After a season of many ups and downs, one part of United’s side which consistently raised question marks was the defence.
However despite looking shaky at certain points in the season, especially at first when adapting to Louis van Gaal’s famous ‘philosophy,’ United only leaked 37 goals last season.
Only Chelsea (32), Southampton (33) and Arsenal (36) had more defensive success than United. After losing more than 700 games of experience in Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, the transition was never going to be easy.
Louis van Gaal only signed Marcus Rojo and Luke Shaw as cover for the trio, which allowed the emergence of United’s youth products, such as Tyler Blackett and Patrick McNair.
But United being the fourth best defence in the country…was that really true?
Here’s how the defence fared this season:
Antonio Valencia
Not a bad season for United’s makeshift right back. He had highs and lows, but was consistently part of Louis van Gaal’s plans.
Valencia played 35 times in all competitions, but what’s disappointing is his assist count. He only made two assists, one which came very importantly against Liverpool in a 3-0 win.
Valencia of previous seasons were be praised for his assist count, as his supply from the right-wing has been vital for United’s goal count.
However, his distribution seems to be lacking quality, especially since he was given the iconic number seven shirt in the 2012-2013 season.
The problem Valencia faces is his predictability. Defenders know he’ll always look to get to the line, and he’ll often just lash it across the box without aiming for one of his team-mates.
If they show him inside, he’s not confident enough on his left-foot, so he lays the ball of to someone else. Not good enough.
Valencia also made a blunder in he FA Cup against Arsenal, with a poor back pass to David de Gea, which let Danny Welbeck score the winner in a 2-1 win for the Gunners.
Despite his setbacks, it’s easy to forget the progress Valencia has made in his defensive responsibilities.
Often, he looks the most composed of whoever’s playing in the back four, and as a senior member of the squad now, he has to continue to lead by example defensively even if his attacking play isn’t what is used to be.
He’s now the clubs first-choice right-back after Rafael endured an injury-hit season, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Van Gaal was looking for another right-back to contest for that starting birth next season, with Nathaniel Clyne and Seamus Coleman linked to the club.
Season Rating: 5.0/10
Patrick McNair
McNair was given his chance due to injuries and made his debut against West Ham on September 27.
The Northern Ireland international had a rocky start to his United career though, being substituted after 39 minutes against Southampton.
United managed to win 2-1, but Van Gaal said after the game McNair had ‘no confidence’ which is why he was substituted.
The Dutchman didn’t give up on McNair though, and he played six days later against Liverpool, in a 3-0 win.
Unlike the senior defenders in the squad, McNair oozes calmness when he’s on the ball. He looks comfortable and more importantly, forward.
It’s unfortunate United didn’t progress further in the Capital One Cup or the FA Cup, as McNair was restricted to 18 games last season… which is still impressive for a 20-year-old.
Big things will be expected of McNair, and his progress will be closely compared to the likes of Smalling and Jones whose careers have stalled in recent years.
Season Rating: 7.0/10
Tyler Blackett
Blackett was given a surprise debut in the first game of the season due to United’s injury crisis, and looked like a seasoned defender despite United losing 2-1 to Swansea.
Blackett only played 12 times this season and was sent off against Leicester in the 5-3 defeat.
However, Van Gaal clearly likes the defender, as he was on the bench for the majority of the season if he wasn’t playing.
Much like James Wilson, it seems Van Gaal wants Blackett to soak up as much experience as possible before completely trusting him in the first-team line-up.
Like McNair, Blackett is evidently confident on the ball, and his long-range passing is an admirable attribute.
He has pace and strength, and it’s not beyond him to become an England international in the future.
He must take the chances given to him next season, and with United’s involvement in the Champions League, he should find opportunities to break into the side much more often.
Season Rating: 6.0/10
Phil Jones
Where do you start with Phil Jones? It seems to be a reoccurring theme of the past few seasons. Sparks of dominant defending, overshadowed by brash tackles and needlessly over-committing to duels he doesn’t win.
That’s without even mentioning his injuries. To the defender’s disappointment, he’s only played 24 times for United last season. That’s compared to 39 times under David Moyes.
Jones is a frustrating figure, because he does have the potential to be a combative defender, full of improvisation, such as his unique moment against Arsenal, where he headed the ball on the ground against Giroud.
His Achilles heel is, he’s too enthusiastic. He needs to learn to use his energy in a more positive way, instead of challenging every ball.
He needs to be sat down and told, “Phil, you can’t win everything, think before you tackle!”
At the beginning of the season, Jones also looked horrendous on the ball. It was clear the opposition were happy for him and Smalling to come out with the ball, knowing they’d overrun with the ball or go long.
