Man United's Champions League Nightmare

Wolfsburg 3 Manchester United 2

Disaster in Germany as Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League as they were beaten by a vibrant Wolfsburg and will now enter the Europa League as the third placed team in their group.

Going to Germany with the majority of the first team under doctor's orders meant that van Gaal had to call on all his vast experience in European competitions to guide the Red Devils through the group stage. In the end ıt turned out to be not enough and wıth another poor showing from United they were resigned to the fact that they are just not good enough to feast at the table of the European elite.

The nineteen man squad had an unfamiliar ring to it with many players venturing into Europe for the first time in their fledgling United careers. Included in the mix was Nick Powell, who must have enjoyed being back in the fold for the first time in sixteen months.

The starting XI that van Gaal chose as the players to get the job done was as follows: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Varela, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard, Memphis and Martial.

Varela was handed his first start for United at right back following his league debut as a substitute against West Ham at the weekend. Fellaini retained his place in the side despite a rather mixed performance on Saturday, but there was a return to the starting lineup for Memphis to once again try and warrant his place in the team.

United got the match underway inside a very noisy Volkswagen Arena.

The home side had a great chance as early as the third minute when former Chelsea player Schurrle found himself open inside the area, but he inexplicably fired his shot way over the bar. An early let-off for United and a sign that they were not going to get an easy ride.

United's first effort on goal came from a Mata shot which Fellaini got in the way of but luckily for him he was adjudged offside to spare his blushes.

The opening goal came on ten minutes when Mata was involved again as his defence-splitting pass fed Martial who confidently ran into the area and planted a shot past the keeper to give United the all important lead.

However, it was a lead that only lasted three minutes as the home side immediately attacked and were rewarded when Naldo got in front of the defenders to volley home the equaliser. A soft goal and a rare lack of concentration by the usually tight United defence.

An open twenty minutes with both sides not afraid to attack which for a neutral must have been entertaining. A corner by Blind was met by the head of Fellaini, but it was well saved by the keeper right on the line. At this point of the match, it was all the away side as they looked to regain the lead before half-time.

Then on the half hour disaster for United as Wolfsburg took the lead through Vierinha after the away defence were once again caught cold by the home side who literally passed the ball into De Gea's net.

Once Wolfsburg had taken the lead it seemed that the stuffing had been knocked out of United as they tried in vain to regroup and find a way back into the match. Passes went astray and heads went down. Even the reliable Schweinsteiger was guilty of giving the ball away, but he must have been grateful to see De Gea save from Draxler.

Another injury blow for United as Darmian limped off to be replaced by debutante Borthwick-Jackson just before half time.

Controversy on the stroke of half-time as Lingard's superb effort from distance was ruled out for offside after it seemed the protests from the home side influenced the linesman's decision.

Half-time and the main point of concern had to be the state of the defence as they allowed themselves to look so ordinary to gift the German side two soft goals. In 45 minutes, they had conceded the same amount of goals as their previous nine matches put together.

United offered no width in attack and with the poor contribution of Fellaini who looked uninterested in chasing back and apart from one header he didn't offer anything of substance in attack as at times he didn't look sure in what position he should be playing.

The second half got underway with no changes made by van Gaal.

Memphis was, at least trying his best down the left as he attempted to pick out Fellaini's head with some good crosses. Unfortunately, the Belgian wasn't up to the task of converting the chances.

After ten minutes the match had become stale and the only hope for United would be if the Russians of CSKA could manage a win away to PSV over in Holland. A tall order, but United would take help from any quarter.

On the hour mark, Bengali made a flying save to deny an acrobatic scissor kick from Memphis. Then Mata squared a free-kick to Schweinsteiger whose shot was almost diverted into the net by Mata and Lingard.

United was pressing more, but it was the home side who almost increased their lead when De Gea went walkabouts close to the edge of his area and when an attempted lob looked to be goal bound the keeper somehow managed to scamper back and reach the ball in time.

Martial had an effort straight at the keeper then at the other end De Gea twice denied the home side with a couple of outstanding stops.

Carrick and Powell were the final throws of the dice from van Gaal as they came on to replace Mata and Schweinsteiger for the final twenty minutes of a game that was looking to slip away from the Reds. It was a surprise that Mata was sacrificed rather than the ineffectual Fellaini.

United won a free-kick right on the edge of the box which was just powered wide from Memphis. It has to be said that was a great chance for United to get back into the game.

