Manchester United: 11 Key Improvements Sir Alex Ferguson Must Achieve Next Year

Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United are having a successful 2012 English Premier League campaign, but 11 important changes could lead to a dominant season next year.

The current squad has the perfect blend of youth and experience, but injuries and a terrible early showing in Champions League has hindered this group from reaching its full potential.

Despite this, they still have a great chance to win the Premiership, which is a testament to how talented the team truly is.

Here are 11 tweaks that Fergie can make to compete for multiple trophies in 2012-13.

11. Teach David De Gea to Be More Consistent

David de Gea has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but he has also had a few inexplicable lapses while in the goal.

The 21-year-old Spaniard has shown the necessary talent to be Manchester United's goalkeeper of the future, but he needs to show more consistency.

De Gea was a natural replacement for Edwin van der Sar and was even nicknamed Van Der Gea while with Atletico Madrid because of his similar style and likeness to the former United goalie. 

The Red Devils' new keeper must strive to live up to the standard of his predecessor and play every game with poise and focus.

He can improve on his seven clean sheets this year by limiting his mistakes in 2012-13.

10. Find a Replacement for Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes came to the rescue this season for Manchester United, but the veteran central midfielder may not be there for the Red Devils next year.

The 37-year-old has played incredibly well since coming out of retirement in January.

Scholes returned after two consecutive Premiership losses for United, and his presence has helped spark a climb to the top of the table.

Scholes has discussed a contract extension with Sir Alex Ferguson, but nothing is certain yet, and the team needs to explore other options for next season.

Tom Cleverley was in good form early in the year but has been unable to stay healthy. Cleverley's absence, in combination with Ferguson's lack of faith in young players like Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison, spurred Scholes' comeback.

Whether Fergie believes that one of these players can replace the United legend or if he looks to the transfer market, the Red Devils' boss must find the club's future in the center of the pitch.

9. Play Danny Welbeck on the Wing More Often

In Manchester United's last two Premier League matches, Danny Welbeck has played as an outside midfielder in a 4-4-1-1 formation.

Welbeck's fine form on the wing has helped United earn a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion and a convincing 5-0 victory over Wolverhampton.

His pace and finishing prowess make him a dangerous scoring option while playing the position, while his strength and endurance make him an adequate defensive contributor.

Welbeck's ability to play on the outside allows him to be a regular starter alongside Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez. This trio forms a formidable attacking lineup.

Welbeck's tackling needs improvement, and that will come with more experience at the position.

If he can continue to play as an outside midfielder effectively, United stands a chance against any side in the world.

8. Keep Up with City in the Beginning Months

If Manchester United can be more consistent in the beginning months of the 2012-13 Premier League season, supporters will be greatly relieved.

United fell behind Manchester City after a 1-1 draw against Liverpool and a dismal showing against their cross-town rivals, resulting in a 6-1 defeat.

Both games were played in October, and the Red Devils spent the subsequent months nipping at the Blues' heels.

City has finally slipped up and given United the advantage, setting up an exciting title race.

Regardless of what happens at the end of this season, Man U fans would appreciate more consistency at the start of the next one.

7. Give Chris Smalling and Phil Jones More Time at Centre-Back

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have the potential to be top-level centre-backs but have seen limited playing time at the position.

Sir Alex Ferguson has opted to put both players at outside back in most of their appearances.

Smalling and Jones have the pace and ball skills to be effective near the sideline, but their strength, size and tackling abilities make them ideal central defenders.

Rio Ferdinand has shown inconsistency as he has grown older, and Nemanja Vidic suffered a horrific knee injury earlier in the season.

Jonny Evans has proven to be a capable backup, but both Smalling and Jones are more talented and athletic. Even if Vidic is the same player when he returns next season, one of the two players can take Ferdinand's place in Fergie's favorite 11.

Smalling and Jones have not excelled in the center when give the chance to play there, but they can use the offseason to improve. Next season should be the beginning of these two players' reign over the United back line.

