2) Chris Smalling
The 24-year-old defender is no longer the inexperienced youngster that he once was. When Smalling moved to Old Trafford from Fulham in 2010, he had played just 13 Premier League games. Having now played well over 100 matches in all competitions for United, and become a fully-fledged England international, it is time for the player to make good on his overwhelming potential. The same is true, to a lesser extent, of teammate Phil Jones. Both players need to step up following the departures of long term defensive duo Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, and prove that they belong firmly in Louis van Gaal’s plans.