Manchester United - youth development

[iammemphis]

[regarding https://www.redcafe.net/threads/man...hind-in-youth-development-andy-mitten.406372/]

So how are we feeling nearly 5 years on? Just a few months down the line Rashford made his first team debut and has become to be one of Englands best players, and we are now seeing the likes of McTominay, Greenwood, Williams, Tuanzebe, and Henderson seriously staking a claim for a first team position, let alone considering Pereira and Lingard and talents like Chong, Gomes and Garner.

I know hindsight is one thing but looking back there were some serious concerns. Compare that to City who still continue to stifle Foden and would have done the same with Sancho (who they took from Watford in a suspect deal anyway). I guess it just goes to show these accusations were unfounded?

Lastly, sorry for the bump but i see this page every day as its the link i have saved on my iPhone homescreen and i have never bothered to change it in the 5 years or so, therefore i am continuously seeing it .

 

[SteveW]

Andy the idiot looking stupid. Rashford, Greenwood, Scotty, Williams, Azel, Mengi and Hannibal next. Leave it to the pros you hack.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Probably the best bunch since the Nevilles, Scholes etc broke through.

 

[AltiUn]

I'm pretty sure we were in the process of restructuring the academy at the time of the article or we were at least close to doing it. I don't know what goes on at the junior level but in the U18s and above we've kept a steady stream of players filtering into the first team, we've had some very talented players come through and some very enjoyable teams to watch in the last few years.

 

[TMDaines]

This was about the time City were wooing all the journalists with behind the scenes looks and aggressively pursuing the kids of local ex pros. It was obvious as feck.

 

[Snafu17]

It's weird, because at the same time that we received the most criticism for youth development, the generation that includes Rashford, Mctominay, Henderson and Tuanzebe was just coming through.

 

[jojojo]

I'm pretty sure we were in the process of restructuring the academy at the time of the article or we were at least close to doing it. I don't know what goes on at the junior level but in the U18s and above we've kept a steady stream of players filtering into the first team, we've had some very talented players come through and some very enjoyable teams to watch in the last few years.

Yes, we were. Our local scouting structure had failed, with City stepping in to a lot of our traditional recruitment areas.

The Academy and the scouting system were being revised and new people were coming in to lead it. In other words it's now five years later and some problems have been fixed, though presumably others remain.

At any rate a five year article won't tell you much about how it currently feels to our youth players, or our staff.

 

[Van Piorsing]

Perhaps there's something to it. If the academy was working perfectly fine, there would be no need of showing serious money for Hannibal Mejbri.

 

[Chairman Steve]

It’s probably the best it’s been since the early 90s. I don’t think we should expect to have amazing players coming from the academy every year though. I don’t think any club can pull that off. I think theres an element of luck and perfect storms being cooked up to have something like that happen...like early 90s Man Utd, late 90s West Ham and mid 2000s Barcelona.

Everyone gets giddy and excited about academy players, but most of them end up being sold, loaned out then sold, become a squad player for a while before moving on. It’s rare you get someone legitimately good.

For every Marcus Rashford, there’s a James Wilson, a Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, a Will Keane, a Federico Macheda, a Mads Timm, a Daniel Nardiello, a Frazier Campbell and an Ashley Fletcher.

 

[Ace of Spades]

Well, that article was from the time when City were being very aggressive in signing youth players, along with giving journos some very lavish treatment in exchange for positive coverage of their youth academy. No idea why they did this though, as they rarely give their talents chances and spend ridiculous money every season anyway. Also, they had signed some of our talents at that time as well IIRC, and the media had made a big deal about it.

Anyways, we were looking to revamp our academy at the time, and we have done that and it is now in a better position. Butt has done a good job overall it seems.

 

[Bilbo]

United have and always will give young players a chance if they are good enough. Not every big club can say that.

 

[Ludens the Red]

[regarding https://www.redcafe.net/threads/man...hind-in-youth-development-andy-mitten.406372/]

So how are we feeling nearly 5 years on? Just a few months down the line Rashford made his first team debut and has become to be one of Englands best players, and we are now seeing the likes of McTominay, Greenwood, Williams, Tuanzebe, and Henderson seriously staking a claim for a first team position, let alone considering Pereira and Lingard and talents like Chong, Gomes and Garner.

I know hindsight is one thing but looking back there were some serious concerns. Compare that to City who still continue to stifle Foden and would have done the same with Sancho (who they took from Watford in a suspect deal anyway). I guess it just goes to show these accusations were unfounded?

Lastly, sorry for the bump but i see this page every day as its the link i have saved on my iPhone homescreen and i have never bothered to change it in the 5 years or so, therefore i am continuously seeing it .

it wasn’t even just in the media, people on here were losing their shit and becoming envious, because Man City built some fancy new training facilities.
As if fancy new large buildings with lots of equipment somehow equates to actually playing and developing top young talent.

