The most important summer for Ferguson and United?

For the past few years, being a Manchester United fan during the transfer market usually goes as follows:

1. Linked with multiple players in various Sunday morning newspapers that sound a little bit farfetched and unlikely, so naturally all of which never get mentioned again, or nothing comes from it.
2. Manchester United are linked with a player that seems to make sense and looks a hell of a lot more likely.
3. The whole transfer of said players is dragged out the full length of the transfer window until eventually a deal is finally agreed and the transfer finalised.

Just look at the acquisition of Dimitar Berbatov, or even Carlos Tevez for that matter, long stretched out transfer saga’s that leave United fans frustrated as to why it took so long, and why no one else seems to come in during this time.

So when a newspaper is opened this summer and we see the signing of not only one, but three players of some quality, it comes as a breath of fresh air. After seasons that have shown United’s over reliance on certain players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo’s final two years in a United shirt, who then went on to leave with no real replacement brought in, you can see that Ferguson is clearly a man on a mission.

This season has been an interesting one for Manchester United as a club. Yes they achieved a remarkable accomplishment in sealing their 19^th league title, and of course knocking Liverpool of their perch, but lets not forget how they got there. There was never a sense of United being in their stride, they sort of stumbled their way to the title. It may have been a milestone, but it wasn’t a memorable way of getting to it at that.

The Champions League final saw United torn apart. They were made ordinary and one of the best goalkeepers to grace the premier league played his final game in a United shirt. Edwin Van Der Sar called time on his career, the only real great goalkeeper to step into the role left vacant by the great Dane all those years ago.

Then there’s the end of a golden generation of players. Over the past twenty years the great players like Paul Scholes, Gary Neville have truly established themselves in Manchester United legend, and now they have called time on their career. The evergreen Ryan Giggs, who breathes Manchester United, is reaching the end of his excellent career too. These are the players who burst onto the scene as fresh faced, naive kids, and became part of one of the greatest United teams in history. We’ve watched them grow into fantastic players who shaped the history of the club.

Manchester United is now in a transitional phase. Now is the time for Ferguson to build a new generation of players. Yes there are already young players who have established themselves within the team but they know, we know and most importantly Ferguson knows that it’s not enough.

It’s begun with Phil Jones, An excellent defender who will no doubt push the ageing Ferdinand to the limit next season. Then there is Ashley Young, a good player who has shown flashes of brilliance at Villa but now must use United as a platform to transcend into greatness.

 And what of Van Der Sar’s replacement?  a huge hole to fill one that De Gea looks set to step into, but not as big as the one in the middle of the park.

If the rumours surrounding Samir Nasri are true, then he would be a breath of fresh air to the team, an attacking, dynamic midfielder with an eye for goal. Something United have missed for some time.

Ferguson has indeed begun the transformation of his side.

There is youth, there is talent, there is a platform in which Ferguson is slowly building a team that he hopes will exceed the achievements of teams gone by.

De Gea? Young? Jones? Nasri?

These are only the beginning.

This transfer window may just prove to be the pivotal moment in the future of Manchester United.

Dale Benton