Jimmy Murphy & Denzil Haroun awards | Harrison & Wheatley awarded

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Inspired by the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year thread in the main forum, I thought I'd open a discussion for the Jimmy Murphy Academy Player and Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Season awards.

Previous Denzil Haroun award winners:

1989/90: Mark Robins
1990/91: Jason Lydiate
1991/92: Brian Carey
1992/93: Colin McKee
1993/94: Nicky Butt
1994/95: Kevin Pilkington
1995/96: Michael Appleton
1996/97: Michael Clegg
1997/98: Michael Twiss
1998/99: Mark Wilson

2000/01: Michael Stewart
2001/02: John O'Shea
2002/03: Darren Fletcher
2003/04: David Jones
2004/05: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
2005/06: Giuseppe Rossi
2006/07: Kieran Lee
2007/08: Richard Eckersley
2008/09: James Chester
2009/10: Ritchie De Laet

2010/11: Oliver Gill
2011/12: Michael Keane
2012/13: Adnan Januzaj
2013/14: Saidy Janko
2014/15: Andreas Pereira
2015/16: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson
2016/17: Axel Tuanzebe
2017/18: Demi Mitchell
2018/19: Tahith Chong
2019/20: James Garner

2020/21: Hannibal
2021/22: Alvaro Fernandez
2022/23: Daniel Gore
2023/24: Elyh Harrison

Previous Jimmy Murphy award winners:

1989/90: Lee Martin
1990/91: Ryan Giggs
1991/92: Ryan Giggs
1992/93: Paul Scholes
1993/94: Phil Neville
1994/95: Terry Cooke
1995/96: Ronnie Wallwork
1996/97: John Curtis
1997/98: Wes Brown
1998/99: Wes Brown
1999/00: Bojan Djordjic

2000/01: Alan Tate
2001/02: Paul Tierney
2002/03: Ben Collett
2003/04: Jonathan Spector
2004/05: Giuseppe Rossi
2005/06: Darron Gibson
2006/07: Craig Cathcart
2007/08: Danny Welbeck
2008/09: Federico Macheda
2009/10: Will Keane

2010/11: Ryan Tunnicliffe
2011/12: Mats Daehli
2012/13: Ben Pearson
2013/14: James Wilson
2014/15: Axel Tuanzebe
2015/16: Marcus Rashford
2016/17: Angel Gomes
2017/18: Tahith Chong
2018/19: Mason Greenwood
2019/20: Anthony Elanga

2020/21: Shola Shoretire
2021/22: Alejandro Garnacho
2022/23: Kobbie Mainoo
2023/24: Ethan Wheatley
 
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Inspired by the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year thread in the main forum, I thought I'd open a discussion for the Jimmy Murphy Academy Player and Denzil Haroun Reserve Player of the Season awards.

I think Robbie Mainoo is the obvious one for the Denzil Haroun award, some of the "bubbling under" players in my opinion are Marc Jurado, Charlie Savage and Omari Forson.

I'd consider the following players to be strong candidates for the Jimmy Murphy award: James Nolan, Ethan Williams, Manni Norkett. Williams for me has been the best out of them.

Is Robbie Mainoo related to Kobbie ?
 
I like Jurado and think he could become a pretty decent full back for what its worth.

Gone under the radar a bit.
 
Who is Denzil Haroun anyway? All I can find is he was a former chairman's brother. Can't find any pics.
 
I like Jurado and think he could become a pretty decent full back for what its worth.

Gone under the radar a bit.

All in all the triple signing of Garnacho, Álvaro Fernández and Jurado has been a good one. Fernández went straight into the U23 team and has never looked back. Very good for the reserves and his Preston loan has been a successful one.

I remember when I watched Garnacho and Jurado in the first few U18s matches, it felt like the former was given instructions from the staff non-stop. The talent has always been there but it seems that there's been quite a lot to learn tactically. Still a long way to go but he'll get there.

I've been very impressed with Jurado both in the U18s and U21s so far. A different type to his predecessor in Ethan Laird but he's been very dependable and consistent for us. Plays aggressive which makes up of the lack of size. Seems to be a right type of character too, will be interesting to see how his career develops.
 
It’s a poor year for winners that’s for sure, no one has actually been all that outstanding.

u21s are hard to judge as half the matches aren’t even watchable but on the whole they’ve had a pretty shit season. I’d be tempted to give it to Hugill as he’s been the catalyst in turning around the season and actually managing to win a match. They’d be getting relegated if it weren’t for him. Mainoo will get the vote though due to his breakthrough into the first team (or they’ll do something stupid like Garnacho) but even he had a slow start to the season and really only has a few really great performances. Marc Jurado is just so average and Savage wasn’t remotely good this season, a big fall from last season.

U18s none of the best second years have played regularly so it leaves it to Ethan Williams probably. Nolan has been good too and Jackson decent.

Some way short of what it has taken to win in some other years.
 
Real dearth there between 2000-2010. Then there are Rashford and Greenwood. Garnacho already looks a sure bet in the current decade and likely, with how we've improved youth recruitment, we'll get closer to the golden era of the 90s again.