Chelsea spent years doing what city did and had feck all to show for it until this season and that was LITERALLY only because of a transfer ban and the fact they’ve got a manager who isn’t obsessed with his own self legacy and genuinely has a desire to see youth progress.

Meanwhile like you said here we have the likes of Rashford, McTominay, Greenwood, Williams, who without question would be good to enough to be in the city squad at the very least. Players who have actually looked like the mature established ones in a underperforming team. It also helps that the club is strong on developing youth. Even someone like Mourinho knew he had to respect that.

Grand total of city youth products coming through since the fancy new buildings ? To quote stone sour ‘Absolute Zero’. Unless you count the 400 times Phil Foden comes on in a game with 5 minutes to go.

It just doesn’t matter how many buildings you build or how many parents you entice or how much talent you stock pile. Yeah you’ll win lots of Under 21 and 18 championships but you will never ever develop young players into your first team unless you play them in the first team.
You have to have the balls to do it.
You have to have a manager and board behind the idea otherwise it’s just an ego stroking lame arse publicity stunt.
Guardiola doesn’t have the balls to do it because as I hinted at, he won’t risk it because it’s his legacy that comes first and foremost. I mean why develop youth when you can win 20 Carabao Cups?

The same goes for the city board, I think they love the idea but they don’t have the balls to process it.

 

[steve88]

Yer it cant be too bad i think Nicky Butt has helped out a bit and even admits the ones who becone pro footballers may not play for us but will go onto other teams like wilson,campbell and others. whilst chelsea sign unknowns who are basicaly all ready made and ready for first team and loan them out with a view to keep or sell on for profit. They made mount and abrahams and odi i think he is and city dont really do anything with them sancho left as he wanted 1st team whilst forden is happy to be over hyped and be a passenger with his trophys that he didnt really earn.

 

[Gehrman]

United have and always will give young players a chance if they are good enough. Not every big club can say that.

We never gave chance to Pogba under Fergie when we had no midfielders though.

 

[VictoriaRed]

Fergie didn’t trust Pogba then and we don’t trust him now. He was spot on to let him go.

 

[cyril C]

Rashford, McTominay, Greenwood, Williams, Tuanzebe, and Henderson.... Seriously, you should add Lingard. The 1st 2 names are 1st team standard. Greenword and Henderson need 12-18 months but they will be sensational. Williams is getting there but probably need 2-3 years to mature. Tuanzebe? Don't just throw in a few names, if that person doesn't play regularly, whether for us or in another team, he is nowhere near ready.

 

[In Rainbows]

Fergie didn’t trust Pogba then and we don’t trust him now. He was spot on to let him go.

Fergie didn't let him go, he tried hard to keep him. Pogba left.

Anyways, that's not the point of this thread.

 

[lysglimt]

Fergie didn’t trust Pogba then and we don’t trust him now. He was spot on to let him go.

Fergie trusted him - but felt it was a bit too soon for him. In hindsight he was probably wrong about that one - but if Pogba had stayed he would have been given a lot of chances the season after.

 

[wolvored]

I agree with the posters who say its also down to whoever you have in charge and what manager you have as well. Chelsea this season with the transfer block and a novice manager at this level spring to mind.
The Glazers/Woody have pushed through the rebuild of the youth structure and scouting aggeressively, perhaps to ultimately save them funding a lot of big name players transfers and wages that come with it, and now a novice manager who has pushed more youth through to play for the first team this season than any other manager maybe including VG and Fergie. The reason I think this is done to save money is if you look how OT itself needs fixing up and nothing is being done makes you think this way.
Of course we get the benefits from this as well. Greenwood and Williams the best examples. It also throws up players who think they are better than they are and can use Utd as a stepping stone. Chong comes to mind.

 

[lsd]

Fergie didn’t trust Pogba then and we don’t trust him now. He was spot on to let him go.

Except he didn't let him go

 

[MikeKing]

Gets excessive critique for being "left behind" when in reality we were just similar to other clubs at that time. Now we're different from other clubs again, and nobody seems to be talking about how incredible that is.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Academy has definitely taken steps in the right direction in the last year or so.

 

[-Supreme-]

I like the fact that we have replaced our ageing and deadwoods with academy and buying established players to compliment the overall balance of the squad with very high success rate

Past 12 months:
Young--> Williams
Herrera--> McT
Sanchez--> Rashford
Fellaini --> Pereira
Lingard--> Greenwood

What I'm hoping to happen next season
Smalling & Rojo--> Tuanzebe
Mata --> Chong
Pereira --> Gomes

 

[Crashoutcassius]

We have been fielding teams where 5 6 7 or more of the 18 are homegrown and we will probably make the champions League , safe to say it is working