Now that we’ve done all that boring introductory stuff, let’s get things started, shall we?

It’s not just Arsenal who have a knack for bringing up talented youngsters. From the Flowers of Manchester through Best and Whiteside and up to the famed “Class of ‘92”, Manchester United is rooted in the tradition of youth talent and development. And right now, we have another group of lads that has the Red side of Manchester grinning ear-to-ear with excitement.

I’ll give a run-down of just some of the emerging young talent at Old Trafford, and, as I’m sure many United fans will agree, the future is certainly bright. There are no Klebersons in this bunch (knock on wood!).

Rafael da Silva

A speedy right back with loads of pace and an equally impressive temperament, Rafael looks to be a gem for the future. He bombs down the right flank with a natural willingness to get involved in the attack. With his amazing pace, even if he gets caught up high in the opposition’s half, he has the legs to race back into position.

What’s most impressive is his composure even in the most hostile of atmospheres. This kid stepped into our team when the likes of Wes Brown and Gary Neville were injured, and you would have thought he’d been playing Premier League football for years. And how many youngsters step up and knock in a goal when we’re down 2-nil against Arsenal at the Emirates?

Areas to improve: Rafael often seems too overzealous in his tackling. That can be a good thing sometimes, but more often than not, if he is up against an opposing player, Rafa will jump at the ball, miss completely, and the whole of the right side is wide open for the opposing player to exploit. That has to stop. Luckily, he has one of the best right back mentors you could get in Gary Neville.

Another worry is his injury problems, but let’s remember that he didn’t play competitively for almost a year after he initially signed with United. The Premier League is brutal for even the most seasoned players, so it’s no surprise that the 18-year-old Brazilian picked up some knocks in his English baptism. Add on some muscle, throw in a couple more years of experience, and we will have a defensive star on our hands.

Fabio da Silva

Supposedly, Fabio is the better of the two twins, but unfortunately because of injury problems, we couldn’t get to see as much of him as we would have liked. He had a shoulder injury early on in the season which required surgery, and after returning to fitness he incurred more knocks here and there that kept him out of the squad.

But again, just as I said about Rafael, Fabio hadn’t played competitively for almost a year before his arrival, let alone in the rough-and-tumble English game, so hopefully his body will become more accustomed to the physicality as time goes on.

Just like Rafael (this statement is getting redundant – they’re twins!), Fabio has great composure. In fact, you could argue that he actually has better composure than his brother does. Rather than lunging at every ball like Rafael, Fabio is much more inclined to wait for the right moment to make the decisive tackle. Even better is the fact that he’s just as inclined to get forward as his brother is, and he has great finishing ability (a hat trick in the reserves against Rochdale even with a missed penalty – not too shabby). Fabio is an ideal understudy to Patrice Evra, and hopefully he can stay fit and play more of a role in the first team next season.

Areas to improve: Fitness, fitness, fitness! Honestly I’d probably have more critiques in this section if I actually had a chance to see Fabio play a decent amount, but the lad’s been injured so much that we’ve barely been able to see what kind of magic he can produce. Hopefully his second season will be easier on his body, and with some added muscle and more experience, he should be good to go (fingers crossed!).

Anderson

Do I really need to say much about him? He’s already an established member of the first time, and chances are you know who he is. Just in case you don’t (living in a cave over the past two years, have we?), I’ll give you a quick roundup.

A strong, fast, and intelligent midfielder, Anderson really stepped up this past season and made a claim for a consistent starting position. He can hold the ball up in midfield extremely well, he’s a natural at getting forward, and he has a great passing vision.

The one tough thing is where to place him. He can play in the “Scholes” position, off the strikers, but he is just as comfortable doing the dirty work and sharing the defensive duties in a three-man midfield. From what I’ve seen, he looks like he could be a world class box-to-box midfielder (dare I say reminiscent of a certain Bryan Robson?). The biggest problem might be figuring out exactly what his best position in midfield is!

Areas to improve: His goalscoring (I mean, he’s bound to score sometime, right?). Unfortunately, unless he’s on the penalty spot, Anderson just can’t seem to find that goalscoring touch. That isn’t to say he hasn’t come close, but if he is going to be a consistent choice in the midfield, he needs to contribute with goals now and again. I’m not asking for much, mind you, just a number over 0.

Rodrigo Possebon

Another Brazilian (you can never have too many!). Rodrigo has had a lot of success in the reserves over the past few years, and this season he has been flirting more with first-team football. He’s a tough defensive midfielder, and his game resembles more of an Italian than Brazilian (which isn’t too surprising considering his father is of Italian descent).

He holds the ball up well, and is very careful with possession. When other inexperienced midfielders are quick to turn around after winning possession and try a low-percentage pass up the field, Rodrigo isn’t afraid to pass the ball back to his defenders if a solid option isn’t available. On top of that, he isn’t afraid to get forward and score goals.

