Manchester United: 10 Things That Must Change at Old Trafford Next Season

In the wake of a season with just the Community Shield to boast about in terms of silverware, there is no question that we can expect to see an abundance of changes at Old Trafford this season.

The Red Devils will have to dust themselves off and rebuild upon the misfortune of the last campaign if they are to establish themselves once again as the superior party between them and their "noisy neighbours," Manchester City.

Accordingly, as is the beauty of hindsight, it is the job of the spectator to point out just where the English giants may have gone wrong in this year’s pursuit of glory and how to improve upon those particular points in the coming months.

The 2011-12 term may be labelled as one of transition for the club and, as such, hardly any change may occur.

On the other hand, the hierarchy at Manchester United might decide that the last nine months have signaled just what is wrong at Old Trafford and make wholesale alterations.

In the event that it does indeed turn out to be the latter, here are 10 things that should make it onto the agenda.

Embrace Change

After such an outrageously good comeback this season, Paul Scholes gave ammunition to the testament that "age is just a number."

The ginger maestro, along with fellow club legend, Ryan Giggs, were integral in making sure that Manchester United posed a challenge to bitter rivals City for as long as they did.

Were they not there, the season could have ended on considerably worse terms for the Red Devils.

However, no matter how much help Scholes has been since coming out of retirement, it rings true now more than ever that United must get to grips with playing on without their two fan favourites.

Their performances might tempt you to think otherwise, but the cruel truth of the situation is that neither Scholes (37) nor Giggs (38) can play forever and the 2012-13 campaign could well be the last for both of them.

The latter recently won the Premier League’s award for Best Player of the last Twenty Years and it’s safe to say that the Welshman deserves a rest.

Scholes was actually already enjoying his rest, but with Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher and Anderson all joining the injury table early on in the campaign, the former England international simply couldn’t resist a second call to arms.

Both midfielders have contributed an incredible amount to the club for which they both pledged their entire senior football careers, but more youthful alternatives are vital to the next attempt at winning the English top flight.

Summer Transfers

Speaking of youthful alternatives, Manchester United, as always, have what promises to be an eventful summer transfer window ahead of them.

After losing their league title, it’s relatively simple to see where the holes lie for United.

The Red Devils were already being very publicly linked with a move for numerous attacking midfielders in both the summer and winter transfer windows, so it was evident that the club were looking to strengthen that are of the pitch.

Among the playmakers linked with a move to Old Trafford were Nicolas Gaitan, Mario Göetze, Mesut Özil and, most notably, Wesley Sneijder.

However, in a market that Sir Alex Ferguson labelled as “having no value,” a move failed to occur.

That looks to have changed already this summer, as Borussia Dortmund’s Shinji Kagawa and the aforementioned Gaitan both appear very close to a transfer.

The club will also be expected to finalise a deal for a centre-back as the aging figures of both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic struggle against recurring injuries.

Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans have already begun their integration into the starting lineup but with an aggregate age of just 66 years, a more experienced defender could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

The full-back positions and striking department are also in need of revamping, leaving the wings as just about the only well-stocked position in the Manchester United arsenal.

Expect this summer to be one of great transition at Old Trafford.

Seek Value for Money Now More Than Ever

As touched upon in the previous slide, Sir Alex Ferguson is never one to splurge money when a splurging isn’t called for.

In an industry where the big guns are always getting bigger, it is important now, more than ever, that the Scot squeezes every last drop of value should any transfers come about.

To put things in perspective, the club has just lost the league title to a club with whom they enjoy one of the fiercest local rivalries in all of world club football.

Owners will feel underachieved and fans will be frustrated and money will be there to correct that mistake.

However, knee-jerk reactions are seldom the answer to these conundrums and while it may be tempting to draft in a whole branch of new faces, money need not be spent in vast amounts.

In recent years, United have unearthed gems such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Patrice Evra, none of whom cost more than £13m (although Hernandez’s exact transfer fee is still debated).

To use Newcastle United and their breakout stars as a further example, Papiss Demba Cissé, Yohan Cabaye and Demba Ba all helped the Magpies to fifth place this season and none cost more than £10m.

The list of undervalued players to come good is an endless one and it’s vital that United use their extensive scouting network to find the best value in the next three months.

Roberto Mancini’s City are sure to be splashing the cash once more, as has become a common sight at the Etihad Stadium since 2008.

