13 May 2026 11:37:53
There was a brief discussion at the end of a thread talking about no youth prospects coming through, particularly in midfield. Part of our identify is built around growing our own and we seem to be struggling.
In recent years, results have been mixed. A host of players broke through but most were sold. Mainoo and Rashford were the biggest successes.
Others looked good but didn't progress and whilst some are playing for other EPL teams, I'm not sure they would make our team, players like Henderson, Elanaga, Garnacho, Tuanzebe, Chong, Gomes. I often think we don't give our academy players a fair crack, but few go on to prove us wrong elsewhere.
There are a couple who are doing really well, Garner and McTominay. Personally I think we should have kept both of them. Garner is now in the England team and Scott was player of the year in Italy last year. Sellinng McT was a mistake, and yes, it is a hill I am prepared to die on.
However, for a club with a history of developing players, very few are making it through, is that because very few will be good enough for us, or do we have a deeper issue? If we look at the top EPL clubs, there are not many that came through their own academy, so this problem isn't unique to United, suggesting we all have the same problem.
The class of '92 was an anomaly, never happened before, unlikely to happen again, but surely there is an opportunity to be grasped. We have a lot of academy players playing elsewhere, but not at the very highest level of the top clubs. JJ looks to be the next big thing, so it will be interesting to see how we manage him. Personally, I don't think he is anywhere near ready for the first team so rumours of him playing in cup games may just be rumours.
We need to atract the best talent, we need to nurture and develop them, and then we need to transition them to the first team. It sounds simple but right now we are not doing it.
13 May 2026 13:24:28
Mctom not doing as well this season. Right decision to sell him, imo. Italian league is very different to the EPL. Got a good price for him and it was a deal that worked out well for everyone, imo.
13 May 2026 15:50:16
Agree with Ken regarding McTominay. Bar the odd important goal, for me, he never did enough when he played to suggest he should be a regular starter for us. I often found he was quite sloppy on the ball.
I am very happy for the lad; he has gained the plaudits in Italy and done well, but to judge him off that says more about the league than him as a player, imo.
I'm not sure we'd have ever seen, or would ever see, that version of McTominay in the Premier League.
13 May 2026 16:41:45
To be fair to McT. Was he ever played for a run of games in his preferred position with us...
Was he going to get us to where we were hoping... no, but also not many of the current squad will either.
13 May 2026 17:51:08
Don't we have to sell McT to balance the books?
13 May 2026 17:57:37
We did and got a fair price. Nobody knocking the door down to sign him from Napoli.
He is limited, technically, so the biggest sides won't be in for him from Spain or Bayern or the EPL.
13 May 2026 17:59:34
I think that's fair, Jsu, but he was sellable, unlike a lot of the others, and fully profitable, which was key at that time.
13 May 2026 18:24:57
Jeez, a long, well thought through piece, and one comment ends up being the discussion point. ?
The bigger issue is, why are we not producing our own?
13 May 2026 19:14:10
Well, I guess, AJH, potentially it comes down to wanting instant success and the need for that in the Premier League now. What you have said also coincides with young English players moving abroad, because perhaps it's "safer" and easier to get first team experience due to there being less pressure and attention on foreign football compared to the Premier League. It's also easier now for Premier League clubs to buy a squad.
Personally, if I could effect the rules of football, I'd have made, at the time of the 5 substitute rule change, 2 of the 5 should be academy players.
There are talks now, I believe, about a certain amount of U21s, I think, in the match day squad? But that's the issue, imo, there's no requirement for academy players to be in the squad/team. I think the players are there, they just need time and opportunities.
Potentially, as well, loan moves aren't as effective anymore. The level of the Premier League and clubs that will take players on loan is so wide now, do players get what they need from the loans? Not sure they do?!
13 May 2026 19:54:36
Or maybe it's because often the players who are signed from abroad are both technically more gifted and also more desperate to do well. I often wonder why our clubs don't have link-ups with youth teams abroad, and send British players abroad to toughen up, mentally mature, and experience life more.
13 May 2026 20:03:06
Good points, gents, there are certainly far fewer British players in our league now, so far fewer openings. It is interesting how a few young ones have headed overseas; that was unheard of years ago.
14 May 2026 01:03:47
It was probably on the back of my comment, AJH, and I concur. Mainoo aside, Garner and McT are the only notable central midfielders in the last decade. For context, we have promoted 14 in that time, including the twins this season.
Garner, we should have found a way through, but that was our problem. We were going through a phase of trying to buy success, rinsing through managers, etc.
The issue for me is the pathway to the first team for the players, and knowing when to release more senior players who are restricting these pathways.
You could name maybe a dozen who are in the way of some of these coming through, but it is a balancing act of having a productive youth setup and also a successful senior team. We just need to get better at identifying a true talent, take JJ, and ensuring he has a clear pathway to the first team. If that means shedding some of the senior squad who are deemed surplus, so be it.
14 May 2026 17:24:51
So we have produced 3 intl midfielders over last decade.
That's a very good record for the academy. I'm not sure what the problem is.
14 May 2026 18:26:44
There the usual Ken comment.
This is tiring, it really is.
Yes we have produced 3, but fumbled two of those and almost 3, with regards to getting to the first team.
But we still have a gaping hole in the middle of the park and have done for over a decade. Read the post.
If Garner had not left to find first team, perhaps the issue would t be as bad as it is now.
You're actually close to being blocked Ken because you are a bore.