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What next from the famous Manchester United youth set-up?
With a few fresh faces appearing on the Manchester United bench and travelling with the first-team squad to Marseille, and the current fringe players continuing to underwhelm, A Different League looks into the next generation and finds perhaps all is not lost.
Nick Poole, of the United Youth blog, is well-placed to agree the current crop do not seem up to the job. While he believes Gabriel Obertan to be “quick, skilful and creative when on his game,” he fears the Frenchman is too inconstent and, perhaps most importantly, “lacking in real self-belief” to succeed at this level.
Bébé too, has looked out of his depth, but while Poole thinks the Portuguese deserves more time, he sees the big-money transfer as every bit as puzzling as it was in the summer. He said: “Bébé's shown glimpses of raw ability in the reserves and his physical attributes suit the English game, but in truth... it’s going to take a monumental improvement for him to have a future at the club.”
Fortunately for both under-performing wingers, the only genuine wide player currently emerging from the youth team is 19-year-old Robbie Brady. Of the young Irishman, Poole says: “Brady’s style of play has earned comparisons with Wayne Rooney, and his talent has been rewarded with a squad number and a Carling Cup bench place. Unfortunately, injuries have stopped him pushing for greater involvement.” Despite being an attacking midfielder or second striker by trade, Poole believes the talented Ravel Morrison could even do a job out wide as he “possesses the self-confidence, cockiness even, that Obertan and Bébé lack.”
In the middle of the park, Darron Gibson, now 23, has played more than 50 games for United without fully breaking through, and Poole feels time is fast running out for him. “As a youth teamer he looked a potential world-beater but he just hasn't pushed on. Aside from his powerful shot he doesn't particularly excel in any area of the game and fails to stamp any sort of authority from midfield.”
Gibson’s appears to be the place most under threat from the youngsters. According to Poole, “Paul Pogba and Ryan Tunnicliffe look terrific prospects at youth levels and were unfortunate not to make their debuts in the Crawley game.” He also sees Pogba as comparable to Gibson in many ways, with a similar goal threat, but he “already looks a more technically gifted player and should become an imposing figure physically as he matures.” Tunnicliffe, alternatively, is “a classic box-to-box midfielder in the mould of a young Roy Keane, with the dynamism, tenacity and effort Gibson frustratingly lacks.” A Keane in his prime is certainly a player Red Devils supporters would gladly see back in the middle.
It does appear that Alex Ferguson is prepared to allow the current generation a fighting chance, but with such talent eager to be given an opportunity, United fans might be seeing different options sooner rather than later.
See the full list of OLBG's free Football Tips here.
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