Danny Welbeck

His inclusion may seem a little harsh as he was brought on at half time for Phil Jones in a tactical re-shuffle after the chunky midfield went off injured. Welbeck has never been the most clinical in front of goal, in fact he has been openly mocked in the past for his lack of goals, but this season he has tidied up his finishing.

This was a performance from the Welbeck of old though, as he failed to make any positive contribution whatsoever. Or at least what I can remember.

In his 45 minutes of play, the England international had two shots at goal but both were easily blocked by the Stoke defence.

He attempted three passes, yes three, completed just one of those, and even that was in the middle of the pitch and was a short-range ball.

He looked lost and was forced back into a deeper role and onto the left wing, and in turn he looked out of his depth.

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Ashley Young

Twitter responded to the news that Young was starting in a light-hearted manor. Some joked that the wind would carry him out of the stadium should he dive, and the rest conceded defeat from the off. While those mocking his presence in the side was met with frustration by other fans who supported the winger, they were left red-faced as he had a shocking game.

In fact, I would go to say he was the worst player on the pitch. It may seem harsh, but he looked hopeless on the ball and numerously gave away possession.

During the game, Young attempted seven crosses but misplaced, or at least failed to meet a United head with six of those. His general pass completion was a little better but nothing to shout about, and he failed in every occasion he tried to beat his man.

For me Januzaj has to come back into the side, or maybe even Antonio Valencia.

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Strength In Depth For Chelsea

Chelsea have looked suspect at the back for some time now, especially when the first choice back four aren't available. For me, the strongest defensive line at Stamford Bridge right now is Ivanovic at right-back, Gary Cahill and John Terry in the centre and Ashley Cole on the left. David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta have played a bit-part role this season but for me the former isn't good enough at the back.

Zouma offers Mourinho another option. He has the determination and combative mindset that Terry does, and the aerial presence of Cahill, but he has the ball skills of Luiz and is far younger than all of them.

He really does have a huge future, should he steer clear of injuries etc, and Chelsea are a club where he can potentially flourish.

There is a big decision to be made regarding Terry's future as the skipper is out of contract at the end of the current season, and it could impact the future of Zouma. But for me, it's win-win for the Blues fans.

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Zouma Is Powerful Yet Agile

Following on from that, Zouma is an incredibly unique player. He is a massive, powerful unit of a defender and is domineering in the air. He has also proved to be an awkward player to get the better of on the deck, using his body to squeeze opponents and not allow them to get round them.

This season so far Zouma has won 68% of his individual battles, which is made up of a 75% of his headers and 69% of his tackles. He has averaged 10 defensive actions per game in the 12 league appearances he has made, but he's also a very reliable player on the ball.

He has completed 86% of his attempted passes this season and his awareness seems to be growing with every appearance. There is rarely an opportunity that he receives the ball and panics - instead he is likely to bring the ball down and open his body up to look for who is available. 

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Zouma Is Still Just 19

Remarkably, Zouma is still only 19 years of age. I say remarkable as he has already established himself as a top, top centre-back and has a host of appearances for the French youth sides. He so far has over 50 first team appearances for St Etienne in Ligue 1 and has represented his country at U16, U17, U19, U20 and is currently a regular in the U21 set up.

He has the body of a young, athletic player but the mind of a much older, more experienced man and that will only develop under the guidance of John Terry, should the former England skipper remain at the club next season.

If not, he still has the likes of Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic to teach him the ropes of the English game, as they have both been there and bought the t-shirt.

Reason number three is certainly a valid one, but there's more. Much more. Click next to read on.

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Number 1 - Ryan Giggs

It pains me to write this as much as it will pain some United fans to read, but Ryan Giggs has been atrocious this season. Pushed inside to operate at centre midfield, the former Wales international looks as though his playing days may be up, although he has a coaching role to look forward to.

The 40-year-old has looked the worst when he has had the ball at his feet. His sloppy passing has caused United all sorts of problems this season - he has completed a woeful amount of his attempts.

His delivery has also been poor, apart from a few occasions, and he has made less key passes than Ashley Young, which gives you some sort of idea at what level he is playing at.

It's not his fault as he is at the end of his career, but he has been poor this season. 

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Number 2: Anderson

The Brazilian is another one who has never really lived up to the media circus that arrived with him from Porto. Joining the club back in 2007 Anderson has now made over 100 Premier League appearances for the club and almost another ton in the cups, but now at 25 he looks as though his time could be up, as he has played just four league games this season.

He has made just four key passes and has won just 25% of his headers, something that is unacceptable as a midfield player. For me Anderson needs to be shown the exit. 

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Number 3 - Nani

The Portuguese winger has never really lived up to the hype that surrounded him when he arrived from Sporting Lisbon back in 2007. Dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo because of the club he came from and the position he played on the pitch, the pressure was always going to be on.

After a few dodgy seasons it came as a surprise to many when he was offered a new five-year contract when Moyes arrived at the club. Some thought that it could be his moment to shine though, and, well, they were wrong.

After eight appearances this season he has completed 11 key passes, which is a respectable amount. However he has no assists to his name and is yet to score a goal, and although he has made a name for himself with his shooting, he's hit the target just 27% of the time this term.

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Wayne Rooney

At the back end of last season when Sir Alex Ferguson was getting ready to leave his managerial post at Manchester United, the wily old Scot revealed that Wayne Rooney had vented his frustration and handed in a transfer request. It wasn't the first time that the former Everton forward wanted out of the club but as it was, he stayed at the club and has worked well with David Moyes - the man who gave him his chance in the first place.

So far this season the England international has scored eight league goals and claimed five assists, as well as producing some outstanding performances in general.

He's also produced the goods in Europe, scoring twice in his four Champions League appearances this season and grabbed another three assists.

Rooney is looking like the player that the club originally signed from Everton and I for one am enjoying everything that he is doing this season. Apart from his kick out at Jordon Mutch earlier in the season.

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Chris Smalling

Signing from Fulham in 2010, Smalling has had a mixed bag since arriving at Old Trafford. The young English defender is a player who can play anywhere across the backline and as a result hasn't really settled into a particular position, but he is steadily becoming an important player for the Red Devils.

The injury to Rafael has meant that Smalling has made his mark from right-back this season, playing nine time in the Premier League. He's averaged 2.3 tackles per game, completed 47 clearances and made eight interceptions, which for a full-back is very impressive.

He's also filled in at right-back for England as Glen Johnson has spent time on the sidelines.

Still only 24, Smalling is only going to get better - especially if he is allowed to develop himself in a set role rather than being thrown around the entire side. United fans can certainly be excited about his future at the club.

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