15 Sep 2013 17:34:37
I just can't understand how some people so confidently say that some of the academy kids will be able to replace Carrick, Evra, Vidic.

Now I don't want to sound too negative but how many world class layers have we produced from our academy in the past 10 yrs?

Lets not assume that the kids are going to be good. We are not Barca or Ajax.

And don't give me that its a squad game $h1t, Carrick Evra and Vidic are first teamers.

Though I do hope some of the kids turn out to be World class, its about time we had a second round of Scholes Neville Giggs and Beckham.

1.) 15 Sep 2013
We haven't brought a top player through the ranks for ages

2.) 15 Sep 2013
I am struggling to understand the reason for your outburst. Kids do not have to be world-class. Only Vidic out of those three could be described as world-class. I would say Jones will replace him fine when he leaves.

There is no reason why we couldn't buy a left-back to replace Evra and another midfielder to replace Carrick. Although Fellaini is clearly a long-term replacement for Carrick and a more creative midfielder will be sought.

3.) 15 Sep 2013
Ajax haven't produced much in the last 10 years. Barca are a bit of an exception. Bayern have produced a few recently. It's just speculation at the end of the day but the foundations have been put there with the academy now in place and the training facilities which will make a difference over the coming years and beyond.

4.) 15 Sep 2013
This post is very very naive. A couple of points really.

1. It is not just a case of oh we need another set of youngsters like that so we have one, that was an absolute freak and doesn't happen very often.

2. It is obvious you are stating this based on not seeing any of the young lads play, and arguing with people who have seen them play and improve and who said they have the 'potential' to be first teamers. A lot of players don't fulfil their potential but we definitely have a good set of lads coming through who IF they fulfilled their potential would be first teamers for united.

5.) 15 Sep 2013
Pogba is the best player we have produced in a very long time. But he was only here from 15-19.

6.) 15 Sep 2013
15 Sep 2013 18:04:55
I'm not confident as such, more hopeful. We have some very talented youngsters and if given a chance then they may be able to replace some of our current first team players in time.

We need to be realistic they won't come in and imediately be as good as the players they are replacing but with time and experiance they could grow into as important players as the ones they are replacing.

If you look at our best youth players we have Johnstone, Micheal Keane, Tyler Blackett, Tom Thorpe, Charni Ekangamene, Ben Pearson, Jack Barmby, Adnan Januzaj, Andres Pereria, Will Keane and Angelo Henriquez who all look like potentially very good players. that's 11 very good young players, and there are others. It would be madness to expect all of them to make it, but there is a good chance that 3 or 4 will be good enough for at least a squad place with our club, maybe a first team spot if they can reach their potential.

Manchester United have had a academy player in the first team for 3, 464 consecutive games dating back to 1937.

Just sit back and consider that fact for a second. In every single game since 1937 we have named an academy player in the first team squad.

We are a team that promotes our youth players and we put our trust in them. I think some times fans look on who the new flash name player is for us to bring in rather than looking abit closer to home for who will be the next great player at our club.

Some of the greatest players to have ever graced our club have come through our own academy, from Charlton and Best to Giggs and Scholes.

So I don't think i'm a fool for hoping that we continue with our proud tradition, and I sit and wait to see who will be the next Old Trafford legend to come through our academy.

7.) 15 Sep 2013
None of the players you have mentioned are world class.

They were good or relatively unknown additions made better by SAF.

You could argue that Ronaldo and to a lesser extent Rooney are world class products of our youth system due to the age when they came to.

i do think are current academy, reserve players could individually equal the talent of the class of 92.

pgoba - butt
ravel - beckham
Powell - scholes
adnan - giggs
Fabio - p nev
raph - g nev

obviously two of them aren't with us any more, but technically is there a lot between these groups at the same age.
difference is now players are recruited world wide.

the class of 92 will in my time never be recreated as its few and far between you get a group of 6 coming through to have great careers. They we good individuals not world class scholes and possibly giggs aside. But were a world class unit.

it just was right place right time right manager.

we could have a team in the next few years with a few academy products and a few selected possible talents.

8.) 15 Sep 2013
Sydney you haven't understood what i'm saying.

Shappy i'm hopeful too. But how many of those players are fit enough to play for other bigger sides

Would Barca take Clevs or Welbz. They are good squad players and we need them but it has been a long long time since we produced a world class talent.

9.) 15 Sep 2013
If I'm honest it's something I do have an issue with, with our traditions and the money we spend on youth development it must be nearly 15 year since we produced a top class player

10.) 15 Sep 2013
I think many may of missed the op point.

Further down the page there is a discussion about Jones, smalling being as good as vidic and Ferdinand.
Now vidic and ferdy were imo for a number of years the best cb partnership in the world.
I think there is always a bit of over hype which is only natural when it comes to our kids but the truth is very few make it to the level required for a team like United,

11.) 15 Sep 2013
Beckham was world class in his prime and so was G. Neville.

12.) 15 Sep 2013
Januzaj, Powell (if you want to include him in this list), Cole, Lingard, Will and Michael Keane all look like top quality youngsters that could one day be called 'world class'. Our u21 is always competitive so I don't know why you're so negative about our youth system? let's not forget Pogba just because he left for Juve!

