20 Reasons for Manchester United Fans to Be Excited About Next Season

Manchester United may miss out on the title this year, but there are many things to look forward to next season.

United's heartbreaking 1-0 loss to City puts them in a tie with their arch-rivals at the top of the table, but City's goal difference is eight points better than United's.

This is a lot of ground to make up in just two fixtures, and the Red Devils will likely finish as runners-up in 2011-12.

But the 2012-13 will be starting up in August, and here are 20 reasons that United will bounce back for their next campaign.

New Kit

The very first sign of a new season will be Manchester United's new checkered team kit.

The pattern on the jerseys resembles tartan, which could possibly be an homage to Sir Alex Ferguson's Scottish heritage. Fergie will be celebrating his 25th year at United.

This is the most drastic change that the Red Devils have made to their uniforms in recent years, and it will hopefully lead to some changes on the field as well. A second consecutive trophy-less season will not be tolerated at Old Trafford.

Fergie's 25th Year as Manager

Next season will be Sir Alex Ferguson's 25th year as manager of Manchester United.

This is an amazing accomplishment in today's football world, where managers are often the most expendable person at their club.

The climate for managers at the world's giant clubs is even more dangerous, and most do not survive even a single season that ends without a new trophy for the case. This was evidenced by Pep Guardiola's recent announcement of his intention to resign as Barcelona boss.

Fergie is one of the special few who have proven themselves worthy of their board's trust, and United fans should consider themselves lucky every year that the Scotsman is still with the team.

Added Talent from the Transfer Market

Manchester United will likely part with some of its veteran players at the end of the season and look to the transfer market to fill those holes with talented youngsters.

The Red Devils are regulars in the football gossip columns, but Alex Ferguson is a relatively frugal shopper compared to others in the Premiership. Some of the more expensive players likely won't be coming to Old Trafford, and Fergie also usually stays away from players older than 23. 

A few young and somewhat inexpensive players that have caught the manager's eye are Sao Paolo's Lucas and Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa. 

Lucas is rumored to be worth £12 million and Kagawa's club, Borussia Dortmund, are reported to be starting the bidding at £15 for the Japanese international. 

Both players are most comfortable as a creative central midfielder, and would make United more versatile and unpredictable in attack.

No More Dimitar Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov had his best year with Manchester United during the 2010-11 season and led the Premier League in goals, but that seems like a very long time ago.

Berbatov has fallen out of favor with Sir Alex Ferguson and rarely gets on the pitch for United.

At 31, the striker is not getting any younger, and his spot on the bench is better suited for a player who may have a future as a starter.

Berbatov's tenure at Old Trafford was characterized by insufficient effort with spells of brilliance. These flashes of incredible talent will ultimately not be enough for United fans to miss the Bulgarian.

Another League Title Run

Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to arch-rival Manchester City will likely swing the title race in favor of the Blues, but United will still have an excellent shot to win the Premier League next year.

The Red Devils have won 12 of the 19 Premiership seasons and have also taken four of the last five.

This reign of dominance has all been under Sir Alex Ferguson, and his presence automatically makes United a contender. 

Add in an interesting mix of youngsters who are quickly improving and veterans who are playing as well as ever, and the Red Devils will be hovering around the top of the table for all of next year.

It will be a long road to the title, but expect United to make a statement by playing championship-caliber football early on in the year.

Getting out of the Group Stage in Champions League

Manchester United failed to make it out of the group stage in Champions League this past season, losing out to Basel and Benfica. 

A 2-1 defeat at the hands of Basel in the final fixture meant the end of United's hope at a European crown. 

A club of Manchester United's stature is expected to compete for supremacy with the best teams in Europe, and they failed to do so in 2011.

Next season, they will make a statement against the weaker teams in the early rounds and prove that they are ready to get back to the finals.

David De Gea's Growth

Manchester United has several young players that will make up the core of the team going forward, but everything starts with goalkeeper David De Gea.

As United fans experienced after Peter Schmeichel left, a shaky goalie can doom an entire squad.

De Gea has had his growing pains this season, but the 21-year-old Spaniard has also showed plenty of the talent that originally caught the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson.

He steadily improved as the season went on, and will continue that trend going into next year. De Gea will be the goalkeeper of the future at Old Trafford, and fans will enjoy watching him get better and better as every game goes by.

Nemanja Vidic Coming Back

Nemanja Vidic has been sorely missed this season.

The 30-year-old center back is one of the best in the world at his position, but suffered a horrific knee injury against Basel in the Champions league in December.

The Serbian will hopefully return at full strength next season and re-establish his role as United's brick wall in defense.

Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will once again form a veteran pairing in the center of the Red Devils' back line, and lead the team to several clean sheets in 2012.

Phil Jones' Ascendance

Phil Jones is an athletic and versatile player who can excel in a number of different positions.

Sir Alex Ferguson has put Jones at outside back, center back and central midfield this season, and the youngster showed a well-rounded skill set while being moved around.

Jones' future lies somewhere along the back line, most likely in the center. But for now, the 20-year-old will be content to play where the team needs him while learning the ropes from savvy veterans Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

Jones is full of energy and plays with passion. These are qualities that have endeared him to Fergie, and he will be a mainstay in United's lineup for a long time. 

Tom Cleverley's Return

Tom Cleverley showed the ability to provide a creative spark in Manchester United's midfield, but injuries derailed his season after just a few games.

The 22-year-old sustained foot and ankle injuries in October and was sidelined until February. After returning, he was unable to work his way back into any sort of role that involved substantial playing time.

