United’s English Stars Shine

Wednesday, 07/09/2011

by Amit Mistry, Shoot's Manchester United blogger

Manchester United have been in scintillating form this season in the league, which has also translated to the international stage. In particular, three of United’s players have stood out in England’s European Championship qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales.

Wayne Rooney is playing his football with a smile on his face, and appears to be performing as a world-class player once again, which was a stark contrast to this time last year. He is no longer disillusioned by the “lack of ambition” by United, and his future with the Red Devils is also secure. On the back of his hat-trick against Arsenal, he scored two goals against Bulgaria, which helped to provide a solid scoreline for the Three Lions. If Rooney continues with this form and steers clear of injury, he will return to being a 25-plus goal striker this season.

Chris Smalling made his England debut after assured performances at right-back for United. Although it is an unorthodox position for him, he has shown to be reliable in that position from a defensive point of view, but he also has that ability to push forward and support the attack. With that physical presence in the right-back slot, United’s defence is more solid than with either of the Da Silva twins. The two Brazilians are excellent wing-backs, but they are susceptible to being bullied about by stronger wingers or strikers, due to their smaller physical stature. I believe Ferguson will continue to keep Smalling in the right-back position for this season at least, with the option to move him in the centre of defence when needs be. Smalling will also have a better chance of securing his place in the final England squad for the European Championships next summer if he claims this position as his own, as there is little competition from either Micah Richards or Glen Johnson.

Finally, Ashley Young was the third star for England. He has really blossomed since moving to Old Trafford and is playing with great. He is in the right environment where he is exposed to playing with the best players and being part of a system that encourages attacking football, which suits his style of play. We have seen this for club and country as he can easily switch from being a winger to a forward. What I like about him the most is that he can attack and move into positions without caution or fear. This enables him to create opportunities for not only for himself, but for others around him, and Wayne Rooney has been reaping the rewards of having this support from the left wing.

Danny Welbeck did not feature for England as he has been sidelined with injury. We have seen that Danny Welbeck has been starting alongside Wayne Rooney at club level, and has been scoring goals too. But with Javier Hernandez returning to the side, Welbeck will be relegated to the bench. Yet, this situation could turn into his advantage if Welbeck can operate as an impact striker from the bench. If he can replicate this type of play as Chicharito did last season, then Welbeck could become a useful option for Fabio Capello in next summer’s European Championships.

United once again possess a youthful and English spine in their team, which has great promise for many years to come. Phil Jones has proven to be a rock in the defence whilst Tom Cleverley has assured United fans that they do not need to sign Wesley Sneijder. Sir Alex has certainly demonstrated his contribution to the England team by producing and developing some of the best English players in his time, and will expect the FA to recognise and acknowledge this.

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