The Manchester United supporters here in the Transfer Tavern have been a miserable old bunch this season, with performances on the pitch not of the quality usually associated with the Red Devils.
The club are in a fierce battle with rivals Manchester City to secure fourth place in the Premier League and secure Champions League football.
Whilst results haven’t always been positive this season, Louis van Gaal’s persistence to use the club’s younger players has been deemed a plus by the United contingent here in the Tavern.
Next season looks set to be a big one for the club and the remaining games are likely to determine which players will keep hold of a shirt for the 2016/17 campaign.
Our writer Lee Clarke took a look at FIVE Old Trafford performers who have exceeded expectations during the current campaign……
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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE 5 MAN UTD PLAYERS!
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Marcus Rashford
The 18-year-old burst onto the scene with a debut goal during a Europa League game and he has since scored crucial goals against Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Admittedly he has only been given the chance due to injuries to key first-team players like Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney, but he has taken the chance with aplomb.
The Red Devils have a really good player on their hands in Rashford and they will hope to be able to call upon him for years to come.
Possessing pace, power and a prolific finish, Rashford is the latest to emerge from the conveyor belt of talent at Old Trafford.
David de Gea
Earlier in the season it was difficult to find a positive when talking about Manchester United such was their form, but in David de Gea they hold one of the finest goalkeeper’s the world has to offer.
The Spaniard has kept up his top class form when all around him have failed and keeping hold of the stopper is crucial during the summer months.
The 25-year-old has shown a tremendous amount of maturity and has really stepped up in the absence of a real leader at Manchester United.
De Gea is now firmly established as the club’s number one goalkeeper and is also in possession of the gloves for the Spain national team ahead of the Euros.
Anthony Martial
When United spent in the region of £50 million to sign the young French striker from Monaco, many people wondered if the club had lost the plot.
The 20-year-old announced his arrival to the Premier League with a well taken goal against United’s fierce rivals Liverpool and has stepped up to the mark, to prove all of his doubters wrong.
In his maiden season as a Premier League footballer he has netted 13 goals for United, despite spending a lot of his minutes out on the left wing.
Martial looks a real prospect for the future and if he continues to develop at his current rate, he will be one of the Premier League’s top players.
Chris Smalling
If you had said at the start of the season that Chris Smalling would be one of Manchester United’s star defensive performers, many people would have laughed themselves silly.
The England international has had his best run in the side this season and subsequently he has stepped up to the plate and churned out performance after performance.
Smalling has captained the side on occasions this season and has shown leadership qualities way beyond his relatively tender years.
If Smalling continues his current form he could go on to establish himself as England’s first choice central defender.
Daley Blind
Whilst the Dutchman isn’t seen as a long-term solution to Manchester United’s central defence, he has performed admirably in an unnatural position this season.
The 26-year-old is naturally a player to protect the back four in a midfield role but he has proved his versatility during the current campaign, surprising many fans in the process.
Sunday saw him keep out an in-form Romelu Lukaku as United came up against Everton and Blind has become a really top player for the Red Devils.
United will probably go and sign a top class central defender in the summer and Blind will probably line-up in a more natural position next season.