News filtered through that CSKA had taken the lead in Holland so as it stood United would go through even though losing. As the away fans started to show their excitement at the news, PSV equalised.

As the game entered the last ten minutes it looked increasingly clear that United had to find a piece of luck from somewhere and they found it from a corner which Fellaini headed into the ground and Guilavogui headed into his own net.

At 2-2 United definitely looked good to go through then heartbreak as Naldo restored Wolfsburg's lead and PSV also went ahead in Holland. How fortunes can change in an instant.

Full-time and United bowed out of the Champions League after being outplayed by the hosts who showed the type of spirit that was needed more by the visitors as Wolfsburg twice turned the match on its head after United had scored.

It is difficult to put into words how depressing it is to see Manchester United succumb to a defeat in the fashion that they did in this match. Everything they did was at best ordinary, a word that is not usually associated with this great club, but one that is warranted judging by their displays of late.

The blame has to rest squarely at the feet of van Gaal and his coaches who obviously got their tactics wrong. After taking an early lead then to squander it so quickly is poor to say the least and showed a lack of concentration that is paramount when playing in Europe.

Those lapses in concentration in the defence can possibly be put down to the fact that they hadn't played together as a unit and it showed itself to be true at precisely the wrong moments. However, excuses can't change the result.

Now it is the reality of the dreaded Europa League and Thursday night football. In all honesty, the failure of qualification wasn't decided in this match it was in the failure to beat PSV a fortnight ago at Old Trafford and in failing to do so put United in a position they shouldn't have found themselves trying to get out of. The bottom line is they only have themselves to blame.

Thanks for reading on such a disappointing night.

Miles Dunton.

No Dutch Courage For United

Manchester United 0 PSV Eindhoven 0

On a night in which the Old Trafford faithful paid tributes to George Best one thing is for certain, the legend would not have enjoyed the display from his beloved Reds as they lacked any attacking prowess and inventiveness in front of goal.

The 3,000 visiting fans from Holland brought banners of sympathy for Luke Shaw, who was lucky enough to have been given time off so as not to witness a game that was so dull most of the fans must have wished they hadn't bothered turning up as well.

Following a week of injury woes Louis van Gaal at last had the luxury to choose from a fit strike force that included Martial and Rooney after Memphis had filled the main attacking role against Watford to much critical acclaim.

Phil Jones and Ander Herrera were the latest casualties of the weekend, but the manager was able to call upon the majority of his main troops for the last home tie of the group stage: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Memphis, Rooney and Martial.

In came Rooney and Martial as expected in place of the injured Herrera and Mata, who would start the match from the bench. Memphis continued in the side against his old team, Lingard was given the green light to continue in the starting XI after his stellar performances of late and Darmian came back to strengthen the defence.

PSV got the game underway, but it was United who started on the front foot and attacked from the off and earned a corner which Smalling almost made contact with.

The home side's attack had Martial as the main striker with Rooney in the hole behind and Lingard and Memphis out wide, but it would seem that they all had a licence to interchange positions to try and confuse the defenders.

Schweinsteiger had the first attempt on goal from the edge of the box but the keeper collected the shot easily.

A nice touch from the home crowd after 7 minutes as they held up their phones lighting up the Theatre of Dreams in tribute to the greatest son of United, George Best.

The first ten minutes witnessed a rather cautious start from United as they sensibly bided their time in search of the opener.

Memphis tried his luck from distance but his effort was rather weak and didn't trouble the opposing keeper.

It was all rather pedestrian on the quarter hour mark with neither side intent on pushing too hard for the breakthrough and no player seemed to want to stamp their authority on the game.

Darmian tried to raise the excitement level with a wonderful ball across the face of the goal which Rooney was a hair's breath away from connecting with for a certain goal. Then it was the captain's turn to be the provider as he carved out a chance firstly for Martial and then Lingard to try their luck, but their communication in the box was on a different wavelength but at least United was starting to turn the screw.

In the first half hour, it had been Schneiderlin who had impressed for the Reds as he tried on numerous occasions to start the attacks with some delightful diagonal through balls.

Another cross almost provided the opener this time from the left and the boot of Rojo which was just cleared in time by a defender. From the resulting corner, Schneiderlin almost nudged the ball over the line, however, the keeper was quick to react and saved on the line.

De Gea made his first contribution of the game as he saved, it has to be said rather dramatically, at full stretch from an effort by Hendrix on the half hour.

