The 18 on duty at the Luzhniki Stadium gathered in a huge bouncing huddle with those who had to remain in their posh final suits.
Some will be returning to the same Russian venue still with much to prove.
Long-term absentee Owen Hargreaves and injury-hit Ji-Sung Park won't be in Moscow again but will remain behind at United's Carrington training HQ with the England star striving to get back to the fitness that made him such a vital component in the first all-English European Cup final.
Since that triumph in May 2008, life has stood still, slowed down or gone backwards for some of the Reds who helped defeat Chelsea.
As United return to the huge bowl to face CSKA Moscow, STUART MATHIESON takes a look at the players who still have work to do in Russia.
WES BROWN
THE 2008 Champions League final was the climax to the Mancunian's best-ever season for the Reds.
The defender put behind him seasons of injury despair that constantly robbed him of making major strides with his performance against Chelsea.
It was his 52nd appearance of a marathon campaign in which he cemented the right-back role. He was instrumental in the build up to Cristiano Ronaldo's goal that opened the scoring in Moscow.
But a successful season that should have seen the defender put a vice-like grip on his position in Sir Alex Ferguson's first choice XI turned into a personal injury nightmare once again.
Last season an ankle injury in October wrecked his term. Brown only made two further sub appearances and didn't start again in the side until the title was secured and United played a fringe team at Hull City on the final day of the season, three days ahead of a second successive Champions League final in Rome.
Lining up at the KC Stadium on that day couldn't have been a bigger contrast to 12 months earlier when he was a Moscow shoe-in.
Brown's injury enabled teenage Brazilian Rafael to prove his qualities, Gary Neville was able to get in a few games and show writing him off was premature, while John O'Shea went from Mr Versatile to the established right-back and the first person Fergie publicly named in his European Cup final side.
Brown has made three starts this term but returns to Russia very much fighting to regain the status he enjoyed the last time he was in Moscow.
NANI
MOSCOW was the finale to a debut season that mixed the spectacular with the frustrating and the downright ridiculous for the £18m import from Sporting Lisbon.
The winger had scored some impressive goals that preceded some elaborate acrobatic celebrations.
However, Nani's settling in period was also more than dotted with matches where he had you tearing your hair out.
A week before the Reds clinched the title at Wigan and just over a fortnight away from the Russian final, he was sent-off in the final Old Trafford match of the season for head-butting in the West Ham match and then ludicrously feigning injury in an attempt to get away with it.
But the young newcomer's inauspicious ending to the domestic campaign was righted in Moscow.
Though he didn't make the Luzhniki XI, Nani came on and was a nominated penalty-taker in the dramatic shoot-out. His confident spot-kick in the most tense of situations helped United to the trophy and suggested a platform for much better.
However, last season Nani remained an enigma and was out rather than induring the second half of a disappointing season.
This new campaign has remained on the same course. He hoped the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo would open up a door for him to become a more solid fixture. He's had nine appearances to stake his claim but United fans and the critics are still to be convinced.
DANNY WELBECK
WHEN you are just 17 and partying on Europe's biggest stage with the likes of Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, the world is your oyster.
The young Mancunian striker was being eased into the senior scene by Sir Alex Ferguson and afforded a non-playing place in the Moscow squad in 2008.
He's there on the pictures, not quite in the foreground a la David May, but Welbeck has a potential to suggest that he will warrant a prominent place in future celebration pictures.
He added to his early scrapbook entries for the first team with two Wembley appearances last spring in the Carling Cup final against Spurs and the FA Cup semi against Everton.
Welbeck is coming along slowly but surely as anticipated.
He's still a raw striker who has been operating mainly on the wing when Fergie has promoted to his XI.
The Reds manager even suggested that Welbeck could make Fabio Capello's England World Cup squad.
It would take a monumental season for Welbeck to sneak in the back door for South Africa and his appearances will be limited again. But he's on the right track.
ANDERSON
OLD Trafford fans took the young Brazilian to their hearts in his debut season largely thanks to impressesive clashes with Steve Gerrard and Cesc Fabregas in the showdown matches with Liverpool and Arsenal.
