It was quite remarkable to hear the names of our substitutes read out at Old Trafford last weekend. Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Nani were amongst our seven substitutes, with Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves out injured. That is the kind of strength in depth we’ve been searching for all these years.

Gary Neville, who seems to have won his first team place back rather easily, with Wes Brown falling out of favour for some reason, agrees with the idea

“It is much better to have seven substitutes,” said Neville. “Nowadays clubs can have up to 22 players in their squads with most of them travelling to games but up until this season, six of them would not even make the bench. At least if you are on the bench you feel part of it and there is a chance you might get on. That is the worst thing about being out injured. You feel like you are not contributing. I am not a great sub. I am hardly going to come on and change a game. But it is great to be back travelling with the lads and feeling part of it again.”

In terms of players that do make an impact from the bench, we’d have to be looking at Carlos Tevez as the player who could shake things up the most, but that would come at a cost of him missing the majority of the match.

Who else do you think makes a big difference as a sub?