11 Apr 2026 14:54:31
A bit of fun. Youth XI still playing.
GK Dean Henderson
RB Ethan Laird
CB Axel Tuanzebe
CB Micheal Keane
LB Álvaro Fernández Carreras
DM James Garner
CM Kobbie Mainoo
CM Angel Gomes
RW Mason Greenwood
CF Marcus Rashford
LW Alejandro Garnacho
Subs: Kovar, Mengi, Amass, Hanibal, Elanga, Collyer, Bernard, Iqbal. l, Obi? Heston/Johnstone.
Personality and injury issues aside. (That front three. ?)
Not the strongest but not bad.
The point I'm trying to make is; I think the club need to do better with youth players. You can easily see how adding a 8 or so non academy players would make this squad competitive. Eg. Bruno, Martinez, Yoro, Dalot, Sesko, Mbeumo, Cuhna, Amad.
Our youth players haven't always raised the ceiling they raised the floor. John O'Shea, Fletcher, Brown, Butt, P. Neville all raised the floor. Instead we keep spaffing cash on players overpriced depth. Ugarte over Garner?
We have a seriously talented group at U18 group and some 18s in U21. I'd really advocate promoting 2-3 youth for one spot or have a loan strategy create and then investing bigger in key areas.
11 Apr 2026 20:14:59
Absolutely, and these next few windows are the ones to do it because we need to fatten the squad out. Some will make it, others will not, but their profiles will be increased from exposure, and other parties will buy them for more than if we sold them from the reserves.
11 Apr 2026 23:38:50
I think we have a few with good potential to pad out the squad as you say. Sometimes an opening appears and they flourish, often they don't, but find a home elsewhere.
With more games to play, they will get games if they are good enough.
12 Apr 2026 11:18:57
United are way off the other top clubs in this department from what I've seen. These clubs scout thousands of players of all ages, from primary school age, and Lacey and the Fletcher brothers are all we can come up with? Obi has disappeared off the face of the earth, and it looks like we're all waiting for the moment JJ gets a senior call up.
12 Apr 2026 13:15:46
I missed McTominay too.
The academy is doing well.
If we're looking at who could step up and job share from the youth next season.
Harrison as 3rd choice goalkeeper.
Vitek as 2nd choice goalkeeper.
Kukonki as 5th CB.
Jim Thwaites CM/DM.
T Fletcher CM/DM.
J Fletcher CM/AM.
Lacey RW 3rd choice.
JJ Gabriel LW 3rd choice.
Obi CF 3rd choice.
Noah Ajay 3rd or 4th RW/LW.
Ibragimovic - AM/RW/LW.
Jace Fitzgerald - CM.
Kone looked OK, but hasn't fared well on loan.
There's a French kid out there too, but a similar story.
Other players, like Kamason, could kick on too.
12 Apr 2026 16:01:29
Great post, but how many of that team would get in the United team?
Greenwood perhaps (assuming his personal stiff hadn't happened), Rashford at his peak (which he really isn't anymore), McTominay possibly, certainly in the squad.
We have always led the way in developing talent that goes on to have a good career, transitioning them into our own team has been the issue of late.