By the end of his debut season the ex-Porto midfielder was running out of juice but was on the bench in Russia.
Despite the nerve-shredding tension of the spot-kick drama, he confidently planted his penalty home for his first Reds' goal.
United supporters licked their lips in anticipation of an even better second term.
But last year he made less of an impact, as a belated settling-in period seemed to strike the South American. He played in the Rome final last May against Barcelona but was ineffective against the Spaniards and was substituted at half-time.
His frustration partly spilled over into this term when he had an alleged spat with Fergie after not being chosen for the Community Shield.
Anderson has knuckled down but has yet to reproduce some of that impressive debut term power and skill.
Do you think this quartet will come good for United? Have your say.
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Unfortunatly for Wes age is catching up with him he is 30 now John O'Shea is miles ahead of him and there is Da Laat and Rafeal aswell still a vital squad player.
Anderson will come good he has had some good performances this season needs to add maybe 10/15 goals and he will be fine
Nani no i dont think he is good enough to hold down a regualar place at united
Wellbeck will get is chances to prove himself
Steve Elliott
How is JOS "miles ahead" of Wes? Yes, he is more often available for games due to Wes' injury record but no way is he a better defender than Wes.
Wes has only really had one season uninterupted by injuries and that was the 99 season, every other season has been blighted, so he honestly cant be relied on same with hargreaves, harsh but true, we have options in that dept at least as cover,o'shea can do a job but is needed really for lb cover,de laet looks good, the twins seem injury prone already and have a lot to learn about not diving in and staying in position but that will come in time, neville going forward is still good but defensivly he is looking pretty dodgy and is constantly shoving attackers two handly in the back, sure to draw pens against us.
Anderson and nani have realisticly been way below standard, especially when there combined cost is close to 40 million, anderson still only has one goal and runs out of steam every game, something at his young age he shouldn't be doing, is he only going to last 45 mins when he gets mid twenties?,nani thrills and equally frustates, shot like a rocket, good movement coupled with terrible passing and descion making in games, also he showed great bravery when arsenal kicked him all over the pitch in the carling cup a couple of years ago now a slight touch will have him rolling over.
Add berbatov's lack of goals and valencia's one trick, fosters blown chance and the jury is still out on a couple more players.
Brown deserves his chance.
Wellbeck should be played in his natural position and not on the left wing !!!!
I still think Wes Brown is our best defender after Vidic, i really do. Fearsome tackler, and totally committed EVERY game he plays - albeit not often enough due to injuries.
Anderson - coming good for sure, but needs to get forward and create more often. In time this will come.
Nani - i really haven't got a clue with this guy!! I know for sure though, if he doesn't have a good season this time, fergie will get rid.
Wellbeck - 50/50 on him, reminds me of a certain Wanchope!
Anderson and Wes Brown are good players ,Nani is a bit up and down ! but all should be given a good chance to shine
Welbeck is not good enough yet!
I rate Wes as a better right back than JOS but you have to say that JOS has done well in there and he has one key advantage over Wes in that he is rarely injured. One thing we know from SAF's selections is that he rates defensive consistency very, very, highly - so he put VdS back in as soon as he was fit and, domestic cups aside, the defenders in front of him will play as many games as they are fit for. Wes therefore has a mountain to climb to be selected ahead of JOS and he also has Rafael threatening to overtake him.
Welbeck is apparently still growing and he won't be able to make a sustained challenge for a place until that's settled down. He will get chances in the cups but I can't see him making many other appearances this season.
Nani is a player lots of people love to hate. I think SAF will stick with him at left wing (rotating with Giggs) and that he will make a good contribution this season.
Anderson remains an enigma. Capacity to be a top player but still running out of steam mid way through the second half of games. Also, I find it worrying that he conducted his recent interview with MUTV exclusively in Portuguese - a sign that he is not settled and/or not committed to a career in England? After over two years here, you would think that his English would be good enough to answer (presumably scripted) questions in English. How does he communicate with the other players (Nani and the twins aside)?
