We have nobody else since Laird's still haven't come back. Alternatives are playing Bejger, Ercolani out of position or playing Puigmal there but we need him on midfield as well with Galbraith's on international duty with NI.
EFL Trophy - Morecambe vs Manchester United
- Thread starter RedMachine03
- Start date
I would rather play Bejger, or Ercolani. At least they bring some height into the team. Not sure that Neville brings anything really.
It's a harsh learning curve...learn the lessons from it and move on. I think it also shows as a reminder to folks (I'm guilty as most) who scream for the kids to play more games at first team level.
Mens football is a different arena. It was a bad night at the office and there may well be a few bruised egos.
The criticism is a bit ridiculous though. There seems to be an expectation that our under age sides should be rolling League 2 opposition over if they are to stand any chance having a future.
I'd agree that we would be lucky to see more than 1 or 2 make it as United first team players, but that's the way of it. It's pretty much always been the way of it. To expect any more is wildly optimistic. Especially when you consider talented players of the last decade or so who have left the club.
Experiences like tonight are there to be learned from, and I'm sure the game will be reviewed and those learning points developed. If it makes them better as collective, or gives our prospects areas of their games to work on (whether their future lies at United or elsewhere)...all the better.
Playing in age groups that match your own for years and then finding yourself in this situation is a big step and shouldn't be underestimated.
But then hey, apparently unless we bulldoze every team 3-0 and play incredible football they are all deadwood shite and should get binned off...
Mens football is a different arena. It was a bad night at the office and there may well be a few bruised egos.
The criticism is a bit ridiculous though. There seems to be an expectation that our under age sides should be rolling League 2 opposition over if they are to stand any chance having a future.
I'd agree that we would be lucky to see more than 1 or 2 make it as United first team players, but that's the way of it. It's pretty much always been the way of it. To expect any more is wildly optimistic. Especially when you consider talented players of the last decade or so who have left the club.
Experiences like tonight are there to be learned from, and I'm sure the game will be reviewed and those learning points developed. If it makes them better as collective, or gives our prospects areas of their games to work on (whether their future lies at United or elsewhere)...all the better.
Playing in age groups that match your own for years and then finding yourself in this situation is a big step and shouldn't be underestimated.
But then hey, apparently unless we bulldoze every team 3-0 and play incredible football they are all deadwood shite and should get binned off...
Agree with this.
It was a game that neither team needed to win. For United, it was a bad start from which we never recovered. That's a big lesson for those boys.
We had 70% of possession which is good but our play in the final third was very poor. That's something to work on. Hugill was isolated and is still very young against an experienced defence whilst Pellestri was understandably still very rusty and wasn't in the game at all. So scoring goals at this level will be a challenge for us this season.
Last season our goals scored at this level were predominantly by Greenwood, Mellor, Chong and Ramazani. None of those are available so new players need to push on. It takes time.
Some of the criticism is an over-reaction.
Whilst it seems harsh criticism of first team players is the norm these days...I don't understand how it helps 16/17 year-old juniors who are still learning their trade?
The problem, as I see it, is that yes, Gomes, Chong, Greenwood, Elanga to an extent, and Ramazani all could beat their man both with skills and with pace. In this team, it's pretty much only Elanga who could do that regularly, and he was on the bench. Also, we missed Galbraith, and the defensive side of our midfield wasn't good. I also think that both Woolston and Neville are pretty poor. So yes, we miss Garner, Levitt, Kovar, Bernard, Laird, Mellor, Ramazani, Gomes, and Chong. I'm actually quite surprised we managed to go through. I really didn't think that beforehand. A very good group stage from our VERYY young and inexperienced side. Well done to the team and Neil Wood so far. I suspect it will end in the first round, but that did happen last season, too, with a much stronger and more experienced side. The boys will learn, which is the important thing.
On a wider point regarding the academy.
I do wonder if someone within the academy or wider club takes on the responsibility of finding appropriate loan clubs for young players. As in, a club where a particular playing style would thrive and help the player build confidence. Also, where the player isnt signed a desperate last throw of the dice for a manager struggling. You don't want a situation where the manager changes after a few weeks and the player is stuck at a club with a manager who doesn't want him...
But then helping them fit back into the club when they come back aswell.
I'm no expert on youth development but it strikes me that a lot of players hit the wall in terms of youth football and need to play regularly at senior level and inevitably end up on loan. The loan moves usually don't work out and the player ends down the pecking order when he gets back.
Players need an enormous amount of luck to make it. An injury crisis usually helps.
In a parallel universe where we dont end up with an injury crisis in February 2016, Marcus Rashford is currently scoring goals for fun at Salford City.
I do wonder if someone within the academy or wider club takes on the responsibility of finding appropriate loan clubs for young players. As in, a club where a particular playing style would thrive and help the player build confidence. Also, where the player isnt signed a desperate last throw of the dice for a manager struggling. You don't want a situation where the manager changes after a few weeks and the player is stuck at a club with a manager who doesn't want him...
But then helping them fit back into the club when they come back aswell.
I'm no expert on youth development but it strikes me that a lot of players hit the wall in terms of youth football and need to play regularly at senior level and inevitably end up on loan. The loan moves usually don't work out and the player ends down the pecking order when he gets back.
Players need an enormous amount of luck to make it. An injury crisis usually helps.
In a parallel universe where we dont end up with an injury crisis in February 2016, Marcus Rashford is currently scoring goals for fun at Salford City.
United have a loan manager. They do careful research before they loan out a player, they even sat down with a psychologist before Aidan Barlow moved to Norway. United only accepts loan deals where they can follow up closely, set goals for the player, watch them train, call the manager etc. So yes, United do it very carefully. My feeling is that it looks better than before. Everyone except Joel Pereria has played plenty of football. It's up to the players too. Kovar, Levitt etc haven't taken their chance yet.
The problem isn't the loan system per se.
The main issues in my mind are:
1. The U/18 league is a 'vanilla' league with virtually every team team playing a similar (possession) style of football. So as youngsters progress they find it difficult to transition into a more competitive and physical environment
2. The U/23 or U/21 league is just a glorified extension of the Academy system. Virtually no experienced professionals play Reserve team football any more so not sure what players can actually learn from it. This is why we need a loan system.
3. There are too few games in the Reserve league. In some cases players only have one game a month. How do you develop under those circumstances? It's a complete farce.
4. Further to the last point, the powers that be change the league system every couple of years. Why I have no idea. If they would get it right and leave it alone it might work. They keep tinkering with it which just shows their incompetence and complete lack of understanding of youth football.
5. The gap between U/18s and U/23s is too big which means players are either a) not old enough to get games b) immediately out of their depth c) rotated all the time
6. We have too many players looking for places in two teams. Rather than play friendlies against other Academies we should have a third league at local level whereby a certain group is playing competitively most weeks.
But it's been this way for over 20 years now...I'm not a huge fan of the Academy system at all, but that's the system teams need to abide with.
You're not making specific criticisms. You're just being generally negative.Oh i forgot to add any sort of criticism whatsoever of these players when they lose just means you are clueless and know nothing.
Clearly all superstars of the future.
For the record i don't watch much of this present crop as i really do not rate them which has not been the case in years gone by.
I have watched a lot of our youth teams
Too many of them have been way overrated and you can even see that in thd way they believe as they believe their own hype.
We might get very lucky and have one of them come through but i would be absolutely shocked if any more make it
Someone called Les Parry according to Google. It's quite common for clubs to have a specialist in every role imaginable these days.