In defence, no centre-half was as robust or dominant in the air as Nemanja Vidic while Patrice Evra recalled Ashley Cole's finest days at Arsenal in the extra dimension he provided on the left. That United's brief spell of turbulence came when both were absent in late spring is no coincidence.

On the right, regardless of the debate surrounding him, what is beyond question is Cristiano Ronaldo's integral contribution in the league. Among his incredible 17-goal tally were timely strikes such as those at Fulham and Aston Villa. Paul Scholes, meanwhile, had his finest season since the 1999/2000 campaign.

The range of his shooting and passing re-established him as the outstanding attacking midfielder in the division.

The one area where United have no representation, however, either on the pitch or the bench, is in goal. Edwin van der Sar made far more high-profile errors than in previous seasons and lacked the assuredness of Jussi Jaaskelainen. The number of times the Finn secured a onegoal lead for Bolton thanks to the agility of his saves also resigns the much-improved Tim Howard to the bench.

In front of him, in what was a poor season for right-backs, Steve Finnan stands out thanks to his steadiness and some of the heroics produced so far in Liverpool's Champions League campaign.

At centre-half, the refined Ricardo Carvalho was as imperious as ever and has arguably surpassed John Terry as Chelsea's key defender. He paled next to the force of nature that was Michael Essien though.

Even when Jose Mourinho's side were at their most staid, his energy and drive seemed to propel them but he is criminally wasted in defence far too often.

On the left, Morten Gamst Pedersen was key to Blackburn's welcome transformation from aggressors to attackers. More explosive and spectacular than the measured Ryan Giggs these days, it's no surprise Alex Ferguson views the Norwegian as a future replacement.

Finally, the power of Didier Drogba and class of Dmitar Berbatov were unmatched up front, though Wayne Rooney deserves credit for the number of key goals despite his relatively ordinary performances for so much of the season.