell within Millwalls academy ranks, Smalling joined the youth setup with Maidstone United, which would see him go on to becoming a vital cog in the Kent sides backline. Playing in the FA trophy and the Isthmian league, Chris Smalling established himself quickly and impressed greatly, however his number of appearances for Maidstone United were limited, due to injury and International duty ( Smalling couldn't sign a contract with Maidstone as it would have hindered his England schoolboy career).

Back in 2011, Maidstone United club secretary Darren Lovell was interviewed about Chris's development amongst the youth sides. "Chris was always a player that stood out, both as a player and for his big hairstyle" he went onto say "Chris was a tall and fluid player, good in the air, unhurried in possession and had a very good touch on the ball".

It was quite apparent when he made his senior debut for the club that Chris was meant for better things. He seemed to cope with the rugged and fast paced, gritty nature of the Isthmian league excellently, being able to deal with "Kick and lump it up old fashioned centre forwards" very well for such a young player. His appearances for Maidstone were extremely limited however due to the interruptions caused by England training, trials and international games at schoolboy level. Playing at Schoolboy level, meant that Chris couldn't sign a contract with Maidstone and therefore they wouldn't get a fee if the player was signed by another side, which he was soon after.

Smalling ( left ) signed for Premier league side Fulham

After a brief stint with Middlesborough, for whom he signed for in May 2008, where he had his contract terminated after just a month due to homesickness, he signed for Premier league side Fulham. Upon his arrival he was made Captain of Fulham's development squad and in May 2009 he made his profesional debut for the side in a 2-0 home loss to Everton on the final day of the 2008-2009 premier league season. His time with the Londoners would see young Smalling help them to reach the 2010 Europa league final. 

In the January of 2010 he signed a pre-contract agreement with giants Manchester United and the transfer officially went through on June the 1st of the same year. Since his joining Manchester United back in 2010, over the past 5 years Chris Smalling has turned himself into a quality Premier league centre half. There were added pressures on him the more he was played in the first team side, with many pundits and fans believing him to be a successor to possibly Nemanja Vidic or Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence. Injuries and managerial decisions would see the centre halves development put on hold at times however, with Sir Alex Ferguson deploying him as a right back, preferring other players such as Phil Jones and Johnny Evans to fill in, in the centre of the back four.

During a 3-1 home win against Chelsea, Smalling scored his first premier league goal, rising highest from a set piece to nod home, as well as an impressive display at the start of the 2011/12 season, scoring against neighbours City in the community shield, to spark a United fightback at Wembley, which saw them run out 3-2 winners on the day. Unfortunately for Chris Smalling at the end of the season, he suffered an Injury which would ensure that he missed out on Englands Euro 2012 campaign.

Defensive Duo: Ferdinand and Vidic were formidable

In terms of role models, Chris Smalling didn't have far to look. The young England prospect shared a dressing room and a training pitch with at that time, one of the worlds best defensive partnerships: Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The two veterans had served the red devils well, leading them to 3 champions league finals in 4 years from 2008 to 2011. However the two giants wouldn't last forever and it would seem that the battons would be passed down to Chris Smalling and team mate Phil Jones to be long term successors to the two United stalwarts.

His season with David Moyes proved to be a quiet one at best, scoring in a 5-0 away Champions league win against Bayern Leverkusen being the only highlight of an otherwise dismal season and one to forget for the red devils. Under Louis Van Gaal however, Smalling would finally be the number one choice centre back along with team mates Phil Jones and Johnny Evans after the departures of senior defensive figures such as Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra.

Lucky Louis: Van Gaal seems to have unearthed a gem in Chris Smalling

After a poor start under the dutchmans reign, Chris Smalling began to show signs of Maturation and overall improvement. Having to play in what some would say a "complicated" style of play in the 3-5-2 that LVG deployed at the start of the 2014/15 season may have hindered his improvement slightly due to the transition needed to play in a back three. Smallings bad fortune didn't end their either as he was sent off in the first half of the early Manchester Derby after recieving a second yellow for a poor foul on James Milner. United lost the game 1-0. 

This incident caused Van Gaal to condem Smallings actions, calling his second yellow card 'stupid'. 

"As a player you have to control your aggression" he went onto say "You cannot do what he has done with the second one (yellow card) that is not very smart".

Smalling was back in action in a 2-1 away win against Arsenal shortly after, he scored his first goal of the season against Hull City on November 29th, aswell as shortly after scoring his first ever career brace, coming off the bench to score two quick goals against Burnley, a premier league record for the fastest time ever that a substitute has scored two goals. Since then Chris Smalling was never really out of the first team line up and was always in around it. He became a regular and a consistency started to build for him, he played in crunch matches against Tottenham and against Liverpool, as well as against Manchester City in which he scored the fourth goal in a 4-2 derby win to earn the ultimate redemption for his previous red card.

