MX23RW : Friday, January 24 14:35:47| >> :120:14506:14506:

Mike Phelan: Manchester United's identity "broken"

Former assistant manager Mike Phelan believes that Manchester United are losing their identity following the departure of Danny Welbeck.

Former Manchester United player and assistant manager Mike Phelan has insisted that the club's identity has been "broken" by the sale of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal last night.

Manchester-born Welbeck had been deemed surplus to requirements by United boss Louis van Gaal, who bolstered his attacking options on deadline day by signing Colombia international Radamel Falcao on a season-long loan basis from Monaco.

However, Phelan believes that the two deals represent a change in policy at Old Trafford.

"Danny Welbeck has been part of United's identity and that has been broken. What will happen in the future now, nobody knows but that thread has been broken now," he told BBC Sport.

"There is always the start of something and maybe this is the start of a new way of doing things at Manchester United and maybe that is the way football is going.

"Is it better to look at the instant rather than the future? It is a difficult one because youth is always the future, we all have to start somewhere and you just hope that product of youth can develop in the Premier League."

It is believed that United have received £16m from their North London counterparts for 23-year-old Welbeck.

ID:174646: cacheID:174646:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2470:
Written by
Liam Apicella
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Monaco's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao celebrates after scoring a goal from the penalty spot during the French L1 football match between AS Monaco and FC Lorient at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on September 15, 2013
Read Next:
Transfer deadline day: Five talking points
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool21155150203050
2Arsenal22128243212244
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest22135433221144
4Chelsea22117444271740
5Manchester CityMan City22115644291538
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle22115638261238
7Bournemouth22107536261037
8Aston Villa2210663334-136
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2281043530534
10Fulham228953430433
11Brentford2284104039128
12Crystal Palace226972528-327
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2275102732-526
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2275102743-1626
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs22731245351024
16Everton214891828-1020
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2244143251-1916
18Ipswich TownIpswich2237122043-2316
19Leicester CityLeicester2235142348-2514
20Southampton2213181550-356


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!