13.) 15 Sep 2013
Mumbai Boy it is impossible to predict if an academy player will make the massive leap to a first team regular
but as a frequent watcher of the youngsters please watch out for the most talented and prolific striker I have seen in ages'his name is James Wilson he captains the under 18s and
looks like the real deal
If you have not seen the goal he scored last week Arsenal I suggest you do so
ARB

14.) 15 Sep 2013
We were spoiled with the class of 92 it will never happen again in modern football.i watch our youngsters regulary and don't think many will enjoy a long career with us.u21, s obviously adnan, varela is still an unkown, henriquez its still too early, lingard i'm still unsure he will make the big step up, pettrucci I would like to see have a good injury free spell and see where that goes he has the talent, cole I don't think will make it with us, powell needs a good spell of games at wigan again he has the talent.will keane before he got badly injured was unbelievable in front of goal I hope he comes back the same player, if he does there's every chance of a career at utd.michael keane jurys still out he had a shocker against liverpool u21, s the other week.u18, s we have some very good prospects peraira, lawrence, pearson has huge potential as does james wilson who scores for fun.nearly forgot sam johnstone very well thought of so who knows.

15.) 15 Sep 2013
Jred

It is an issue only if we do not spend proper money in the transfer market and nothing coming through the youth system. In a perfect world we would get one top class player every few years from the academy and build around them but that has not happened since the 90's.

16.) 15 Sep 2013
ARB I agree mate that its hard to predict, I just don't understand what is the reason we haven't had good players coming from the academy.

17.) 15 Sep 2013
I would put my house on James Wilson being a truly world class player in four to five years time regardless of how old he will be ie only 21 or 22, he is going to be lethal unless he has a injury which completely wrecks his career and Ben Pearson looks a good prospect both the Keanes have a good chance to make the grade and Andreas Pereira is very talented to so I would say the future is very bright on the home grown side of things on top of that we have Januzaj nuff said

18.) 15 Sep 2013
Are people purposely forgetting Pogba? The best player who has graduated from our academy since Paul Scholes. Pogba was good enough to build a team around.

19.) 15 Sep 2013
@MUMBAI_BOY
I think the most important reason is the competitiveness of the league. No top club, looking for silverware, wants to take a risk for even a single point and hence players are not getting game time at the top level. If you look at Spanish League or German League top clubs can score 4 goals and have game won at half time, this allows the manager to give more time to younger players. I was really pleased to see Januzaj the other night because at 1-0 DM showed faith in him. Would he have brought on Januzaj if Palace we 11 men? I don't think so.

20.) 15 Sep 2013
God created United

G Neville world class - have a word with yourself.

21.) 15 Sep 2013
Gerard Pique was here from 16-20? Does that count as a world class player who we have produced?

22.) 15 Sep 2013
Syd
Did we not buy pogba when he was 16 I'm not sure how much credit we can claim there

23.) 15 Sep 2013
15 Sep 2013 21:17:30
MM you need to have a word, name five better right backs in world football between 96-06. Tell ya what I'll make it easy. Name one. O you can't. {Ed007's Note - Cafu.}

24.) 15 Sep 2013
The word world class is banned round far to much. I generally feel world class means the best 10 players from any position in the world over a few year period. Great players is the best 10 players in their position over a few year period the rest categorised as good average hit and miss so on. Obviously there is a hall of fame from an historical view point.

Gary Neville or David Beckham do not qualify as world class.

25.) 15 Sep 2013
Cafu was a right wing forward, he only appeared at right back on the team sheet. {Ed007's Note - So who played right back for Roma and Brazil and isn't a right wing forward just the same as a right winger?}

26.) 15 Sep 2013
MrE

Cafu Brazil 1990s (Sao Paulo/Roma/Milan)

Lilian Thuram France 1990s/00s (Monaco/Parma/Juventus)

Javier Zanetti Argentina 1990s/2000s (Inter)

Gianluca Zambrotta Italy 2000s (Juverntus/Barcelona)

Sergio Ramos Spain 2000s (Sevilla/Real Madrid)

Daniel Alves Brazil 2000s/2010s (Sevilla/Barcelona)

yawn

27.) 16 Sep 2013
Can't believe some posters saying Beckham and Neville weren't world class.

I'm not even going to bother justifying my disagreement

28.) 16 Sep 2013
MM and Ed

Whilst those players might have been better in one part of the game, Neville was more of a complete player at right back.

A few years back, I was at a charity dinner with Sir Bobby as a special guest and one of the key auctions was the 1999 treble winning team autographed Jersey and ended outbidding everyone and spent a few hours with him during dinner and drinks. His own words where G. Neville and paul Scholes are the best of the lot and World class. G. neville was a quite performer and maybe not flamboyant but he was as solid as you could get defending and could always get forward and put a quality ball in the box and pass it around.

BTW I agree on Zanetti and Cafu being up there.

29.) 16 Sep 2013
Sydney

I think Pogba is being ignored given the topic of having world class players come through to first team and in his case he left. He was also very highly touted when we stole him and came into our academy quite late unlike some of the other guys.

I agree he would have been a great player to build your midfield around, has everything and a massive loss when we look back in few years. Still prefer Vidal Though :) beast and complete midfielder and Juve are very lucky/astute to have those 2 for next to nothing.

Marchisio might be an option in the January window as he is not getting much game time.

30.) 16 Sep 2013
I think Gary Neville was one of the best in his position, especially when he started using the overlapping with Beckham.

Up until then he had been quite a one-dimensional player, but he and Beckham obviously worked on that part of the game quite a lot, and he became a lot more potent going forward.

Becks obviously helped him with his crossing too, as that aspect of his game also improved considerably as he reached his peak.

31.) 17 Sep 2013
GCU, have to agree G. Neville was world class. He was solid as you like at the back, and had a great cross on him, his only downfall was he lost his pace so quickly in his 30's that I think people must be remembering him like that. That is the only reason I can fathom that people would discount him behind any of the other players mentioned in this thread. Yes cafu fantastic in attack and by far technically better than Neville, but for me Neville was by far a better defender, which for me as a RB is far more important. In fact Ashley Cole springs to mind for a comparison, outstanding in defence, and pretty damn good going forward.