For those who don't remember so far back (I unfortunately do)
The expression Fergies Fledglings came in the 88/89 season when United were hit by a horrible injury-crisis mis-season(and in fairness had an injury-plagued squad that Ferguson was replacing bit by bit..
Season 1988/89
In that season we had 4 players who played all matches - all had been signed in the last 18 months (Hughes back from abroad, Steve Bruce, Jim Leighton and Brian McClair) - In addition Bryan Robson played 34, Clayton Blackmore played 28 and another signing Mal Donaghy played 30 matches.
But behind these players it was bad - Paul McGrath played 20, Mike Duxbury 18, Strachan 21, Whiteside 6, Davenport 8, Olsen 10, Ralph Milne 22, Colin Gibson 2, Liam O'Brien 3 and Billy Garton 13
So Lee Martin aged 20 quickly made the left back his. Lee Sharpe aged 17 played about 20 matches both as left-back and winger, 20 year old Russel Beardsmore played about 20 matches as a right-winger, Tony Gill aged 20 played about 10 times in central defense but after a horrible injury against Forest in march 1989 he never played again. 19 year old David Wilson played 4 matches in central midfield. 17 year old Guiliano Maiorana who was signed from non-League Histon for £30.000 played 6 matches as a winger. And finally a 19 year old striker named Mark Robins played about 10 matches as a striker
United started the season with - Leighton - Martin, Bruce, McGrath, Blackmore - Olsen, Strachan, Robson, Davenport - Hughes, McClair
Midway through the season, the injuries had kicked in - and in round 20 against Boro (lost 0-1) - this was the United line-up
Leighton - Gill, Bruce, McGrath, Donaghy - Milne, Robson, Beardsmore, Sharpe - McClair, Hughes
In that games Wilson and Robins came on as subs for Gill and Beardsmore at half-time
Towards the end of the season the injuries cleared up - Whiteside and Robson returned and many of the fledglings never returned.
Season 1989/90
During the summer of 1989 United signed Phelan, Webb, Pallister, Ince, Wallace - and most of the youngsters were phased out.
Tony Gill never played football again because of an injury.
Beardsmore became a more peripheral figure starting only 8 games
Maiorana came on as a sub in 1 game and never played for United after that
David Wilson never played for United again
Three players survived - Lee Sharpe went on to became a star. Mark Robins saved United a lot of times in the 89/90 season but his United-careed was eventually over and he left for Norwich in 1992. Lee Martin had a strong 1989/90 season which finished with him scoring the Winner in the FA-Cup. But after that, a back-injury combined with the signing of Denis Irwin prevented Martin from future success. He left for Celtic in 1994 but only played 19 matches before a broken leg stopped any further success.