If you think JoS is miles ahead of Wes, then you're more Elliot Ness ! ;)
granted he is at the moment, in Saf's eye's but then he'a always been a daddy's boy !! lol.;)
Wes - Something is not right with Wes, SaF has got this one wrong imo, 'cos come Sunday & the cauldron of AnUSAfield, it's a time for strong, tough MEN & that's a job form the hardest man in town ! Jos is too weak, Eire would be at the WC finals now, had he not come galloping out of defence trying to win that header with a weak tame effort & so ended up miles out of position before lolloping back while others scampered!! Serious! He's a great squad player to have but that's it. I wonder who Henry was glad he was up against in Rome??....exactly !
Nini - i truly believe you have to see him live, week in/week out to understand how frustrating he is. To realise how when he loses the ball or gives it away, he initially had so much time or other options available. That when we hit a time on the break, with numbers over, & he then tries going it alone!
sorry, but you don't see these things on TV.......just the couple of great shots a season and some great pieces of skill !! Don't get me wrong, the lad has great ability (obviously), we aren't talking Ralphy here, but the modern ENGLISH game (and therein, maybe, lies his problem) requires a lot more than that. IMO, i think he's a bit thick, either that or he's struggling with English? SaF has never been known to run out of patience quickly with a player, and N has had enough chances (esp' this season), but how long do we keep enduring the same foibles?
Wellbeck-It's up to him now. Saf backs him, & thats the first hurdle but the $64,000 question is : Is he good enough to start? ....time will tell !
I think JOS and Wes are now about the same level. JOS is steady rather than spectacular, but in my view people are overly critical of him. Also remember it was Wes's error at Anfield last season who let Liverpool back into a game, which up to that point Utd had been in control.
I like Anderson, but his lack of goals (and threat) and stamina are a worry. Perhaps he needs more games week in and week out. Having said that iIthink that is an issue with all the the midfield, but due to demands SAF will not change his selection strategy.
I rate Nani, fractionally ahead of Ralph Milne (for those who can remember him!). In other words if I was selecting the team he wouldn't even be in consideration to sit on the bench. I would dump him now.
Welbeck is a good prospect who should be encouraged and given opportunities, but in his correct position.
Balders, JOS found the atmosphere at A Field when he scored the winner when the scousers also did us a favour and injured that useless Alan Smith
Balders!, W3106, Tier2
20/10/2009 at 12:27
... all true
Duggers - North Stand Lower, all I remember about the scouse defeat was giggs being at fault for the winner.
Wes brown is a great player and when fit i think he is a contender for Englands right back berth, but its getting him fit that concerns me his track record on fitness is a troubled path!!
Nani is a show pony and needs outing, apart from fleeting bursts he has shown little improvement since arriving and I dont think he cuts the mustard!
Welbeck ummmmmmm, not convinced, personally I think he is championship material, and would prefer Machada.
But I believe our true problems are in the centre of midfield, Carrick is disappearing from games, Fletch has improved vastly as a holding midfielder breaking up the play, but is not Roy Keane, or Paul Scholes, Anderson has not reached or improved upon his first season, and Paul Scholes legend that he is, has time against him and doesnt have the legs anymore. This leaves us exposed in the middle with lack of creativity and drive which is causing issues now and unless SAF goes shopping will be the downfall of us next year!!!
Rant Over
Wes - still a quality defender. Once Nev hangs up his boots would like to see him and Rafael battling for the right back position with Evra and Fabio battling for LB, with De Laet thrown in there as well. He's also still quality at central defence. How many other clubs came name a 4th choice central defender as good as Wes. Also once Nev, Scholes and Giggs call it a day then players like Wes and Rio will become the senior members of the squad which we will need.
Anderson will develop into a quality Man Utd player.
Nani - running out of time. If things haven't improved by the summer he's pretty much nailed on to be first out of the door.
Welbeck - decent player and all that, but not gonna be as good as Macheda so i can't really see him getting a run in the team. Going to the world cup next summer - unless there is some English injury crisis on a very large scale then that just won't happen.
