17 Dec 2013 06:00:30
Question goes For ED's and Other Experts on this Site.

Do you all think that current Utd academy has a lot of players that can get in to the first team in next year or may be two years from now, the likes of james wilson, Enkagamane, Andres Periera, Keane Brothers?

1.) 17 Dec 2013
I think the academy is in good shape, and the emergance of Januzaj this season will certainly give encouragement to the younger players that they can make it.

Given the step up from youth and reserve football I think most of the youngsters will go on loan to championship clubs or lower premiership clubs to gain experience in the same way Powell and Lindgaard are out on loan at the moment. I think when they return to Old Trafford we will have a clearer indication of Moyes plans for the youth. There are a number of youngsters who could potentially make it into the first team especially given the number of players likely to leave in the next 2-3 transfer windows.

2.) 17 Dec 2013
I'm no expert, but in my view we have some potentially fantastic young players coming through. It is hard to say with young players though, as you never know if they will manage that step up in quality. If they get to an age where they go out on loan and prove they can make the step up, then you can judge much better.

In my eyes though, Powell will be a quality player for us in the short term just like Januzaj is proving. Lingard I think will be, at worst, a very very good squad player but could also become a first team regular. Blackett will be a very good backup LB for whoever we bring in. The Keane brothers could be top class in the coming years if they continue to develop and make the step up, I just hope Wills past bad injury doesn't ruin what was going to be a fantastic career. Henriquez is doing well at Zaragoza on loan (5 goals in 11 appearances I think) this season and in my eyes will be a very good replacement for RVP when he gets past his best, again if he continues to improve.

These are just a few that I think could make it at United and that is not including Ekangamene, Vermijl(doing well on loan at NEC), Lawrence(doing well at Carlisle), Petrucci, Pearson, Cole, Barmby, Pereira, Goss and Wilson. I would go as far as to say that if everything went wrong and we had to sell our full first team, I think the youngsters coming through, given a bit of experience, would be good enough to keep us as a top 6 side on there own, and who knows what else in years to come. I could be wrong, but that is how good I feel some of them will be if they continue as they are and are given a chance. Class of 92 again? Very possibly, in my eyes, but only time will tell.

3.) 17 Dec 2013
The delusion of some people is hilarious.

If we lost our entire full team squad which is full of experienced internationals. we would still have enough talent in reserve to finish in the top 6?

Really. we can't even get into the top 6 with all them international players and you think a bunch of kids who struggle in some under age matches could win us 60 points plus in the EPL. I give up!

4.) 17 Dec 2013
Devil Dust don't miss the 'given a bit of experience' bit fella, of course it would take time and a few years of PL playing experience but we'd have no first team so we wouldn't be expecting a champions league spot would we? come on fella. It's not going to happen anyway, but the youngsters we have coming through could be a very very good group, in my eyes, and in time would more than hold their own in the PL, if they carry on developing as they are, that was the point I was trying make before you came on trying to be an smart arse.

5.) 17 Dec 2013
Brendan81, glad to see we're not overrating our youngsters.

Another class of 92? 3 of our 4 most talented youngsters are gone. Pogba, Morrison and Daehli are the only ones, along with Januzaj, who are fit to lace the boots of the class of 92 and it's very unlikely that any of them will reach the level of Scholes/Giggs/Beckham/Neville.

Ekangamene is good and hardworking, but he doesn't possess the natural talent to go with his hunger, much like Ryan Tunnicliffe. He's unlikely to reach Butt's level, never mind Scholes.

Lingard might become a regular here, but he's no Giggs. he's intelligent and makes the right decisions more often than not, but his ability is limited.

Powell is a great talent, and the most likely to become a great player, but he has a very very long way to go to be even mentioned in the same sentence as David Beckham.

The Keane brothers are good, but they don't stand out that much. Michael is in the same age bracket as Kurt Zouma, Marquinhos, Varane and Jones. Keane has had a very nasty injury, and god knows where he'll end up. He's struggling to get into Wigan's team atm ( granted at his first competitive couple of games ).