His performances were rewarded by Louis Van Gaal when he gave him the accolade of the captains armband in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at home, due to injuries to Captain Wayne Rooney and Vice Captain Michael Carrick. "I believe he has been a leader of our defence" were the dutchman's words upon being asked to explain his Captaincy decision.

Consistent Chris: Smalling has been impressive so far this season

"He just wants to defend, take players out the way, pushing players out the way" said Rio Ferdinand recently on BT sport. The United legend went on: "It seems he's got it between his teeth: ' i want to be the number one centre half at this club', the form he's started this season in, it seems like he's going about it the right way" Smalling has been a rock for United so far this season, despite their early poor results. Could this be perhaps the year of Chris Smalling? United fans will certainly hope it will be.

Who is Anthony Martial?

Amidst a busy final day or so in the transfer window, Manchester United have been linked with paying in excess of £40 million pounds for the young French forward Anthony Martial and whilst the exit doors are still being used at Old Trafford, by the likes of Anders Lindegaard, Javier Hernandez and Adnan Januzaj who have departed the Red devils, we took the liberty of preparing a profile, on our heavily linked transfer target.

Big Money for an unproven teenager, how will fans react?

As a boy, Anthony Martial spent his early footballing years with CO les ullis. He caught that attention of Olympique Lyonnais scouts at the tender age of 14 in 2009 and ultimately joined their youth academy in the same year. Playing for the Under 17 side, perhaps his most impressive feat came in his second season with the youth team, when he scored 32 goals in 21 games, subsequently leading to a France national under-17 team call up.

His professional debut came for Lyon on December 6th, 2012 which was an appearance from the bench, replacing Yassine Benzia in a Europa League game against Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona. The Frenchman's playing time at Olympique Lyonnais was rather short, the attacker only made 3 more appearances in the whole 2012-13 season, all of them being from the substitutes bench.

In late June 2013, Martial signed for AS Monaco for a reported 5 million euros. At the age of 17 he made his Monaco debut, coming on as a sub for Radamel Falcao against FC Nantes. On his first start, came his first goal for the French club as he scored in a 2-0 win over Rennes. In the December of that year however he unfortunately injured his ankle, which hindered his campaign over the months to follow.

Promising Prospect: Martial impressed last season against Arsenal in the Champions league

In his second season, the young forward bagged 9 goals in 36 Ligue 1 games, most notably a dramatic late equaliser against French Champions Paris Saint Germain. However surely this sort of goal return for a club like Monaco, in arguably a lesser league, surely isn't enough to justify a potential transfer fee of a staggering £40 plus million pounds. Certainly United fans wont be pleased with the amount of money spent on such an unproven and raw talent like Anthony Martial unless he turns into the next Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils have a track record for putting faith in younger players, the Real Madrid number 7 is a perfect example. Ronaldo was bought for back then big money in £12 million pounds and turned into the best player in the world in years to come, but is £40 million plus, a step too far?

Martial's stats don't really scream 'Prolific striker', up until now he has 15 goals in 68 AS Monaco appearances, which won't sit well with the Old Trafford faithful. Losing players like Javier Hernandez and Adnan Januzaj for a season to Dortmund, the pressure will be even bigger on the result of this transfer and what kind of player young Martial will turn into, the next Henry perhaps? Who knows.

Need for Speed: Martial's biggest asset is thought to be his pace, in action here against Thiago Silva.

In terms of his pace, he is thought to be lightning quick. This particular trait was mentioned in UEFA's report on their report on the 2013 European U21 championships, with Martial being named in the team of the tournament. Furthermore Martial has been described as having "smart movement, excellent close control and overall technical ability" by the former CEO of AS Monaco Tor-Kristian Karlsen. Additionally he is thought to be quite composed on the ball and excellent in one on one situations.

All in all, spending so much money on such a young player, piles on the pressure, not only on Martial himself but also Louis Van Gaal, who is very close to the quarter of a billion mark in terms of money spent on transfers since his time at United, will Anthony Martial set the world alight and lead the red devils to glory? United fans across the globe will be very much hoping this, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Our Big haired hero: Fellaini Focus

Since coming to United, Marouane Fellaini has been booed, cheered and even applauded. After a troublesome first season under David Moyes, the Belgium international has really proved his worth under Van Gaal. When the situation required, Fellaini could come on and seemingly change a game with his huge presence and ability to hold up the ball, but with all the new signings made by LVG this season, is there still space for him in the team?

Misery for Marouane: The midfielder suffered a poor debut season at United

David Moyse's deadline day signing Marouane Fellaini was the Scots first United buy as manager, after working with him successfully at Everton where he was one of the top players. Known for his aerial ability, strength and goal scoring knack, United fans were mostly pleased with the signing, especially when they remembered the problems the Belgium man caused for them in previous encounters with Everton. However the then, United No.31 struggled to fit into the United side, contributing 0 goals in his first season, making only 21 appearances, in comparison to 36 appearances, in his final season at Everton.

