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Fergie’s New Fledglings?

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If the clubs looking to wrestle away the title from Manchester United somehow didn’t know the extent of the task that awaits them, then Sunday’s Community Shield game against Manchester City should be a reminder that they very well should do. It was a performance full of exuberance and reminded me of some of the footage seen of the Busby Babes and the many performances of Fergie’s Fledglings; they appeared so vibrant.

Despite winning the league last season, this looked like a completely different team – with the retirements of Gary Neville, Edwin Van Der Sar and Paul Scholes and the addition of new signings such as Ashley Young, Phil Jones, David de Gea plus the return of loan players like Tom Cleverly and Danny Welbeck, this is more or less true – but they looked quicker and played with an enthusiasm that reflects their age, looking so eager to get the ball forward in attacking Joe Hart’s goal.

On the face of it, the coming years could prove to be the most fruitful of United’s history which is saying a lot. An already great side has gained some very good aforementioned players plus they also have a Youth Cup winning side at their disposal, one that many who are involved with the club feel is the best batch of youngsters since the now legendary 1992 side containing Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, the Neville brothers, Nicky Butt and Robbie Savage.

It could go one way or another. There is a parallel I feel with both the ‘‘you’ll never win anything with kids’’ side of 1995, who moved into a trophy laden era including an unprecedented Treble in 1999, and the one that were to commence the 2001/2002 Premiership season that still had the ‘kids’ in the mix, but with added ingredients. The previous campaign had seen Ferguson’s side win the title by ten points with five games still to play (that gap could have been more substantial had they not put out an under strength team for the remaining matches), but the Champions League eluded them again that year. So Ferguson concocted a plan that brought in world class players such as Juan Sebastian Veron, World Cup winner Laurent Blanc and the long overdue signing of Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who would have joined the season previous to that had it not been for an injury. That first season with a ‘new’ team ended in a trophy less third place finish. They won the title back a year later in 2003, but then went four years without doing so, which led to another team-rebuilding exercise. Will the same optimism this time round yield the same outcome?

This side is a different proposition altogether as the players they have bought already have experience of the English game whilst the new young players that were at the club beforehand like Chris Smalling, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverly and the Youth Cup winning side are arguably superior to the ones who were Red Devils in 2001/2002.

So could this be United’s best season yet? Or will there be dust gathering on the trophy cabinet come next August? Or will it be er, in between?

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