Martial came the closest when he was fortuitously played in on goal in the box by a Lingard deflected drive and his right footed shot that only needed to be either side of the keeper, ended up straight in the stoppers grateful hands, a great chance to take the lead.

As one minute of extra time was announced Martial once again created a chance with a thunderous shot that the keeper saved yet again.

United ended the half at least trying to go in a goal to the good, and would have if their shooting boots had been on. It ended 0-0 with the Dutch visitors contented to sit back, defend and, therefore, frustrate the Red Devils. With the pace up front surely it would be only a matter of time for United to find the breakthrough in the second half.

Not for the first time at Old Trafford a visiting keeper, this time Jeroen Zoet made a name for himself with a string of saves to deny United.

United kicked off the second half attacking the Stretford End and immediately, as they had at the start of the match, won a corner that was met by Schneiderlin's head but sailed over the bar.

It was all United as first Memphis was thwarted by the busy PSV keeper then Schneiderlin made a decent run into the box but the ball ran out of play.

Not for the first time this season United had to be careful of a counter attack from an away side as most of the action was up at the other end the defenders needed to be alert and on their toes.

After almost an hour gone in the match van Gaal decided to make a double substitution in an attempt to liven up the proceedings by bringing on Fellaini and Young for Schweinsteiger and Memphis.

The change of Young for Memphis was understandable as the Dutch youngster had struggled against his former club and Young's deliveries could be crucial. However, Fellaini for Schweinsteiger was a head scratcher to say the least, unless of course the German had a knock.

The Old Trafford faithful began to make their feelings heard as groans ran out around the stadium as United struggled to get a grip on the game and the visitors started to enjoy their brightest spell of possession.

As the match entered the final twenty minutes United's passing had completely gone to pot and they began to gift the visitors chances to attack on a plate.

Young did deliver a ball if note into the path of Lingard, who rushed his half volley ten yards out and it ended up well over the bar.

Rooney dropped back into midfield and Fellaini moved up into the attack, which begs the question why Mata wasn't introduced in place of Schweinsteiger as his ability to open defences is far superior to the lanky Fellainis', who was now just the focus of long balls to his head in the opposition's area, waste.

At last Mata was brought into the game for the final five minutes in place of Darmian. This change meant that Young was moved to the right wing back position. However, there wasn't enough time for the Spaniard to have any impact on the result. Right idea, but twenty minutes too late.

Two observations to be made at this point in the game was that once again Rooney was dropping way too deep and Fellaini was a hindrance by conceding too many free kicks in promising areas.

Another point of note was that Martial was not receiving any service and it has to be said that during the second period he was not involved in any attack as it seemed the only tactic was to aim balls up to Fellaini and hope that his teammates would feed off the scraps.

United's night was summed up when Lingard was booked for an over aggressive reaction after he had been awarded a free kick. That was the last action of a very disappointing match that ended in a stalemate.

The post-mortem began following the final whistle by all quarters as United blew their chance of qualifying on the night and will now have it all to do away in Wolfsburg in two weeks time. It means that United have to win or at least match PSV's result against CSKA Moscow. So, their Champions League destiny rests firmly in their own hands.

All that could have been avoided with a victory over PSV, however, due to a number of poor tactical decisions by the manager and players on the pitch it wasn't to be. One player that can hold their head up high is Morgan Schneiderlin who was by far United's outstanding player, but even the Frenchman faded as the match progressed.

One thing is clear and that is if United are to qualify in the Champions League then Rooney should not play in midfield as he cannot have an effect on the game from deep as on many occasions the play totally broke down due to his inadequacies in that position.

Hopefully, in the final group match in Germany Fellaini won't be involved as he really is nowhere near the player he was last season as just maybe the opposition have totally sussed out how to play against him. The fact that United spent the final minutes of the game hoping to find his head in the box sums up how hapless the team's ideas are when he is on the pitch.

On the night, United were crying out for a player akin to the Irish legend to take the game by the scruff of the neck but they clearly do not exist anymore. There will only be one George Best.

Next up sees the Red Devils face a tricky encounter against Leicester City away in a top of the table clash. Now there's something nobody expected to see when the season started.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Rooney's Russian Relief

Manchester United 1 CSKA Moscow 0

Manchester United's barren run ended when Rooney got his head on the end of a Lingard cross to finally lift a veil of uncertainty from the Theatre of Dreams.

After being goalless in the last three matches, the pressure was on for United to find the net against their Russian opposition to take a step closer to qualification from their group in the Champions League at Old Trafford.