Perreira is more inconsistent than Nani and has not progressed at all in the last 18 months.

Larnell Cole? He's unlikely to be a starting player for us. Very unlikely.

Petrucci is the most talented of the bunch but can't seem to get off the treatment table.

Barmby is going to grow up to be like Ben Arfa.

Pearson, I see why everybody loves him, but he's the most over rated kid in the academy. Plenty of talent, very hardworking but nowhere near as good as some think he is.

The only players I think will likely go on to have fantastic careers in the game are Goss and Wilson.

Now don't get me wrong, I'd be happy if these players all prove me wrong, but it's extremely unlikely we'd see more than 4 or 5 of them become first team regulars, even less will reach the level of the 92 bunch

6.) 17 Dec 2013
Mick

Considering you are a bit of an expert when it comes to our youth players, I am a little stunned at your assessments for Pearson and Perreira? More so Pearson, I would be genuinely surprised if he does not end up making it big. Perreira is young, yes he hasn't carried on the way he started. But you can just see and tell, he is a special talent. I think Daelhi was a bit overrated to be fair. Agree with the Petrucci bit. Goss looks class on the ball, but he has a long way to go. Wilson is fantastic. My darkhorse is Lawrence, nothing very special except for his technique and shooting, but boy he turns up with match winning contributions more often than not.

Just to be sure, Mick, you were not taking the "mick" while grading Perreira and Pearson ;)?

Deeps.

7.) 17 Dec 2013
Mick1 I'm not overrating our youngsters, I'm just saying that 'I' believe they could be a very good group 'IF' they continue to develop and can make the step up, just a personal opinion. Personally I would put Januzaj in the bracket of Giggs if he carries on how he is going. Powell has the natural ability to be at Beckhams level if he continues his development, although a different type of player. Scholes was just exceptional, in my eyes, so I don't think we will ever produce another like him. Butt wasnt a 'great' player, but he was important and did a job. Neville was also a very good player but not, for me, exceptional. He was 100% committed, gave everything on the pitch and was United through and through though and that is what we need from our youngsters. I do feel they could get to the level of Neville and Butt, but it will take hard work and dedication like they had.

I'd be surprised if less than 4 of the youngsters don't go on to be very good players for us. Whether they become as good as 92 is up to them, I think, but I do believe some of them have the ability to be, if they make the right choices.

As always, just my opinions.

8.) 17 Dec 2013
Deeps, I'm not saying Pearson is not talented, but I've been on a few blogs and a lot of football youth amateurs want him to start playing games for the first team. For me he's the joint second best academy player, after Goss and as good as Wilson. He might make it here, I'd even say he say a pretty good shot of doing so, but he still has a very, very long way to go.

I see a lot of similarities between him and Larnell Cole, who I thought would be on a premiership loan by now. But sometimes players just don't progress the way you think. Look at Magnus Eikrem, the highest rated academy prodigy in quite a while and here we are 5 years later he has yet to prove himself at Henerveen. Same goes or Tosic.

As for Perreira, he's definitely the most talented, but he's not the best. He's very inconsistent and has not progressed as expected over the last couple of years. When I first saw him playing for the U18s he was a good couple of years younger than everyone else and showed brilliance in flashes. He's still exactly the same 18 months later, which is a disappointment.

I don't think he works as hard as some of the others. Just because you have more talent than everyone else doesn't mean you will become a better player. Ravel Morrison is by far the most talented youngster to come through our academy for the last 10 years ( maybe more, I was too young to give a hoot before than ). He's more talented than any of the youngsters in the league, including the much lauded Barkley and our own Januzaj, but he's not much of a hard worker even after he left his corrupted lifestyle.

Now Brendan, I'm not saying they can't be as good as the 92s, I'm saying it's extremely unlikely and I would be very pleasantly surprised if 6 or 7 of the lads break into the first team and make their mark. And most of them, especially the U21s, Powell and Januzaj aside, are much more likely to become Nevilles and Butts ( lol become butts ) than Beckhams, Giggs' and Scholes'. The U18s can go either way, and it's still way too early to judge.