Despite this, all heads at Old Trafford must remain calm as the club seek to replace a number of fan favourites for what will be the future generation of Red Devil for years to come.

Handling of Internal Affairs

It was an extremely disappointing sight to see internal affairs so widely exploited at Old Trafford in the 2011-12 campaign.

Manchester United are usually the exemplar to follow when it comes to contract talks and dealing with players privately, but some of the dealings got out of hand this season.

A big influence in player/club confidentiality in recent seasons has been the emergence of social networking, such as Facebook and Twitter.

The latter was on hand this year as the likes of Ezekiel Fryers, Ravel Morrison and, most infamously, Paul Pogba took to tweeting in order to air any grievances they may have had with the club.

Morrison has already made his way to West Ham following what was supposedly a dispute over wages and in an allegedly similar scenario, Pogba is supposedly off to Juventus.

There are those out there calling for United to give the young Frenchman the deal he wants in order to keep him at the club, as he looks to be a particularly strong prospect.

While that last bit may be true, the rest isn’t quite as easy.

Call me old-fashioned, but even with the emergence of social networking sites, it’s still a disgrace the manner in which some of these kids—as, let’s face it, that's what they are—conduct themselves.

Money is abundant in football and it’s evident that the rocketing salaries of some starlets can’t be prevented from going anywhere but to their heads.

In the future, United need to resume the usual manner in which they deal with these cases and make sure that the Pogba case never occurs again.

Put the Last Season Behind Them

The 2011-12 season will have been a difficult one to take if you were in the red half of Manchester and nobody could blame those affected.

Two league defeats against rivals Manchester City, a disappointing European run and a slew of injuries at Old Trafford made for a glum aura around the stadium on more than one occasion.

To top the misery off, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side managed a revival that saw them run to the very last day of the season before ultimately losing the title to City—a dagger to the heart of any Red Devil.

Despite this upsetting term in the team’s history, it’s the mark of a side’s pedigree when they can recollect themselves after such a demoralizing season to come back all the stronger in the next installment.

United have the strange scenario of having very few middle-aged players.

Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs lead the retirement brigade at 37 and 38 years old, respectively, but the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic aren’t far behind in that journey over the proverbial hedge.

Those mentioned players will be fundamental in setting the example of maturity to the club’s youngsters in the season to come.

Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Phil Jones and David de Gea look set to be the flagbearers of the next generation started by Ferguson and with starting spots up for grabs, they will need to shirk their age and step into the roles expected of them, if not several seasons earlier than originally planned.

Far East Flotation

In what could be one of, if not the biggest business venture by a football club in modern football, it’s still up for debate as to whether or not Manchester United will go ahead with the partial flotation on the Singapore stock exchange.

The business model was given the green light back in August, with the Glazer family considering the option of posting 30 percent of their shares on the market in the Far East.

Manchester United would allegedly be making £600m off of the deal should it eventually go ahead. (See details here)

The flotation was being tipped to go ahead in 2011, but a Eurozone crisis made for "unfavourable markets" and the plan was shelved.

However, talks of the deal are once again surfacing, with autumn the earliest likely date that it could happen.

It’s no secret that Manchester United have strong ties in the Far East, including particular support hotspots in Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan.

The Red Devils will tour the Far East at the end of July/beginning of August, possibly signalling the direction in which the plan is moving.

More a speculation than a tip of what the club need to be doing in the coming months, this business model has the potential to reduce the significant debt that the Glazers find themselves in and could help the club substantially as a result.

Need to Mature and Fast

John Finley once wrote: “Maturity of mind is the capacity to endure uncertainty.”

The philosopher probably wasn’t alluding to Manchester United’s 2011-12 season when he thought of this quote, but it remains apt nonetheless.

At times in the campaign just passed, the youth at Old Trafford were truly wonderful in their energetic and wily performances. At others, they showed the kind of immaturity that tends to unravel the good form of a side.

However, it wasn’t just the starlets who were to blame for the cockiness of United’s approach on occasions this season.

One could argue that squad selection is at the heart of this debate and that fault lies with the manager.

Others would say that it is up to the players to get the job done, no matter who is playing.

Given the obvious calibre of Sir Alex Ferguson, the second example would certainly appear to have more responsibility.