The only thing that Wes has to prove is his fitness. As a defender he's light years ahead of Fergie's adopted son! It completely baffles me how JOS keeps getting the nod,especially when you actually replay the game and see how many times he gives the ball away and the number of goals that come from his side of play
Nani has skill but no heart and little will to fight for the ball. How hegets a squad place and Tosic remains on the outside is a mystery,maybe Tosic reminds Fergie of Rossi! When you need a bit of guile to find space and beat a packed defence,for me Tosic gets the place.
Anderson seems to be somewhat near his best again but is there an underlying medical condition that causes an otherwise healthy 21yr old to run out of steam every game? Until this fitness issue is addressed he will not command a regular place
Welbeck needs time on the pitch! He will never improve his game by sitting on the bench.But by the same token he has to play in his normal position.
So of the 4 it seems that Nani is the weaker player,the one more at risk of moving on in the window! Especially now is seems that Valencia is starting to feel at home in the Red shirt.
Steve Elliott
20/10/2009 at 10:52
Ha! Is there a new player called John O'shea that i dont know?........
I like John O'Shea but Brown for me is first choice (when fit)
Duggers - North Stand Lower, Basingstoke,
You mean the own goal? Think it's a bit harsh blaming Wes for that one. VDS bounced the ball off him and he couldn't have done much.
Nani has so much potential but then, WHY CAN'T HE JUST PASS THE DAMN BALL?
KingCantona7, Ashton,
Your "...useless Alan Smith" sounds harsh but all things considered... and that chap with his Smith T-shirt sitting with the fans at Newscastle... a grotesque sort of comedy, really.
SAF got it right.
alias
you are right that wes is better than jos
you are also right that opie has done a decent job when asked, but you neglect to say that oshea has made a couple of blunders of late that have ended up as goals against.
Algernon Blabbermouth, eccle : you don't need to play a game back, i notice it every week !! ;)
He scored in front of the Kop, from an inch on a fumbled free-kick. Awesome..... but That doesn't mean he should be a striker !
In all seriousness, JoS is never injured 'cos he never puts his body on the line !...work it out ffs. He offers little in attack, & he rarely goes past half-way, unless we're desperate for a goal. AND in defence, i rarely see him make a tackle. Carrick gets stick for not putting himself about, yet JoS is a defender ffs, and nobody says a word about him not tackling. Oh sorry, i forgot those clumsy lunges with the 'wrong foot' which allow the winger to skip past him. People don't rate Valencia, yet he absolutely 'raped' JoS last season at OT !! Even SaF had to charge down to the technical area !!!!!
little Pat got whacked on Sat' on the ankle, as he flew in trying to cross the ball (2nd half).
Wes - i've lost count of the times he's steamed into a tackle/situation etc.
Fabio twins - regualarly go in full bloodied !
JoS - when did you ever see him do anything? Serious! No wonder he stays fit. I play'd punch & Judy for 25 years and never missed a show! .....
I didnt really, but hopefully you'll get my drift! I like JoS, i'm glad we have him ........BUT as a squad player, but don't try saying he's a better defender than Wes......it's embarrasing !!
Wes Brown - I'm not sure we know the full story - Wes has always been one of our very best natural defenders (as acknowledged by SAF often enough) and his only failing has been his fitness. Now he's fit, he should surely have been shoe horned into the right back spot. The season before last he was 1st choice for United and England. Why has he been overlooked? Is it because, having signed his juicy contract last year, he is 'putting his feet up' and not really trying? Any ideas?
Nani - apprears to have had too many chances without seizing the right to be a starter. With Tosic, Obertan and Valencia signed to play out wide, is there a future for Nani at OT? Unless something sensational happens this season, the answer is likely to be 'no'.
Wellbeck - for those of us that have watched him regularly in the junior sides, we know that, although not blessed with blistering pace, he has a sublime touch (I guess Norman Whiteside is the closest to Danny). I hope that Danny makes it but I have been frustrated about SAF using him as a winger - which the lad clearly ain't. He cannot get up and down the pitch to play wide and his close control and dribbling ability (his major strengths) do him little good out there. I do think that Wenger has a better record of introducing his youngsters into the senior side than SAF and I don't think Danny would have expected to play as a winger were he at Arsenal (I suspect Aaron Ramsey saw the writing on the wall when he chose Arsenal ahead of United). Give Wellbeck a proper chance and not just Carling Cup leftovers and see what he's made of.
