07 Oct 2020 08:53:46
*doing (sorry pressed send too early! )

{Ed001's Note - the academy is and youth set up is fine, it is very good, with some excellent coaches, methods and scouts. The issue is that once they start looking at the future after the youth team there is a problem. Unless they are slotting straight into the first team, then there is little plan of action for their future. United are not alone in this. There needs to be more thought and something done in terms of staff to work with them at the late teenage stage. They need more individual mentoring, if they are not jumping straight into the team. Someone who can keep them motivated and ensure that loan moves are the correct ones, liaise between them and the clubs and also speak up on their behalf when the club has it wrong. It is probably the most difficult area for any club to deal with, as the investment can often outweigh perceived returns.}


1.) 07 Oct 2020
07 Oct 2020 14:44:13
Not sure if its true or not but I read and heard recently in a podcast that despite a few off field problems (! ) Nicky Butt is held in very high regard and has been viewed as being given more responsibility within the club. As I say, no idea if that's true.


2.) 07 Oct 2020
07 Oct 2020 15:24:50
I think there are a couple of issues with bridging that gap between the academy and the first team.

Firstly, we have too many squad players. How are lads like Mengi supposed to get a game when we have players like Jones and Rojo ahead of them. We have just sold Smalling which is good. Leaving Maguire, Lindelof, Bailly and Tuanzebe along with Jones and Rojo.

Then we have players like Lingard and Andreas Pereira who played 60+ games between them last year. Yet players like Garner and Levitt hardly got a look in.

If we want these youngsters to make it we need to make space in our squad for them. We have something like 32/ 33 first team players. That should be closer to 20/ 22 out field players. With the best of the young players stepping up and playing with the first team on a more regular basis.

Some will step up seemlessly such as Williams and Greenwood. Others might struggle and need a loan at a lower level to bridge the gap. We need a top class loan network. Working with teams that we can loan players out too and they can get the minutes they need at a higher level than the under 23's league.

We used to believe if you're good enough then your old enough. Look at Dortmund, Sancho, Reyna and now Bellingham all playing regular first team minutes as 17/ 18 year olds.

But you'll never know if they are good enough unless you give them a chance.

I read about club's on the continent using a buddy system where they pair up kids in the academy with senior players for them to take them under their wing, help mentor them in how to deal with being in the first team. It helped both the kids and the mentors as it gave them a chance to reflect on things and kept them grounded. No idea if it's a system used here often, but certificate something to look into.

Personally with transfers fees going the way they are it make much more sense to invest heavily in your academy. Get the best coaches, use the best methods, the best education, the best equipment, keep looking for new and better ways to do things. You could spend 50m on a player like Fred, or you could invest 50m in your academy and produce 3, 4 or 5 Mason Greenwood's.

I know what I'd be doing.


3.) 07 Oct 2020
07 Oct 2020 14:59:54
Wow, interesting insight Ed. Would this be the ideal position for some of the retired players who still want to serve the club in other capacities?

{Ed001's Note - that is exactly what I was thinking of. They could be so much more than mere ambassadors. These are children we are talking about and they are going to do silly things and make mistakes. What they need is someone they look up to who can be there to guide them in the right direction and that they know will stand up for them when they need it. Not many will make it at United, but you could put United in a position where clubs come from all over the world to try and sign the ones that don't if you play it right.}


4.) 08 Oct 2020
08 Oct 2020 03:21:01
Shappy you mentioned Dortmund. I tried to see some matches last year because of Sancho. I don't know what's going on with them but every time i saw a game i was thinking that Greenwood would score 30 goals last year. Its the ideal place for attack minded players because of their structure and teams are more open at the back. Unfortunately you can't do the same at Premier League and that's the reason we see a lot of English talents go to Germany at teams like Dortmund, Bayern or Leipzig. Their 17-18 is ours 19-20, i think talents can play 2 years earlier at Germany but they need two year more experience for our league.


5.) 08 Oct 2020
08 Oct 2020 07:56:59
Thanks for the brill reply Ed. Currently who has the best youth setup?

{Ed001's Note - probably Atalanta right now.}