6. Start Javier Hernandez More Often

Javier Hernandez has scored 12 goals in just 19 starts in all competitions this season.

The 23-year-old Mexican has fantastic chemistry with Wayne Rooney and should be the other half of Sir Alex Fergunson's first-choice striker tandem.

Hernandez has been featured regularly as a substitute, but he deserves to start more games.

He and Rooney are both work-horses up front and rarely give defenders time to relax on the ball. Chicharito's finishing knack also makes him the perfect player to sit on the last defender and free up space for United's No. 10.

Hernandez is a lethal goalscorer, and the more he plays next year, the more successful the Red Devils will be.

5. Get Wayne Rooney to 40 Goals

After Manchester United's 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion, Sir Alex Ferguson set a benchmark for his best player this season by saying:

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“If Wayne gets to 40 goals I will be absolutely delighted because we will be in business then.”

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Fergie's quote is a brilliant motivational tactic and should be the milestone Wayne Rooney strives for every season.

The striker is United's most important player, and if he is in goalscoring form, the Red Devils win games.

Rooney has 25 goals in all competitions this season, and with just nine matches remaining, he is unlikely to reach the mark this year.

He must come out firing from the first whistle in 2012-13 and pace United on their path to multiple trophies.

4. Win the FA Cup

Sir Alex Ferguson has led Manchester United to Premier League titles in four of the last five seasons, but the team has not lifted the FA Cup trophy since 2003-04.

United was eliminated from the tournament earlier this season after a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Liverpool. 

The team has reached the finals twice since its last victorious bid, but also had an embarrassing third-round loss to Leeds United two years ago.

The current squad has the talent necessary to be the next group of Red Devils to win the treble, but they will first have to improve their form in FA Cup fixtures.

3. Buy Another Outside Back

Patrice Evra will be 31 years old by the time next season starts, and Manchester United must start to prepare for the future without their captain.

Evra still has a few productive years left, but replacements take time to train, and the team has been unable to find a consistent option on the other side of the defense.

The Da Silva twins show plenty of promise, but both struggle with injuries and silly cards.

Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have spent time at the position, but these players should be getting more time in the center.

Sir Alex Ferguson has even dropped Antonio Valencia to outside back at times during the season.

Another talented outside defender on the United roster would provide more depth, while also creating competition among the young players competing for minutes.

The Red Devils have several options in the summer transfer market and could go after a player like PSV's Jetro Willems or Lyon's Aly Cissokho.

2. Add Another Forward to the Reserves

Dimitar Berbatov is almost certainly on his way out of Old Trafford after a lackluster stint with Manchester United.

The team will be looking for someone this summer to take his place in the stable of strikers.

United has been successful with Berbatov in a very limited role, so the team will not need to target an expensive player to fill the Bulgarian's void.

A relatively inexpensive but still productive option would be Fulham's Clint Dempsey. As ESPN's Ian Darke said about the possible transaction:

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"With the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Bastian Schweinsteiger out of reach for now, it might have been an inspired piece of business in the winter transfer window."

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Other players, like Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe and Lazio's Miroslave Klose, are reliable veterans who could be one of the second-tier options in United's attacking lineup.

A signing like this would add depth and experience—both these qualities would add to the Red Devils' chance at a historic 2012-13 season.

1. Have a Better Showing in Champions League

Manchester United failed to make it out of the group stage in Champions League this season after a 2-1 defeat to Basel in December.

This was an embarrassing result for a club that went to the tournament finals in two of the previous three seasons, and it was by far the low point of this year,

Sir Alex Ferguson has won Europe's most coveted club football prize twice with the Red Devils, and this squad has the talent to give the legendary manager his third trophy.

This season's dreadful showing in UCL will be fresh in the minds of the United manager and his players when they return to the tournament next year.

The most crucial improvement that Fergie must make is improving his team's form against Europe's top clubs.