He will have the entire offseason to regain his fitness level, and will come back next year ready to show that the beginning of his last campaign was no fluke.

Look for Cleverley to be one of Alex Ferguson's first choices in the midfield by the time United gets rolling next season. 

Danny Welbeck's Emergence

Danny Welbeck has been a revelation for Manchester United this season.

He has shown incredible pace and a nose for the goal, knocking in nine balls in Premier League fixtures this year.

Welbeck has even been moved to outside midfielder, proving that he can be effective near the touchline as well as in the penalty box.

The 22-year-old striker will continue to be a nightmare for opposing defenses next season, and for many more campaigns after that.

Watching Paul Scholes for Another Year

Paul Scholes is one of the greatest midfielders ever to play football.

Watching him throughout his career has truly been a blessing for Manchester United supporters, and he treated us all last year by coming out of retirement to save the team's injury-ravaged midfield.

Scholes looked as if he had never left once he took the pitch, and given the level of his play during 2012, he may just stick around for one more go at it.

The 37-year-old has a sublime touch on the ball and is a masterful distributor out of the midfield. He will be sorely missed by United whenever he decides to hang up his boots, but hopefully that won't be this summer.

The Immortal Ryan Giggs

All of the attention surrounding Paul Scholes' retirement has distracted Manchester United fans from Ryan Giggs' high level of play at 38 years of age.

Giggs has reformed his game to suit his declining physical attributes and has transitioned from winger to a quality central midfielder.

The Welshman is a solid veteran option in the middle of the pitch for Sir Alex Ferguson and he has been remarkably useful this season, despite his old age for a footballer.

Giggs signed a contract extension to stay one more year at Old Trafford and will continue to prove that the aging process has little effect on him.

Another Year of Wayne Rooney's Prime

Wayne Rooney has entered his prime and established himself as one of the best footballers on the planet.

The 26-year-old has the touch, pace and vision to pick apart a defense on his own. He is difficult to take out of a game because he is comfortable playing on the last defender, or dropping into the midfield to receive a pass.

He has been a world-class talent his entire career, and recently has started to show maturity and class on the pitch. Rooney is no longer a temperamental teenager, and has grown into a leader.

As Rooney goes, so will United, and the striker seems poised to take his team very far next year.

Antonio Valencia Establishing Himself as One of the World's Best

Antonio Valencia's form of late has proven that the crafty winger has the potential to be one of the best players in the world at his position.

Valencia's season seemed to be in jeopardy when he hurt his hamstring in February, but he returned to the pitch better than ever.

The Ecuadorian has excellent pace and fantastic footwork, but his best attribute is his unselfishness. Many players at his position prefer to cut inside and go for the glory far too often. But Valencia is constantly determined to get the ball to the corner and find one of his teammates on a cross or back-pass.

Valencia's ability to get off a cross nearly every time he receives the ball in attack makes him a game-changing presence. Barring an injury next season, he will start to make the rest of the world notice his talent.

Winning the Title in the Premier League's 20th Year

While Manchester United has won 12 English Premier League titles, taking the English crown would be just a little more special next year.

The Premiership will celebrate 20 years of existence starting in May of 2012, and United needs to remind fans of the league which club has been the most dominant in the past two decades.

The Red Devils could send a statement by increasing the already disproportionate amount of EPL titles they have won compared to other teams.

Most of all, a championship in the 20th year of the the modern league will show to everyone in English football which club is going to dominate the next 20 years as well.

Revenge Against City

Manchester United lost both of its English Premier League fixtures against crosstown rival Manchester City this season. 

The first was an embarrassing 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford, and the second was a 1-0 victory that completed an eight-point comeback in the table for City. 

These games will be burned into the minds of United for fans for many years to come, but the pain could be eased if the Red Devils are able to return the favor to the Blues and beat them twice next season.

City will be ready to compete for a title again next year, and United need to put their neighbors back in their place as Manchester's second-tier club.

Contending for the Champions League Trophy

Manchester United will almost certainly leave their group in the Champions League next year, but the Red Devils have much larger aspirations.

The Champions League trophy is by far the most important one to win for any European club, and United will be one of the favorites for next year's tournament.

If a few of the young players take a step forward, and the older players are able to stay healthy, United can beat any team in the world.

The best way for the team to atone for its disappointing result in Europe this season will be to earn Sir Alex Ferguson his third Champions League title.

Avoiding a Multi-Year Trophy Drought

With Manchester City level with Manchester United in points and having a commanding lead in goal differential, the Red Devils will likely lose out on the Premier League title.

United made early exits in the Champions League and FA Cup, and are facing the grim prospect of a season devoid of any major trophies.

This is a significant failure for Sir Alex Ferguson and his club, and serious efforts will be made before the start of next year to ensure that this does not happen again.

Fergie has seen some dark days before and pulled United out of some holes. The Scotsman will do the same heading into the 2012-13 campaign, which will end with a new trophy coming to Old Trafford.

The 2013-14 Season

Even if Manchester United's season in 2012-13 is another disappointing year, supporters must keep things in perspective and remember how good their club truly has been over the last two decades.

United have never finished lower than third in any Premier League season. They are the only club to accomplish this.

With no major changes in management and a roster loaded with talent, it is extremely unlikely that the club will experience a prolonged period of decline.

No matter how this season, or the next one ends, the future is always bright for those of us who root for the greatest football club in the world.