Anderson - is a great player but, from his mannerisms, he is not schooled in the 'never say die' mentality that I thought you needed to play for SAF. I do get the impression that Ando is happy to pick up the money and, if United didn't, someone else would keep him in clover. Pity really because there were plenty of signs in the season before last that Owen Hargreaves and Anderson could be an effective midfield duo. Others have pointed out his fitness - seemingly running out of steam in the second half - but he covers acres of grass and his main fault seems to me to be more about pacing himself, rather than being less fit than Alan Wiley! Anderson is young enough and good enough to play for us for the next decade if he wants to. Does he want to?
"Unfortunatly for Wes age is catching up with him he is 30 now John O'Shea is miles ahead of him and there is Da Laat and Rafeal aswell still a vital squad player."
LOL. No. Not as a defender anyway. Wes is much the better of the two even now he's "nearing" 30. For me Neville is better than O'Shea. Be nice to see Welbeck getting more playing time with the first team - he needs the time to make it. Macheda has gone backwards a little since last season but hopefully he will recover this season. Anyone who rights Welbeck off at this stage needs to tell me what the lottery numbers are this weekend as they clearly have an outstanding crystal ball (or not!).
Edinburgh red - the article itself says Brown played 52 matches in 2008. That's hardly a season blighted with injury as your post suggests.
Wes: Will hopefully get a game in Moscow as he needs the game time, if fit he has to retain the RB spot he made his own during the CL winning season. As well as O'Shea has done, he's a squad man and doesn't provide anything going forward which hasn't been of help to Valencia settling in as he doesn't support or provide options for him when attacking.
Nani: I've always championed his cause as I can see he has the ability if given a decent run on his preffered side we'd see alot more from him, during the pre-season in the far east he was excellent on the right hand side (albeit against pants opposition) and linked well with the Berb and Owen, since then he has been deployed back on the left which isn't his natural side imagine Park out there or Valencia they'd not really do well would they? In an Ideal world i'd have him and Valencia vying for the RW slot and Obertan and Tosic doing the same on the left but it doesn't look as tho the latter is going to get that chance so maybe Ljajic will come in and do so? Nani needs, no doubt to up his game and get the simple things right and then the fancy stuff will fall into place.......I think!?
Anderson: well, for me he has to get his fitness levels up and be able to last the entire 90mins if he cant do it at his age I dont see it becoming any easier. He hustles and harries well can pick a pass and has a decent turn of pace so has the ingredients there just needs some fine tuning. Shooting is something that definitely needs working on but will hopefully come with time, I think he has the talent and could go far with the right attitude and desire.....only time will tell.
Welbeck: For me the jurys out still, yet to fill out and stop growing he is like a cross between Ameobi and Wanchope, which i'm not sure is a good or a bad thing? Playing out wide in an unnatural position doesn't help me gauge how good or bad he is. Until he starts up-front I doubt any of us will know whether he'll make it or not, a loan spell would do him some good and regular football would no doubt improve his game like it has for Cleverley at Watford, who's playing some great stuff at the moment. I'm 50/50 on him making it at OT. I hope Macheda lives up to his promise as he's not getting the oppotunities i'd hoped he's get.
Ed, Wenger may have a better record of bringing youngsters through but when was the last time he actually won something? At United, fans would be calling for his head by now.
The fact that there are still major doubts about Nani and Anderson more than 2 years after they joined, points up the uncomfortable truth that our scouting performance remains more hit or miss than it should be for a club of our stature.
We often overspend on average talents and then take a loss on them. The Ronaldo zillions flatter the transfer balance sheet but hide the fact that we make too many recruitment mistakes, certainly compared to Arsenal, who clearly have the right people and pipeline in place which enables it to compete near the top on a fraction of what its rivals lay out.
They have taken hits on the likes of Reyes and Jeffers of course but our list of expensive horror shows is a lot longer.