I've submitted the GK post, and will now submit the RB one, simply because the other is sort of obvious. LB will follow in due course!

Rafael was the type of player who typified Ferguson’s approach. Not the most technically gifted RB by any means, but he had bags of heart and character. If United were in a fight, you’d see the tenacious little guy in there, giving all he got. Totally devoted to the cause, and an excellent option going forward.

Although some look at Rafael’s injury record as another reason for his later sale, it’s worth noting that in Fergie’s final season, only three other players made more appearances. This is probably why Fergie didn’t leave us with a backup in that particular position, with both Smalling and Jones filling in when required. That is an experiment which has long since ceased, and with good cause as they simply didn’t have the attacking instincts to play wide.

His last signing was Varela, though, so he probably felt that with Rafael and an upcoming Varela, United had long-term potential at RB.

With hindsight, although it may have been simply due to where his development was at that time, it is unfortunate that Moyes did not give Varela a single start. With Rafael beginning to suffer injury issues, Smalling and Jones continued to fill in.

For LvG, Rafael simply was not an option. As injury concerns grew, van Gaal came to rely on the more steady, technical Valencia with Rafael’s care-free approach not to the manager’s liking. It was one of the more unfortunate sales of van Gaal’s tenure, as we lost a great spirit in the team, who despite a lack of technical prowess, could have contributed greatly. This is compounded even further when it seems that van Gaal has now come to rely on Varela who suffers many of the same issues.

So with Rafael gone, van Gaal then brought in Italian international, Matteo Darmian, which seemed a great deal at £12m. He started strongly, but his confidence was knocked by a few poor performances, most notably against Sanchez at the Emirates.

In all honesty, I think Darmian has struggled since. He’s lost his position to Varela, and seems to be failing to adapt to the Premier League style, with injuries exasperating the situation. Varela, on the other hand, has shown himself to have huge potential, even if he does need more experience.

Unfortunately, I wonder if Darmian will be able to turn his form back round, even if that is a harsh assessment during his first season. If Giggs or Mourinho take over, I think we will see Darmian move back to Serie A and a replacement brought in to work alongside Varela and aid his development. Mourinho will be looking to bring in someone far more physical, I feel whereas I could see Giggs looking at someone like Seamus Coleman. However, I think van Gaal will fall back to relying on Valencia, with Varela at RB, so Darmian may get pushed out once again.

It is worth adding, though, to the above that Valencia does have a part to play at RB, but it is his over cautionary nature, which although helps defensively, limits his impact going forward. It’s a square peg in round hole situation that United should not be involved with.