Where Can Sir Alex Ferguson Take Manchester United from Here?

Even if Manchester United do not overtake Chelsea next Sunday, it will still have been an extremely credible season for Sir Alex Ferguson's men. Despite operating at a significant profit last summer, losing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the process, Man United have remained one of the top two teams in the Premiership.

Had right-back Rafael not been foolishly sent off with his side in the ascendancy in the second leg of their quarterfinal with Bayern Munich, Man United might well have reached the Champion's League final for the third consecutive year.

Anyone suggesting that the high standards set by Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford might have slipped this season is very much mistaken. The Premiership is too competitive a place for one team to be seriously expected to win it every year. While Ferguson has never been a man to settle for second place, potentially finishing a point behind Chelsea does not represent a disaster for his side.

The margins between success and failure at an elite European level are so fine that Man United were always destined to endure a premature exit from the Champions League sooner or later. Reaching the final three years in a row would have represented an unprecedented achievement for an English club.

Ferguson and his men are entitled to look back on this season with pride. The club's owners cannot be too unhappy either, given that the success which the club has enjoyed has come on the back of a substantial preseason profit. They need only to cast a glance across at local rivals Liverpool to see that the Champions League status of the so-called big four is far from guaranteed.

For all these positives, Ferguson will be under no illusions as to the size of the task facing him if his side are to continue to achieve the type of success to which their supporters have become accustomed.

He will regard the recent performances of players like Gary Neville (35), Edwin Van Der Sar (39), Paul Scholes (35), and Ryan Giggs (36) as something of a bonus. Given their respective ages, Man United must look to end their dependence upon these players sooner rather than later.

Finding replacements is going to be no easy task. Ferguson is fortunate to have been gifted with some extremely talented players from the academy during his time at Old Trafford.

The supply line seems to have more or less dried up. The likes of Danny Wellbeck, Darren Gibson, Johnny Evans, Fabio, and Rafael show promise, but if any of them went on to have a similar impact to their more illustrious predecessors such as Scholes andd Giggs, it would represent a major surprise.

Darren Fletcher has stepped out of the shadows to establish himself as an outstanding player this campaign, and there are a few other squad members, such as Park Ji Sung, Federico Macheda, and Gabriel Obertan, who could go on to have a similar impact next season.

Fersuson's preseason transfer activity will be key if his side's success is to prove sustainable. With Man City progressing rapidly, the emphasis at the summit of the Premiership is on constant improvement.

For all their protestations to the contrary, Chelsea are likely to embark on some substantial investment once the season ends. Arsenal are unlikely to allow their squad to be depleted any further, and will look to bring in some fresh blood of their own while Man City could conceivably spend £100 million on new players.

There are a few areas of the existing Manchester United team in need of improvement, and the goalkeeping position is an obvious one. Van Der Saar has been excellent, but will be almost 40 when the new campaign starts. Will Ferguson really want to go into a new season with potentially the oldest player in the Premiership in goal?

Ben Foster's antics when called upon to replace an injured Van Der Saar earlier this year will have done little to convince the manager that he is the Dutchman's long-term successor. Likewise, Tomas Kuszczak is, in all likelihood, viewed by the manager as little more than a replacement goalkeeper.

Athletes in all areas of sport are continuing to compete at the highest level until later and later in life, but Ferguson will probably feel that, aged 39, Van Der Saar is a strong candidate for involuntary retirement.

He need have no such worries about his back four. With the exception of Gary Neville, they are all in their prime, and Rafael will probably be given at least a season to prove to the manager that he need not dip in his cheque book to replace the aging right back.

The midfield may require a little more investment. Antonio Valencia and Nani continue to improve, the latter a little more rapidly, but there is definitely room for a world class winger. Darren Fletcher has enhanced his reputation considerably this season, but Michael Carrick and Anderson are not living up to expectations, and one or both might be moved on over the Summer.

The injury-prone Owen Hargreaves could be like a new signing next year, but given his lack of recent first team action, Ferguson will not want to be relying too heavily on him.

Up front is where Ferguson's biggest dilemma lies. Wayne Rooney has been consistently outstanding and is in need of a supporting striker to share the goalscoring burden. Dimitar Berbatov, by contrast, has been an abject failure, but Ferguson will be reluctant to admit it having spent in excess of £30 million on the Bulgarian.

Manchester United will also have Javier Hernandez, Michael Owen, Federico Macheda, and Mame Biriam Diouf at their disposal, but, along with Berbatov, fans will feel this collection of strikers offers quantity rather than quality.

Much will depend on the amount of funds at the Man United manager's disposal. There is certainly room for improvement, but in the modern era of the game top quality players come at a premium.

The average age of the current crop of Manchester United players dictates that their power must diminish with each passing day. Ferguson has reinvented the side repeatedly during his 24 year reign, but some serious replenishment will soon be required if he is to do so once again.