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| Anderson's celebration samba (dodgy as fuck, but hilarious) |
The average age of United's starting lineup that played Spurs Monday evening was 23 years-old. United were able to dismantle a fairly strong opponent at Old Trafford with the likes of Phil Jones (19), Chris Smalling (21), Tom Cleverley (22), Anderson (23), David de Gea (20) as well as Manchester native Danny Welbeck (20), all starting. The youth of the squad truly made for an exciting match to watch where United controlled the majority of the possession; allowing the youngsters to show off their talent.
Goals from Rooney, Anderson and Welbeck sealed a victory that must have left Sir Alex with the thought; "Wesley who?". Anderson and Tom Cleverley put on a performance in the central midfield that would leave many supporters and fans of the game vowing that United do not need Wesley Sneijder. Don't forget United also had the likes of Darren Fletcher, Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick on the bench as well as the rumour of the 18 year-old starlet Paul Pogba making his debut; all capable of stepping the the central midfield. United should make due with what they have (which is no slouch), and allow Pogba to be developed and nurtured into United's true choice in the central midfield; without that spot being held by the long-term contract that a 27 year-old Sneijder would come with.
Outside of the Wesley saga, the youth of the squad really carried the story in Monday's match; as Phil Jones and Chris Smalling looked ever so comfortable manning the back line and David de Gea was able to bounce back from a shaky start to the season, with a clean sheet. In addition, Nani and Young provided fantastic pressure along the wings; easing the pressure for youngsters Cleverley and Anderson to make plays. Another interesting story was the fact the 20 year-old Danny Welbeck started over Berbatov again as well as freshly healed from injury, Javier Hernendez. The Manchester kid spent last season on loan to Sunderland where he enjoyed a very successful spell, playing a vital role in their attack.
It was made clear in Monday's game once again, that Sir Alex and the staff at United truly have a knack for developing players and hopefully in the case of Wesley, they use and develop what they have.
United will be confidently looking ahead as they are home to a struggling Arsenal on Sunday.