Whether it be the fifth-round knockout in the Carling Cup at the hands of Crystal Palace or the miserable Champions League form that saw them succumb to Basel and Benfica, it’s hard to argue that Manchester United may not have gotten a bit overconfident at times this season.

It’s important to note, however, that at least some of the youngest faces at Old Trafford have felt that sort of heartache so early on in their United careers and will be more likely to evolve as men in the future.

Don't Get Pulled into a Transfer War

When it comes to transfer windows, it usually just takes one big-money deal before all the other dominoes come toppling down one after another.

Considering that Arsenal, of all clubs, have already splashed the cash on someone like Lukas Podolski, the stage would appear set for some heavy investment from some of the Premier League elite.

Every single club will be looking to safeguard their biggest assets but will also be preparing contingency plans in the eventuality that they have to offload, making for an “If we sell ‘A,’ then we need to buy ‘B’” mentality.

Having won their first Premier League title, Arab-owned Manchester City certainly won’t be resting on their laurels in the coming months and will instead look to capitalize upon the current hype surrounding them by making some purchases.

In a similar fashion, Manchester United won’t be pleased with the way that the season has gone and could see some new faces as the best route to bouncing back next term.

However, it’s vital that the Red Devils not be dragged into a place that they can’t follow.

As things stand, Sheikh Mansour has ploughed an estimated £1 billion into Manchester City since buying the club in 2008 and as far as it’s possible to see, the well is far from dry.

Conversely, the Glazer family are in quite a bit of debt (the family confirmed an annual loss of $178m for 2011) and see a flotation on a Far East market as a potential money-maker.

In short, the blue half of Manchester is the richer one.

For this reason, United must spend their money more wisely than ever and however tempting it may be to draft in players, they need to primarily make the best of their current roster.

Get Rid of Any Dead Weight

This one is pretty much a no-brainer but can prove surprisingly hard to execute at times.

As the careers of certain footballers continue and their playing time perhaps diminishes, it can become extremely easy to sit back, pick up your salary for minimal effort.

The majority of players will genuinely want to move on to another club so that they may gain first-team football, but there are those out there who are perfectly happy just to pick up a wage.

Whether they fall under category A or B, Manchester United have a host of players that could be seen as not pulling their weight at Old Trafford and will be likely to move on this summer in order to make room for replacements.

Michael Owen has already emerged as the first player not to get his contract extended, while it seems that Fabio is heading to Benfica on loan after playing a very minor role in the first team this campaign.

Dimitar Berbatov, Bébé, Paul Pogba, Anderson and Federico Macheda are just some of the other names being associated with moves away from the club either on permanent or temporary deals.

Exorcising the deadwood like this is a necessary and important part of the calendar for every football club as they free up space for other, more promising candidates.

While they may not receive and substantial sums for any of those mentioned above, just getting the salaries off the bill and ridding themselves of a presence that perhaps isn’t contributing how they should be is always a boost to the general morale.

Consider a Change in Tactics

There are an abundance of both positive and negative arguments towards change but the one certainty is that its success depends precisely on the manner in which it is executed.

For years, a 4-4-2 approach appeared to be the one of choice for Sir Alex Ferguson before the Scot gradually shifted into the 4-5-1 model (or 4-3-3 depending on viewpoint) that currently sees most usage today.

After stuttering to a second-place finish and only the Community Shield under their belt, many would welcome a shift in the dynamics, quoting, “What have we got to lose?”

While the answer is still of course “everything,” the argument remains that a shift in formation may yield results in 2012-13.

For example, Roberto Martinez was stubborn enough to stick with a 3-4-3 formation for the entire season and although we would have called that a mistake in March, the attacking mentality eventually paid dividends.

To translate that to the United team, an abundance of centre-backs but a shortage of quality full-backs means that such a tactic could work for the Red Devils.

Ferdinand, Vidic, Jones, Smalling and Evans could all share defensive duties, while the likes of Evra, Valencia and Rafael were then permitted to roam down the wings more freely.

Alternatively, Ferguson could accept defeat and say: “Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

All season long, Manchester City have favoured the use of an attacking three, utilizing the trequartista position to great effect, whether it be performed by David Silva or the renewed Carlos Tevez.

Such a change could certainly end the attacking staleness that United fell subject to every now and then in the 2011-12 season against the likes of Newcastle, Wigan and, not to mention, Manchester City.