Excuse the off-topic but how has Sergio Ramos Alvaro Fernandez been doing in recent weeks?
 
It’s a poor year for winners that’s for sure, no one has actually been all that outstanding.

u21s are hard to judge as half the matches aren’t even watchable but on the whole they’ve had a pretty shit season. I’d be tempted to give it to Hugill as he’s been the catalyst in turning around the season and actually managing to win a match. They’d be getting relegated if it weren’t for him. Mainoo will get the vote though due to his breakthrough into the first team (or they’ll do something stupid like Garnacho) but even he had a slow start to the season and really only has a few really great performances. Marc Jurado is just so average and Savage wasn’t remotely good this season, a big fall from last season.

U18s none of the best second years have played regularly so it leaves it to Ethan Williams probably. Nolan has been good too and Jackson decent.

Some way short of what it has taken to win in some other years.

Incredible harsh on Garnacho, Mainoo and Jurado.
 
Incredible harsh on Garnacho, Mainoo and Jurado.
Nothing harsh about it, just reality.

Garnacho has 245 minutes for the u21s this season. He has a singular appearance in the u21s league. He doesn’t play for the u21s, giving the player of the season to someone who hasn’t played for the team is stupid.

Mainoo has 14 matches worth of minute, half of which were early games where he was slowly finding his feet and we consistently lost. He’s had a few stand out performances since and obviously is a huge talent with potential. His u21s season has still been nothing remarkable and doesn’t match that of previous winners who put in great performances from start to finish.

Jurado is average, simple as. He struggles to get forward and has been destroyed by pacy wingers a number of times this season.

The u21s are mid table and knocked out of 3 cups early having looked abysmal. That wouldn’t have happened if the players were performing.
 
Real dearth there between 2000-2010. Then there are Rashford and Greenwood. Garnacho already looks a sure bet in the current decade and likely, with how we've improved youth recruitment, we'll get closer to the golden era of the 90s again.

Excuse the off-topic but how has Sergio Ramos Alvaro Fernandez been doing in recent weeks?

Perhaps if you only look at players who've become regulars for us. But looking at what the players went to achieve, we've done very well even during those "scarce" years. It’s not realistic to expect each or every other winner to make it at United.

And at the same time there’s always players behind the winners who have not necessarily been the most obvious talents during their academy years but might go on to play 100+ for the first team.

Rossi went on to play 30 times for Italy.
Gibson 26 times for Ireland, won a few trophies at United. 94 Premier League games is not a bad achievement.
Craig Cathcart 61 caps for N.Ireland and a solid career between PL & Championship.
Welbeck 42 caps and 16 goals for England. Very respectable PL career.
Even Kiko Macheda & Will Keane have done well to build themselves professional careers in the game. Keane has scored 10 goals in the second highest tier in England this season, that's no mean feat.

And the decade of 2010-20 has produced much more than just Rashford and Greenwood.

Tunnicliffe again has done well and gone on to play at three of the highest tiers in the English football.
Dæhli 35 caps for Norway.
Pearson has played seven times so far in the PL this season.
Wilson has had a decent career despite all the injury problems.
Angel Gomes starts week in, week out in Ligue 1 and has for example gone on to play in the CL knockout rounds.
Chong is a regular in the Championship.
 
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You forgot Michael Keane. England caps... plenty of PL games. Travesty of a sale from Van Gaal at £1m. Sold the following year for 15 times that

If this was for me I only commented on the Jimmy Murphy award winners as that's what I think the poster was referencing. If we're looking at the Reserve PotY from those decades there's players like Pereira, Januzaj, Fletcher, O'Shea...
 
Who is Denzil Haroun anyway? All I can find is he was a former chairman's brother. Can't find any pics.
This person...

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Undaunted, Edwards underhandedly carried on amassing shares by any means possible. With the help of his brother, and his brother-in-law, a certain Denzil Haroun (who was later to become a director at Manchester United) they continued to hound and harass people owning Manchester United shares. In late 1963, even Alan Gibson sold some of his shares to Edwards, being paid £25 pounds for each of 500 shares. By the early part of 1964 'Champagne Louis' had amassed a total of 2,223 shares and owned over 50% of the club over which, he now had personal control.
 
It’s a poor year for winners that’s for sure, no one has actually been all that outstanding.

u21s are hard to judge as half the matches aren’t even watchable but on the whole they’ve had a pretty shit season. I’d be tempted to give it to Hugill as he’s been the catalyst in turning around the season and actually managing to win a match. They’d be getting relegated if it weren’t for him. Mainoo will get the vote though due to his breakthrough into the first team (or they’ll do something stupid like Garnacho) but even he had a slow start to the season and really only has a few really great performances. Marc Jurado is just so average and Savage wasn’t remotely good this season, a big fall from last season.

U18s none of the best second years have played regularly so it leaves it to Ethan Williams probably. Nolan has been good too and Jackson decent.

Some way short of what it has taken to win in some other years.

