Fourth place. That's not a position in the Barclays Premier League that you associate with Manchester United Football Club.

Yet in looking back at this season, the par in golfing terms, Manchester United have seen the development of a few players which could shape their first team for the next 5 years.

Chris Smalling - Ander Herrera - Juan Mata - Wayne Rooney

The first three players in that four man list were not expected to be key for Louis van Gaal this season yet Smalling has made 27 appearances, Herrera has 30 and Mata has 34. Rooney, of course, is always the central player in United's success and has played 36 times.

Together, this foursome of United players, two of them not at the club 18 months ago, have made 127 appearances for van Gaal this season.

At times, Herrera wasn't seen as key to United's long term plans but since the Reds came out 3-1 winners over Burnley, the Spaniard has started 13 games on the bounce.

At times last season and early this season, Mata wasn't seen as the club record signing he was at the time of his move to Old Trafford.

At times, Chris Smalling looked like being heckled out of the club by disappointed fans who had failed to see the Englishman live up to his potential.

Yet now Herrera is United's best midfield. Now, Juan Mata has cemented his place as one of the first names on the teamsheet. Now, Chris Smalling has captained Manchester United and is proving himself to be an ever-improving centre-back.

As a Manchester United supporter, what is positive to see is that Louis van Gaal now has 4 central players that can read the game.

The Dutchman, coming from a country who developed the game of total football, has combined these four players to create a possible spine of the team for the future.

If you look at the newly crowned Champions of England, Chelsea, you notice that in their squad they are a closely knit bunch where Jose Mourinho rarely varies the starting XI which has been ruthless in dispatching sides throughout the season. 

Mourinho's back four of Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill and Azpilicueta have made 48, 48, 46 and 39 appearances respectively. Meanwhile, Fabregas and Matic have played 47 and 48 appearances and Hazard, Willian and Oscar have made 51, 47 and 41 appearances. That shows that Chelsea have a starting XI, a winning starting XI.

The first step to finding that Championship winning starting XI for Louis van Gaal is finding the spine to the team. That he has in Smalling, Herrera, Mata and Rooney.

With all four yet to turn 30, they all have time to continue their development and understanding together.

What is most pleasing is that with more arrivals expected to be coming into Manchester than in summers under Sir Alex Ferguson, this spine of the side can provide the stability that is needed to keep the squad 'balanced' as van Gaal always calls for.

If you add the quality of Angel Di Maria and Memphis Depay to Mata and Herrera while Michael Carrick sits behind them, you have one of the best midfields in the country. Add Marcos Rojo to Chris Smalling and you have two defenders ready to become Louis van Gaal's servants. Add a world class striker like Robert Lewandowski or Edinson Cavani to Wayne Rooney and you have a great strike force.

With this you realise that the great spending from Manchester United will not, in fact, be to extend the depth of the squad but instead be to add quality to a solid spine. 

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About the author
Harry Robinson
Deputy Editor-in-Chief at VAVEL UK, and Manchester United Editor.