Much had been said and written about United's lack of goals and poor inventiveness in attack ahead of this important clash so it was interesting to see the starting XI given the task of righting the wrongs of the last few games: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

Jesse Lingard was given yet another opportunity to prove his worth in the side along with Ashley Young at full-back in place of Darmian. Carrick and Schweinsteiger were chosen together in midfield with Rooney once again given the nod in attack even though his form has been poor for the majority of the season.

Subs: Romero, Herrera, Memphis, Fellaini, Jones, Darmian and Pereira. After the disappointment of being dropped from the Holland national team Memphis could only make it onto the bench sat next to Ander Herrera whom many thought would have started the match.

CSKA got the game underway and immediately it was clear that the home side had taken up a more traditional 4-4-2 system with Rooney and Martial in tandem up front with Mata and Lingard occupying the wider roles.

The system almost paid off immediately when Rooney had an early effort with a shot that he failed to really get a hold of and it squirmed wide. However, this was a bright start by United and they had a real look of intent about their play.

Lingard looked lively in and around the box in the opening ten minutes and he almost won a penalty as the keeper rushed out before the youngster could get on the end of a through ball.

Blind played a delightful ball over the top which Mata almost got his toe on the end of, but the keeper got to the ball first.

It was all United as the first half progressed with some superb passing play, especially down the left channel and only needed a goal to reward their industry.

After half an hour, it was still 0-0. United's performance was a vast improvement on the recent dull showings with Blind in superb passing form from the back as he was the main outlet for start of the attacks.

Rooney delivered a free-kick into the danger area which only needed the slightest of touches from Smalling, but the defender ducked under the ball clearly believing that it was headed into the far corner.

More great play by the home side provided an excellent opportunity for Lingard, but the forward lashed the ball over the bar. A great chance for the youngster who only needed a little more composure to open the scoring.

Rojo was the next culprit as he leathered the ball just wide from close range from a wonderful pinpoint cross from Young.

Half time and the match somehow was all square at 0-0. The half started on such a high with United set out in a system that promised so much but delivered very little in the end. The half ended a little flat with some erratic passing from Lingard and Rojo, who were both also guilty of missing the game's two best chances. Having said that CSKA had not even managed one shot on De Gea's goal, so there was reason to be optimistic for the second half.

There was on bone of contention and that was United's continued use of the short corner that always ends up with the ball going backwards or worse still possession lost. Get the ball into the box where there is the chance of someone getting their head on the end of it.

The home side kicked off the second half attacking the Stretford End with no changes made to the side. Lingard had an early break down the left wing and delivered a much better cross that was diverted for a corner which was not taken short and was almost headed in by Rojo.

Then it was Rojo's turn to become the provider as he delivered a decent ball that Martial almost powered in with a header.

Another lively start by United with a flurry of corners, surely it would only be a matter of time before the Red Devils turned possession into goals.

As the hour mark neared CSKA still hadn't managed a shot on goal, but their new substitute Doumbia showed that he had the pace to be a threat on the counter-attack.

Boos then filled the Theatre of Dreams as Fellaini became the first of van Gaal's changes as he came on for the popular Martial for the final twenty minutes.

The best chance of the match so far fell to Rooney after great approach play by Lingard then Mata. The Spaniard played the ball on a plate for the captain who somehow managed to get the ball tangled up in his feet close to the goal line. Then Young was fortunate not to be booked after a blatant dive in the area as he looked to earn a penalty.

Memphis livened things up when he came on for Mata in the last fifteen minutes by crossing for Carrick to try his luck from distance, however, he smashed the ball wide.

Then David De Gea showed his class by saving at the feet of Doumbia whose follow-up shot was cleared off the line by Smalling then it was straight up the other end as United broke down the right and got the breakthrough their play had fully deserved when Rooney headed in a superb goal in the 79th minute from a delightful cross by Lingard. In doing so Rooney ended a 404 minute United goal drought to the joy of himself, his teammates, the manager and not least the fans.

At last, United had found a way through to goal that will hopefully provide the springboard for more to come in the future. However, if it were not for the top class intervention by United's keeper a few seconds before things could have been totally different.

There was a last minute change for United as Herrera replaced the industrious Schweinsteiger. The German received a standing ovation in recognition of his hard work alongside Carrick.

The match ended with the stadium standing in appreciation for their heroes, especially Lingard, who deserves the man of the match accolades purely for his determination and, of course, the assist for the goal.