You're not wrong. Omari Forson could be a shout for U21. U18 I would say Norkett or Williams, depending on Norkett's input in the next few months.
 
Feel like the Jimmy Murphy award has been more like a 'best 18yo (or younger) at the club' award than 'best player for the U18s' in recent years so I'd be looking more at the guys who've stepped up regularly to the U21s (Gore, Oyedele, Fredricson, maybe even Mainoo if he doesn't get the Haroun award) than Williams, Norkett etc. Haroun award feels like more of a genuine U21s PotY award so I think you're looking at Mainoo, Forson, Hugill, Jurado, Hardley etc.

I'd go Mainoo and Oyedele I think.
 
Who is Denzil Haroun anyway? All I can find is he was a former chairman's brother. Can't find any pics.
In the late 1960’s my Aunt used to be an agent for the Manchester United Development Association. There was a weekly draw for decent but not huge prizes. On the promotional flyer for the draw a list of United‘s directors and Officials at the time was printed every week. The names I remember were Louis Edwards and Denzil Haroun together with Les Olive who was I think titled Club Secretary (probably equivalent to today’s Commercial Director) and of course Matt Busby.
 
Mainoo will win either so its depends on which award we will give him. If we give him the U18s award (which I don’t think we will because he didn’t even play in the Youth Cup) then I think we will give the U21s award to Iqbal or Hugill. If we give Kobbie the U21s award then Gore or Williams for the U18s one.
 
Mainoo will win either so its depends on which award we will give him. If we give him the U18s award (which I don’t think we will because he didn’t even play in the Youth Cup) then I think we will give the U21s award to Iqbal or Hugill. If we give Kobbie the U21s award then Gore or Williams for the U18s one.

We should give the U21 award to a player we have given up on - it's always given to someone who isn't good enough
 
Ethan Williams should be pretty much nailed on for the Jimmy Murphy award. He's been brilliant this season. Had a magnificent game today at Middlesbrough, scoring two and creating clear cut chance after clear cut chance for his teammates. 9 goals and 8 assists in his 24 appearances for the U18s, a goal contribution every 117 minutes.
 
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Ethan Williams should be pretty much nailed on for the Jimmy Murphy award. He's been brilliant this season. Had a magnificent game today at Middlesbrough, scoring two and creating clear cut chance after clear cut chance for his teammates. 9 goals and 8 assists in his 24 appearances for the U18s, a goal contribution every 117 minutes.

It will be a bit harder for the hopeless U21 :)
 
Competitive season done for both the U21s as well as U18s.

Would be surprised if Williams didn’t get the Jimmy Murphy award. Honourable mention for James Nolan who had a very solid season playing in more or less every other position apart from goalkeeper.

The Denzil Haroun one is a bit trickier, as many players only played half a season in the U21s. Depends how they see it, it could be any of Mainoo, Forson or Hugill I guess. I think Jurado had a good, solid season too.
 
Mainoo has barely kicked a ball all season, at any level.
 
Wonder which players will get the awards this season.

To me there's two players that stand out from the academy this year: Ethan Wheatley and Harry Amass.

As we saw last season it doesn't seem as obvious as the best U18s and the best U21s player of the season. Kobbie played approximately an hour of U18 Premier League football yet won the Jimmy Murphy award.

Other players who in my opinion are worthy of winning one of them are Finley McAllister, Ethan Williams and perhaps Elyh Harrison. Honourable mentions: Jack Kingdon and James Scanlon.

My guess is that Wheatley will win the Denzil Haroun award and our skipper McAllister will get the Jimmy Murphy award.

Thoughts?
 
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Wonder which players will get the awards this season.

To me there's two players that stand out from the academy this year: Ethan Wheatley and Harry Amass.

As we saw last season it doesn't seem as obvious as the best U18s and the best U21s player of the season. Kobbie played approximately an hour of U18 Premier League football yet won the Jimmy Murphy award.

Other players who in my opinion are worthy of winning one of them are Finley McAllister, Ethan Williams and perhaps Elyh Harrison. Honourable mentions: Jack Kingdon and James Scanlon.

My guess is that Wheatley will win the Denzil Haroun award and our skipper McAllister will get the Jimmy Murphy award.

Thoughts?

Apart from those mentioned, Kingdon and Jackson have been a great partnership in the U/18's whilst Sonny Aljofree has been the mainstay of the U/21's. Nolan's versatility might go against him across both teams and others have had good spells but then have been out injured. Players like Forson have probably suffered by being in the first team squad as back-up...he's only started 8 games all season for the juniors. Devaney has done well all season for the U/18's so he might be a dark horse but others have been more prominent such as Williams.

I think Wheatley's goalscoring exploits and rise to the first team will see him win an award.

U/18's League - 5 starts (2 subs)/8 goals
U/18 PL Cup - 6(0)/9
U/18 FAYC - 2(0)/0
U/19 EYL - 6(0)/1
U/21 PL2 - 5(4)/4
U/21 EFL Cup - 0(2)/0

Total = 24(8)/22