While criticisms were heaped upon David Moyes as Uniteds season got worse, certain players were also taking the heat from the United fans, notably players like Tom Cleverly and of course Marouane Fellaini. Additionally, slight injures continued to plague the former Everton man throughout the season and perhaps being asked to play in a deeper midfield role, hindered his form, either way by the end of 2013-14, Fellaini seemed to be on his way out of the club. 

All smiles: Van Gaal helped rejuvenate the Belgian in his second season

With the arrival of Van Gaal, there was plenty of speculation as to the arrivals and exits, concerning the United squad. With the likes of Tom Cleverly, Danny Welbeck and Nani all being shipped off, many fans might have been surprised about the retaining of Marouane Fellaini after such a poor previous season. However it would seem that Van Gaal's retention of the former Goodison park man paid off, as the midfielder would go onto score some important goals later on in the season.

"I am a coach who likes creative players, but in England you need physical bodies in your team" The reds boss said following a 2-2 draw with West Brom with Fellaini scoring a late equaliser "Fellaini is one of these players". Following his goal at the Hawthorns, Fellaini was given his first start of the season in the following home game vs Chelsea, ending with some impressive stats, as well as assisting the dramatic late equaliser from Robin Van Persie. The Big Belgian covered 12.17 Kilometres in the game, the most by any United player and put in 70 high intensity runs, the most by any player on the pitch. Finally he assisted Robin Van Persie's late equaliser against Jose Mourinho's men, heading the ball down from a free kick for the Dutch striker to smash home. Old Trafford was rocking.

More impressive performances were to follow, it would seem the Belgian gave United a different style of play, they could finally play more aerial balls and consequently were more dangerous from set pieces due to Fellaini's incredible height (6 ft 5) and strength. Fellaini would go on to score more goals against the likes of QPR, Stoke (notably a super flying header) and Preston in the FA cup. Fellaini's best form of the season was still yet to come, in early March the red devils faced Tottenham Hotspur, which represented the start of a six game run, where they would come up against Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in quick succession, they were must win games for United as they would surely decide the top 4 which was invaluable to United as it would mean Champions league football.

Fantastic Felli: The Belgium International celebrates scoring vs City

Fellaini played a huge part in this busy period for the reds, he scored in the first game vs Tottenham aswell as assisting Michael Carrick, he caused problems for Liverpool at Anfield and went onto score a bullet header against 'noisy neighbours' Manchester City, this was Fellaini's best spell in a red shirt. He ended the season on a low unfortunately, being sent off on the final day against Hull City.

All in all, I think many would agree Fellaini's second season was much better and even go as far as to say that he was on of United's better players. The question is now that in his third season at Old Trafford, will the target man get in the team? With new midfield additions in the shape of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, it would seem the man from Brussels may face competition for places, with of course Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick fighting for a starting position. One thing Marouane Fellaini has over his fellow midfielders is flexibility. Louis Van Gaal said in his pre-match press conference in Brugges tonight: "He can play as a No.9 and a No.10 and he can also play as a No.6 and No.8" 

Perhaps the flexibility of Fellaini will win him brownie points with Van Gaal as he has always re-iterated he prefers "Multi-functional players over specialists" and this may get him more game time. His ability to hold up the ball and win aerial battles is second to none, even the best of premier league defences struggle to cope with him, evidently shown in the way he scored and contributed to goals against the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea last season.

A Fellaini Finish: The big red devil slots home against Tottenham

However perhaps there is a hint that Fellaini will play just as much, or maybe even more than last season. Van Gaal in his pre-match press conference in Brugge in tonight spoke of Fellaini's future role in the team this year: "This year he will play more as a No.9 and No.10 as rather than 6 and 8 because there we have other players" Is Van Gaal about to pull another rabbit out of his hat and turn Marouanne Fellaini into an out and out striker? Either way, putting Marouane Fellaini in and around the final third causes all sorts of problems,as a striker or playing as the number 10, he gives United a new edge and a different dimension, he can hold off defenders and win the headers that perhaps fellow forwards can't. He certainly adds threat at set pieces, which may be something to consider, bearing in mind United's poor league form, when their finishing from open play has been non existent in their first three games.

Van Gaal has many options on where to put the former Everton man, thinking about United's rather small selection of strikers in Rooney, Hernandez and Wilson, perhaps he'll put his faith in him there to lead the line, certainly many more crosses will be met and while his disciplinary record may be something to look out for, Marouane Fellaini possesses unique qualities which other United players don't. The Belgian will be hoping to build on a successful season from last year and playing as a striker,he may do exactly that, should he find the net on a regular basis.

"Last season I did quite well and I want to continue" The Belgian told journalists alongside his manager at a press conference tonight in Brugge "I know my team mates, the manager and his philosophy, I am looking to do well and score goals".