The end of the long wait for a goal together with the valuable three points meant that United moved to the top of their group and only need one more win from their remaining two games to clinch a qualifying place in the competition's knock-out stage.

In fairness, the visitors didn't provide a threat until the introduction of Doumbia in attack and it was the save at his feet by De Gea and the clearance by Smalling that proved pivotal in the last throes of the match.

Let's hope that United can build on this result and move forward as this was by far their best display of the season. The manager's decision to use an attacking 4-4-2 formation turned his team into a more threatening side and maybe he should look at keeping the same set up for the foreseeable future.

United have never drawn four goalless matches in a row, so this was a much-needed win for confidence more than anything else.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Ashley Young is flying again.

With the announcement, last summer, of Louis van Gaal as the new manager of Manchester United there must have been a few players at Old Trafford instructing their agents to start looking for pastures new.

Among those, was possibly Ashley Young who had endured a torrid season under David Moyes as had most of the team.

Having been brought to United three years previously in 2011 by Alex Ferguson his career started well enough that season with some encouraging performances and eye-catching goals. He was outstanding in the 8-2 demolition of Arsenal at the start of his Old Trafford career contributing with a double.

His encouraging start was brought to an abrupt halt when he suffered an injury that kept him out until February 2012. In his absence, United had been knocked out of the Champions League and had to compete in the Europa league.

Although he chipped in with goals in the remainder of the season he wasn't quite the same player as when he had arrived.

In Ferguson's last season as manager, 2012-13 Young made a total of 18 appearances and didn't find the net once. His season was blighted by accusations from all parties about his unsportsmanlike diving in the oppositions area for penalties. It became a regular event and certainly didn't bring him any sympathy from the United fans.

Once Ferguson had stepped down it was the turn of David Moyes to try and bring the best out of Young but the new problem for Young was the form of a certain Adnan Januzaj.

Januzaj made more appearances than Young that season and chipped in with one more goal than him. To rub it in the teenager even replaced Young as a substitute to make his league debut.

It was frustrating to watch Young play as he clearly had so much talent, but he seemed to be struggling with his form and even the diving question raised its ugly head and once again blighted his reputation.

So, with yet another new manager entering the arena last summer the writing seemed to be on the wall for Young along with other players including Fellaini. Young had even lost his place in the England set up since being involved in the 2012 Euro's.

However, here we are coming to the end of the season in which United look to have claimed a priceless fourth place in the Premier League thanks in no small part to the performances week in week out of Ashley Young.

Originally used as a left wing back in Louis van Gaal's dreaded 3-5-2 formation at the beginning of the season Young never gave up or complained about how difficult he was finding it and how frustrating it was to play in that position.

He was cautioned for diving against Sunderland back in August which van Gaal must have reacted strictly to as there has been thankfully no repeat of it since.

Once the manager saw sense and realised that his side wouldn't win anything with that setup and reverted to a more traditional four at the back and wingers Young was off and flying.

So far this season his has made the most Premier League appearances of his United career, 24 and contributed with 4 assists and 28 shots netting twice. However, it's not his goals that have impressed it's his wing play that has made him one of United's success stories this season.

Like his teammate Fellaini who had also endured a tough season under Moyes, Young has been rejuvenated under van Gaal and is finally repaying the loyal supporters with some sterling displays.

His work rate down the left against Crystal Palace in United's latest victory summed up his transformation and earned the win and a valuable three points. It could also see him recalled to the England squad. He deserves nothing less.

Even with the imminent arrival of Memphis Depay I still feel that Young has a lot to offer United and it could be Adnan Januzaj who becomes surplus to requirements and loaned out next season.

If so, how the tables have turned.

Update: Ashley signed a new 3 year contract at United on August 7th 2015.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

A Fond Farewell to Fletcher.

Fletcher photo courtesy of @shaunMUFC20

It's with a feeling of regret that I am writing this blog since it has been confirmed that Darren Fletcher has agreed to a move away from Old Trafford after almost twenty years on the United books.

A stalwart for the Red Devils during the heady days of Alex Ferguson through to the present, a player who didn't always receive the recognition he deserved for his performances in the middle of the park. One thing is for sure the Scot is a fighter in more ways than one and always gave his best for the team.

Born in Dalkeith, Scotland and raised near Edinburgh, Fletcher played his youth football at Hutchison Vale and Tynecastle Boys Club before being scouted by Manchester United and became a young player at United in 1995 at the age of 11.

