Giggs, Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra made 2,097 appearances and won 80 medals collectively with Manchester United That includes 29 Premier League, five Champions League and five FA Cup Giggs retains place at Old Trafford as assistant manager to Louis van Gaal Phil Jones and Chris Smalling expected to step up under ex-Holland boss Van Gaal close to signing Arsenals Thomas Vermaelen and considering move for Borussia Dortmunds Mats Hummels By ADAM CRAFTON PUBLISHED: 12:47, 10 July 2014 | UPDATED: 13:18, 10 July 2014 If, as expected, Patrice Evra completes a move to Juventus in the coming days, the new Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will be greeted by a dressing room that looks and sounds rather different to the one that David Moyes left behind in April. In the blink of an eye, the make-up and personality of the United squad has radically transformed. Since the end of the season, United’s four most senior players – Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra – have all moved on, although Giggs’ services have been retained in his new position as assistant manager. Ryan Giggs Appearances: 963 (168 goals) Honours: 34 (13 Premier League, 4 FA Cup, 2 Champions League, 3 League Cup, 9 Community Shield, 1 Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup, 1 Club World Cup) Rio Ferdinand Appearances: 455 (8 goals) Honours: 16 (6 Premier League, 1 FA Cup, 2 League Cup, 5 Community Shield, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup) Nemanja Vidic Appearances: 300 (21 goals) Honours: 15 (5 Premier League, 3 League Cup, 5 Community Shield, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup) Patrice Evra Appearances: 379 (10 goals) Honours: 15 (5 Premier League, 3 League Cup, 5 Community Shield, 1 Champions League, 1 Club World Cup) From the playing staff, however, the club has lost the know-how and experience that comes with a combined 2,097 Manchester United appearances and a total of 80 winning medals between these four players. The figures are quite remarkable and while a new era dawns with the arrival of Van Gaal, it seems remiss of United to lose so much, so soon. The quartet have all captained United for extended stints, Ferdinand and Giggs together lifting the UEFA Champions League aloft in Moscow as the two shared responsibilities in 2008. Nemanja Vidic has twice captained United to Premier League glory. Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra have started in three European finals, forming the core of a back-line that broke records for consecutive clean sheets in 2009. And now, in an instant, it is all over. Surely it would have been more pragmatic to secure a balance between young legs and old heads. These players, who cared deeply for the United shirt, will be missed. United should have worked harder to retain one of Ferdinand and Vidic. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, these wise veterans brought a paternal touch to their task of buttressing the manager’s authority. They acted as model and mentor for the new signings and the academy products that nervously creep into the club’s Carrington training ground, offering guidance on the United way. Even last season under David Moyes, Adnan Januzaj leaned heavily on Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand encouraged Chris Smalling to work on his distribution and Nemanja Vidic remained the captain that commanded the respect of his team-mates, even after he had declared his intention to leave in February. Injuries hampered the mobility of Ferdinand and Vidic but on the right occasion, they, along with Giggs, remained capable of outstanding performances in the showpiece matches. You need only watch the tape of Ferdinand and Vidics flawless demonstration of organisation against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in March to see that they remained the clubs most accomplished defenders. Pace gave way to poise in the final years but the trio would deconstruct the game in their minds and anticipate the next act with masterly precision. Some performances were below par last season but regular observers of United note that these showings were no worse than the contributions of younger players, such as Smalling, Shinji Kagawa and Ashley Young. Tall, lean and athletic, there was once a feeling that Smalling could be a Ferdinand clone at Old Trafford. His form last season sadly rendered that suggestion the stuff of fantasy. Phil Jones, also, has a way to go if he is to fulfil Fergusons prediction and become one of the best players we have ever had. Chris Smalling Appearances: 123 (5 goals) Honours: 3 (2 Premier League, 3 Community Shield) Phil Jones Appearances: 104 (5 goals) Honours: 3 (1 Premier League, 2 Community Shield) Perhaps Smalling and Jones will be liberated by responsibility under Van Gaal, but there is also a reason that the Dutchman is close to signing Thomas Vermaelen and considering a move for Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund. The prominent endurance of Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra should have been guarded with more care. By way of retort, the club would argue that things have not transpired the way they intended. Vidic and Evra were not forced out of Old Trafford. Sources close to the dressing room suggest that Vidic had resolved to leave at the end of his contract as early as late September, determined for a fresh challenge following the exit of Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferdinand, meanwhile, had already made plans to move back down south with his family by the time that Van Gaal was in a position of decision-making power. Evra has now decided that the time is right for a move, aware that Luke Shaw will be the first-choice at left-back and conscious that his wife Sandra would like to live in Italy. Still, though, the Frenchman would have been a fountain of expertise for Shaw to tap into and his continued presence would lift some of the pressure off the 18-year-olds young shoulders. United will survive and move on, of course. Young talents like Januzaj, Shaw and James Wilson and Shaw will guarantee that. Pre-season will be a processions of hellos as Van Gaal bounds into town but United may come to reflect that they should have been a little less hasty to say some very emotional goodbyes. Read more: dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2687211/Ryan-Giggs-Rio-Ferdinand-Nemanja-Vidic-Patrice-Evras-Manchester-United-departure-sees-Old-Trafford-lose-80-medals-2-097-appearances-worth-experience.html#ixzz3769Ss7ST Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Posted on: Thu, 10 Jul 2014 20:16:09 +0000
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