Perhaps Rodrigo’s most impressive attribute, however, is his composure (it’s the word of the day). He seems to slot right in when he comes on, and in reserve matches where many young players are visibly on their toes, Rodrigo seems right at home. His next feat will be replicating this on the biggest stage.

Areas to improve: His campaign last season was somewhat marred by a terrible tackle during a Carling Cup match against Middlesbrough, in which Emmanuel Pogatetz crashed into his thigh with a ferocious tackle. Luckily, the injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared, but it did take a toll on Possebon’s season. He seemed a bit more nervy after that challenge, and he needs return to his calm and collected playing style if he wants to seriously challenge for first team places in the future.

Rodrigo will be on loan at Portuguese side Braga for the duration of next season – this is a perfect opportunity for the young Brazilian to get competitive first team football under his belt. By the time he returns, Giggs and Scholes may have already hung up their boots, meaning he can really challenge for a midfield place.

Federico Macheda

C’mon now, you know who he is. The young Italian is already a cult hero at Old Trafford after his amazing winner against Aston Villa and his equally important (but not as amazing) winner against Fulham. Macheda has the looks of a star (or at least the haircut), and he’s already announced his arrival to the footballing world in spectacular fashion.

He’s tall, strong, and he has the build of a number 9 striker (not bad for 17 years old). The whole world knows he can shoot, but he also holds the ball up nicely and positions himself well around the area.

Areas to improve: Macheda already has a tall and strong build, so he needs to use it more to win balls in the air. He has fantastic feet and a great shot, so if he can just add more of an aerial threat to his game he would really be something. Kiko is very comfortable running at defenders with the ball at his feet, and complimenting that with the odd burst into the box for a crossed ball would add a completely new dimension to his attacking threat.

Danny Welbeck

This lad has had me excited for years, ever since I saw him play in the Manchester Senior Cup final two seasons ago. He opened the scoring against Bolton reserves and Rodrigo Possebon finished them off in a 2-nil win at Old Trafford.

Danny has all the attributes you could want in a striker: he’s got the speed of a sprinter, he has great feet, he can shoot well (see: goal on his debut against Stoke for further reference), and he’s useful in the air. At 18, he still has some ways to go before he can seriously contend for a starting place, but he’s on the right track, and he’s certainly in the same boat as Macheda in terms of an electrifying future United attack force.

Areas to improve: His passing. As amazing as he can be, many times Danny fails to look up to see if other teammates are in a better position than he is (see: FA Cup semifinal against Everton). Passing vision isn’t something that you get overnight, but it is something that he definitely has to work on. Hopefully he can take a tip or two from one of the best passing strikers in the world at training: Wayne Rooney.

Jonny Evans

If I didn’t know he was only 21, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed it based on his playing style. The young defender from Northern Ireland made great strides into the first team last season after successful previous loan spells at Sunderland and consistent displays for his country.

It wouldn’t be a farfetched argument to say that Jonny is one of the biggest reasons the niggling injuries to Rio Ferdinand last season didn’t hurt the team as much as one might have thought they would. Evans stepped into the back line with no shortage of confidence, and he made the transition into the United first team (which is no easy task) look relatively effortless. Touted as the future centre-back star, Jonny has all the qualities to mature into one of the defensive forces in world football.

Areas to improve: While he’s shown all the confidence and maturity in the Premier League, he does tend to look a bit lost against the best strikers (in other words, against the other “Big Four” teams in the EPL or against Champions League opposition). Let’s not forget that botched clearance that led to a goal against Porto in the Champions League semifinals first leg. That composure will come with more experience, and his reading of the game, while impressive, will need to improve in order to get to the level of Ferdinand or Vidic. That said, Rio was certainly not as developed a defender at Jonny’s age, and defenders do tend to take more time to groom, so I’m not too worried.

Darron Gibson

When asked about Gibson, reserve team coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said, “He’s like a Ferrari, but sometimes it’s hard to get him out of the garage.” Based on Darron’s performances so far for United, I would have to agree with 2OLEGEND. The young Irishman has a lot of fight about him, and a thunderous shot to boot, but he can unfortunately sometimes disappear from matches.

He reminds me of Darren Fletcher in a way – I think Gibson (like Fletch) can do well in a three-man midfield, but doesn’t quite have the game (yet) to take on the responsibility in a two-man midfield. Alongside another player in the middle who can do the dirty work for him, Gibson is more free to move around and attack the perimeter of the opposition’s defense, and this is where he really shines.

Areas to improve: Darron really needs to learn how to dominate the other team’s midfield players. This is a skill that he hasn’t quite nailed down yet, and it’s why I believe he works most effectively alongside two other midfielders in the center – the other two players can battle in the trenches, so to speak, while Gibson drifts in a free role behind the strikers. He works extremely hard, and that is always a great thing to see, but sometimes despite his work-rate he tends to get lost in the midfield fight, and that is something that just can’t happen against the best teams.