How will Sir Alex’s new signings fit in at United?

With the start of the Premier League season quickly approaching, Manchester United’s three new summer signings will be looking to prove themselves to Sir Alex Ferguson in a bid to secure first team football. The most likely signing to receive the most playing time is goalkeeper David de Gea. Second in line is Ashley Young, who even if he is not starting is likely to play as the super-sub for the Reds. That leaves Phil Jones as the odd one out, for the time being.

David de Gea

Despite Anders Lindegaard’s fine display during the World Football Challenge, de Gea remains the favourite to grab the position vacated by Dutch legend Edwin van der Sar. Although he’s only been a starting first-team for two seasons, his shot-stopping ability is undeniable. Last season at Atlético Madrid, de Gea turned away the most shots in La Liga from inside the penalty area. As a player whose distribution and stature matches that of Edwin van der Sar, expectations will be enormous for the Spanish U-21 international at Old Trafford.

Ashley Young

Sir Alex has a plethora of young wingers available at his disposal for next season, but United’s top three wide players for the 2011-12 season are Antonio Valencia, Nani, and new arrival Ashley Young. Ferguson is renowned for selecting the players who are on the best form and is not considered a manager who picks favourites. Ultimately, Young will get his chance because the United boss almost never selects the same team from week to week.

Phil Jones

Jones will be fighting for a place in United’s central defense, which is already amongst the strongest in the Europe. Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand will start the season as United’s first choice centre-back pairing. If Ferdinand endures another injury plagued season, Jones could see
himself battling Chris Smalling, his England U-21 international teammate, for the place alongside United’s captain fantastic.

During Manchester United US Tour Jones got some playing time at right-back. It’s a bit of stretch to imagine Jones getting regular starting time at right-back, but if Rafael da Silva and his twin Fabio suffer from injury, Jones would be a viable option.

While at Blackburn last season, Jones often ventured forward with marauding runs from central defense. This aspect of his game plus his distribution and tackling skills may be enough to persuade Sir Alex Ferguson to drop Michael Carrick from his holding-midfield position and place Jones in the same role. The 19 year-old has played sparingly in central midfield in his career, but has the tools to become a successful player as a commanding defensive midfielder.

Over the years, no manager has integrated new signings into the first team better than Sir Alex Ferguson. To limit the amount of pressure on new transfers, Ferguson often enters new players into the mix one by one. By playing so many different eleven men lineups throughout the season, the United boss ensures that all of his players can play as one cohesive unit when called upon.