What a summer it has been for Manchester United fans all over the globe. The arrival of top players like Shinji Kagawa and Robin Van Persie has added an exciting new dimension to the plethora of attacking talent already marauding the Old Trafford pitch. The transfer window started off much like the past few with calls for a Center Midfielder ruling the roost. As it turns out, it seems to be heading towards a familiar end with Sir Alex placing his confidence on the players already present at the club. With exciting young talent in Cleverley breaking through and the enigma that is Anderson still here, who can blame him. There still remains an obvious void for Carrick’s backup but all of that seems to have been forgotten over the excitement of the 2 fantastic acquisitions.

The list of players fighting it out for the 4 attacking options at the club is a very impressive one indeed. Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, Robin Van Persie, Luis Nani, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Shinji Kagawa will be fighting it out for 4 spots on the pitch at Old Trafford this season. This is ignoring the very talented Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen who look set to leave the club. Having this incredible bunch of attackers at his disposal will give Sir Alex a problem most managers would give their right arm for.

The problem in itself is an intriguing one. Each and every player in the list offers something unique and poses a different threat while on the pitch. A more detailed look throws up these options at Sir Alex’s disposal.

1- Go with a standard 4-4-2 with 2 wingers and 2 strikers. This would mean picking 2 of Rooney, RVP, Welbeck and Hernandez. It would be safe to assume that Hernandez would be a an impact sub in most games which would leave Sir Alex with 3 strikers for 2 positions. This formation also poses the question regarding which 2 wingers to pick. Nani and Valencia are both fantastic wingers who can play on the right while on the left, Sir Alex has even more options in Nani, Kagawa and Young. An incredible set to pick from which would suit all kinds of opponents that United may come up against over the season.

2- Go with a lone striker and utilize Kagawa in his best position just behind the striker. This would mean picking just 1 striker though which would be a tough ask given the options the great man has. Tough European games where a more conservative approach is preferred are most likely to see this setup being employed.

3- The 3rd and my favorite option giving the team a very dynamic and fluid look would involve playing Van Persie right up top as the leading striker with Nani on the right and Kagawa and Rooney taking up the other 2 slots with both of them frequently rotating between the left flank and the slot behind RVP. A dynamic attacking outlook full of possibilities. It would pose multiple questions to any opponent and make Manchester United much harder to handle. What this setup also gives is an extra threat and cutting edge through the middle with Kagawa’s incisive crisp passing to open teams up.

With such amazing options to choose from, Sir Alex is set to have more than a few selection headaches this season, not that he’s complaining. Similarly, fans across the globe are sure to have their own views regarding the best way to set the team up. What’s yours?