By the end of the season, we'd see where the loanees are in their development. I think Powell would be ready for a squad place, while Lingard, Keanes and Henriquez would need a premier league loan to further prove themselves, while we might see Ekangamene, Vermijl and Blackett get championship loans, with Janko an outside bet. Petrucci seems on his way out because of his injuries, which is such a shame given how much natural ability this guy has, and so are Macheda, Bebe and Tunnicliffe who has yet to shine in the championship even now that he's been given a central midfield spot.

Goss, Pearson and Barmby should be playing for the u18s by then, which would give us a much more solid base to assess them. I'm not too sure about Barmby while Pearson is likely to get a couple of loans before joining the first team squad. Goss has more natural ability than both, he's also bigger and stronger and might just make the first team squad in the next couple of years.

All in all, if 4 of them manage to become first teamers ( obviously Powell is excluded ), we'd have 9 first team academy graduates, which is more like what we are used to and I'd be extremely pleased with that

9.) 17 Dec 2013
I'm with you Mick, would be delighted with that. I agree that there is a lot of work for them all to do, not just the U18 lads, to get anywhere near that 92 bunch, but on raw talent I personally believe a few could be, if they put the huge amount of work and commitment in that is needed. Ronaldo, for me, should be the player all young lads watch and aspire to be. He too was a talented, raw youngster but he worked his arse off day after day on the training pitch, in the gym and just as importantly in his personal life with his diet etc. If our youngsters show that
defication they could be a fantastic bunch, obviously not at Ronaldo's level because the guy is just a freak of nature, but in a good way.

10.) 17 Dec 2013
Mick

I wanted to know what's your take on our Lawrence? On a side note, if you watch other youth players, how do you think Chalobah or Zelalem would shape up?

I see you mention Ward Prowse in a post above this thread, I think he is a talent. His maturity is beyond his young age, set piece delivery top notch and overall one to look out for.

I know Pearson has been hyped up by a lot of people. let's hope he justifies it. I think Joe Rothwell has gone under the radar a bit, tidy little player.

Deeps.

11.) 17 Dec 2013
Lawrence is a tough one. He's not the most talented but he does have a certain something on his side. He's one of those new bred British youngsters with actual technical ability. I mean he can receive a pass and not mess up his touch more often than not!

He's quite tiny and has suffered a lot with injuries, which is why he often starts on the bench but he does look good every time he comes one. His composure and consistency for a boy this age is impressive. When he's in a position to score or pass, he almost always make the right decision. He's also very versatile and if he manages to sort out his consistency problems, he might just become something special.

Rothwell, well that can be complicated. He can go either way really. He's technically capable, hard working and consistent but he just never stands out. Ben pearson outshone him throughout their time in the academy and at this level, talented players tend to shine and he just never did. He's quite similar to Ryan Tunnicliffe, with a bit more technical ability and less ball winning abilities. Maybe he hasn't shown what he can do because of a couple of injury but I wouldn't get my hopes up

I haven't watched a lot of youth football from outside of our own academy but I know a bit about Zelalem. He went with Arsenal on their tour and for a new signing of his age it's pretty impressive. He's obviously very talented and very highly rated by Arsenal's coaching staff. Lots of people praise how well he adapted to the physical side of the game, and how imaginative he is. What is most impressive about him is his ability to spot a pass and execute it to perfection. never seen that for a kid his age.

And chalobah. Big things were expected of him and he performed quite well at Watford but hasn't set the world alight at Nottingham. He's a bit of an all rounder, tall, strong and not too slow but he has a very bad disciplinary record and has to improve his passing. He's like a less good Pogba.

I rate Ward Prowse quite highly and prefer him over Barkley. He's not as strong and doesn't have the same presence but he's just so much better technically and can go on to become a fantastic midfielder

And might I just add, Goss is probably our brightest prospect. very young and very classy on the ball. His passing is top notch and he's quite skillful. Imo a Carrick replacement in the making