He was originally lined up as a right midfielder but over time Alex Ferguson and his coaches pulled him into a more central midfield role, progressing well he signed a professional contract on his 17th birthday.

Unfortunately due to a run of injuries his first team debut was behind the originally planned schedule. It eventually came on the 12 March 2003 against Basel in the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League. In the same season Fletcher received the Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Year award.

The following year was his big breakthrough season playing a number of games culminating in a winners medal after United beat Millwall in the 2004 FA Cup final. It wasn't until the following season that he recorded his first goal in United's colours. It came in a 2–0 win over Middlesbrough on New Years day at the Riverside Stadium.

Due to the quality in the midfield, which included Keane, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick and Giggs, the Scots chances were limited over the next few seasons. His one outstanding performance came at Old Trafford in the 7-1 demolition  of Roma in the Champions League quarter-final in 2007.

In 2007-08 Fletcher struggled to find a regular place in the team as players like Anderson and Hargreaves were Fergie's preferred choice to play in the middle. He made fleeting cameos, most notable in the FA Cup 4th round win over Arsenal, a match in which he scored a double. He received a Champions League winners medal in Moscow as an unused substitute.

Even though only on the fringe of the first team and mainly used as a substitute, Fletcher was rewarded by United with a new three year contract in 2008. Clearly this was a sign that Fergie valued his fellow countryman and did have plans for him.

In the 2008-09 season he managed triple the amount of appearances of the previous campaign, 42, and contributed to the cause with 4 goals. It was in the semi-final 2nd leg of the Champions League against Arsenal that still leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Fletcher received a red card in the match and after evidence showed that it was clearly not a sending off offence the club appealed to UEFA asking for the ruling to be overturned, UEFA of course declined to accept the request and United went on to lose the final to Barcelona. Who knows what difference he would have made, but I believe the Barca players were slightly relieved not to see him play.

Fletcher had at last established himself as a first team regular after some serious head down work ethic, the same attitude that would see him through more difficult times in the future. However, for now, he was starting to flourish in the heart of United's midfield and started to build a great partnership with Michael Carrick.

Over the next two seasons Fletcher played over 75 times for the Red Devils and chipped in with six goals, some of which were vitally important. It also included two Premier League titles and at the end of the campaign he was chosen for the Premier League XI and made club vice-captain.

In 2011 after missing so many matches many of the fans had an inkling that something was seriously wrong with Fletcher. Rumours were ripe, so in November Manchester United decided to reveal the seriousness of his condition.

It was announced that Fletcher had ulcerative colitis and he would be taking an extended break from football following medical advice. A year later, on the 17 January 2013, it was announced that Fletcher had undergone surgery aimed at resolving his condition.

Most were unsure of the severity of the illness and many thought that we had possibly seen the last of the Scot in the game. It was no surprise that his past hard work ethic paid off yet again as the popular midfielder battled his way through the illness and made a complete recovery.

He returned to action to tumultuous applause as a substitute on the 15th December 2013, making his first appearance for nearly a year, when he came on as a substitute for Ryan Giggs in a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa.

That season he went on to make a further 17 appearances, a true testament to the resilience of the player.

In the summer of 2014 it seemed that Fletcher would continue to progress after his illness with the arrival of Louis van Gaal. The new manager quickly let it be known how important he was to the transition of the club by naming Fletcher as vice-captain behind Wayne Rooney.

Following an unbeaten pre-season tour of the USA it was back to England and the start of the new season. Six players had joined the LvG revolution, including three new midfielders Herrera, Blind and record signing Di Maria. Deep down Fletcher must have known that this would limit his chances in the team and that has proven to be the case. Managing only a handful of appearances and relieved of the role of vice-captain the writing was on the wall.

A number of clubs came knocking at the managers door including numerous Premier League sides desperate for the experience that Fletcher would bring them. In the end the level headed Scot chose a move to the midlands to sign for West Bromwich Albion, meaning he could easily commute from his family home. The start of the next chapter in his career has begun.

I wish nothing but the best for Darren Fletcher in his future endeavours and thank him for all he has done in his time at Old Trafford. I'm sure all United fans will give him a standing ovation when he returns to play at the Theatre of Dreams.

Fletcher's Manchester United honours:

Club app: 342 Goals: 24
Premier League: 5 times winner.
FA Cup: 1
Football League Cup: 2
FA Community Shield: 4
UEFA Champions League: 1
FIFA Club World Cup: 1

Scotland International app: 66 goals: 5

Miles Dunton.