3. Strength In Depth
As well as their squad being well balanced, United probably have the strongest, most in depth squad in the country and that will stand them in good stead to fight for trophies on all fronts. If you look at other FA Cup contenders such as Arsenal and Chelsea they lack the quality cover for every position that Manchester United have, even current champions Manchester City pale in comparison. What makes the United squad so good is that they have multiple quality players that can play and cover in multiple positions; take Wayne Rooney for example, his preferred role is as the main striker but he can also play as a winger and since the arrival of Robin Van Persie we have seen him play as a very effective creative attacking midfield player. Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley are also competent in multiple positions, as is Phil Jones in a more defensive capacity. Having players like this make it easier for a manager to rotate the squad and rest players without weakening the team, making it easier to compete in multiple competitions. Another indication of the depth of the squad at Old Trafford is taking a look at the players who struggle to make it into the first team, the likes of Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling, Nani and Johnny Evans, all of whom are first rate Premier League Players and established internationals. Sir Alex also has cover for every position: he has 5 quality central defenders in Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Smalling and Jones, 4 central midfielders in Carrick, Scholes, Anderson and Cleverley and a choice of 4 of the best strikers in the country in Rooney, Van Persie, Welbeck and Hernandez. In short, Sir Alex has a squad that every manager in the Premier League would love to be in charge of.