He did look better towards the end of the season, but Jones has to improve in that department if he’s to challenge for a starting spot in United’s line-up next season.
Season Rating: 5.5/10
Chris Smalling
Like Jones, Smaling did have some injuries once again last season, but not as frequently as his team-mate. Smalling managed to play 29 times last season, and impressively notched four goals for the club.
Despite getting sent off against Manchester City in November in a 1-0 loss, he more than made up for it United’s impressive 4-2 victory against their neighbours in April, scoring a header from a Rooney free-kick.
The England international looked shaky at the beginning of the season, but he showed signs of progress last season. To reward him, Van Gaal gave him the captaincy against Arsenal and he repaid the manager with a solid performance.
Smalling seems to have more confidence in his ability; he’s a strong, powerful and quick, which are all the attributes to a top modern defender.
He needs to eradicate the simple mistakes in his game such as giving the ball away cheaply or running with the ball into trouble.
With defensive signings expected, Smalling will have to push himself even harder if he’s to compete against prospective signings such as Otamendi and/or Hummels.
It’s a season of progress for Smalling, but he can’t be comfortable in his ability yet as there’s still much room for improvement, but there's no doubt he was United's best defender last season.
Season Rating: 7.5/10
Marcos Rojo
After a World Cup final loss, Rojo was given a break from the beginning of the season, and the defender didn’t make his debut for United until the middle of the September, in a 4-0 win against QPR.
The Argentine, who took over Rio Ferdinand’s iconic number five shirt, has had a decent start to his United career.
His only setback were the minor injuries he suffered, which limited him to only 26 appearances last season.
Rojo was a favourite of Van Gaal’s last season, when he was fit, he often played. Whether it was at left-back or at the centre of defence, the Dutchman often found a way to get Rojo in his side.
Rojo appears to have all the attributes to succeed at United. He has no fear going into a tackle, and he comfortably strides forward with the ball.
He’ll be looking to make a bigger impression at United next season, after he struggled to cement a regular starting place in his first season at Old Trafford.
Season Rating: 6.0/10
Luke Shaw
Shaw’s United career hasn’t got off to the best start.
After questions being raised over his fitness by Louis van Gaal in pre-season, Shaw didn’t play his first game for the club until September 27.
Due to injury after injury, Shaw only played 21 times for United this season, but Van Gaal clearly has confidence he’ll adapt to the club, he just needs time.
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Shaw at the same time, he had to play in a system of 3-5-2 as a wing-back and he struggled.
It was difficult as he was expected to attack as well as deal with his defensive responsibilities, but with no winger in front of him, he often had to retreat with the ball after bombarding forward.
The second half of the season seemed much more profitable for Shaw. His standout performance was the 1-0 defeat against Chelsea in April. Despite the loss, he showed Van Gaal and United fans why the club paid £27m for him.
He skinned Ivanovic multiple times, provided threatening crosses, as well as being very good defensively.
If this is what is to be expected from Shaw in upcoming seasons, the 19 year-old will have a fantastic career.
After being omitted from the U-21 squad for the European Championships this year, Shaw must prove it was the right decision and be in the best shape possible for next season.
Season Rating: 5.0/10
Jonny Evans
Evans just hasn’t been very impressive at all. An injury ravaged season hasn’t helped, but as a senior member of the squad, especially of the defence, he should be leading by example.
His first game of the season was against the MK Dons in the Capital One Cup, and we all know what happened in that game.
In the 4-0 loss, he was culpable for three of the goals, and it didn’t stop there.
If it wasn’t for David de Gea, Sterling would’ve had a hat-trick against United in December, especially when Evans misplaced a pass to the Liverpool forward.
The worst aspect wasn’t the pass itself, it’s when he blamed his defenders and ‘keeper, despite bailing him out of the situation.
Evans needs to take responsibility, however with a year left on his contract, rumours are spreading whether he’ll be offered a new contract.
If they’re true, will Louis van Gaal extend his contract? The United manager has had no problem axing players he deems aren’t at the level he’s looking for, and Evans has shown no improvement in the last three years at Old Trafford.
He’s a solid defender, no doubt, but unfortunately he’s always prone to a mistake. The future seems bleak for the Northern Ireland international.
Season Rating: 4/10
The season wasn’t as as dire for United as it could’ve been, but then the role of David de Gea can’t be highlighted enough. The amount of times the Spaniard has got his defence out of trouble…well we’ve seen it enough times.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of reinforcements Van Gaal brings in, whether they’ll be players to walk right into the team, or as back-up to his current crop.
There’s no doubt United need a top-quality right-back to challenge Valencia, as Rafael’s injury record is starting to prevent him having a future at Old Trafford.