We all know the story about SAF's brilliant 'Class of '92'. After a host of successive defeats, Ferguson decided to introduce a crop of young players from the United youth team into the first team. He did this because he was all out of options and quite simply did not know how to rejuvenate the squad without breaking the bank. For those who may not know the story behind the 'Class of '92' or have not watched the documentary yet, here's an excerpt from SAF's autobiography:
SAF felt that the time was right to introduce a young group of players which included Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Butt, Phil Neville and a very raw and talented Robbie Savage, even though Savage failed to make any appearances for United and later moved to Crewe Alexandra. I'm sure many United supporters will remember Alan Hanson's famous quote in regards to this move by Ferguson, "You can't win anything with kids." SAF not only went on to win numerous trophies with these "kids" but he also built an entire empire stemming from their hard work and determination. All it took was for one man to believe in them and give them the motivation that they needed. This is when United's youth academy became famous for developing raw
talent and for being one of the best academies in all of England.
I truly believe that David Moyes can do the same with the youth players that United have. United's youth academy has not faltered in the slightest and I do not see that changing for many years to come. There is enough raw talent in United's reserve team, as well as the various other youth teams, to keep us supplied for years.
The players who are on loan at the moment, namely Jesse Lingard and Nick Powell have been doing brilliantly for their loan clubs Birmingham and Wigan. Powell is only 18 years old and he does need to develop further but I've seen enough of Jesse Lingard, both in the reserves and on loan, to make me think that he's ready for first team action. Zaha and Januzaj are two players that Moyes needs to start playing more regularly. Zaha came to United under the premise that he would be playing regular first team football, and his sheer physical presence would not do the team any harm out on the wings, especially when he is expected to brush aside bulky defenders and get crosses into the box. Januzaj is such an amazing player with so much potential. His preferred role is the no.10 one but he's doing brilliantly as a winger right now. He can provide crosses which unlock defenses, something which none of United's current wingers, except Nani when he feels like it, can do. United obviously need a world class creative midfielder who Lingard and Powell can learn from, and I hope that we manage to tie up that signing soon.
Other youth/ u21 players, Davide Petrucci (midfielder), Will Keane (striker), Ryan Tunnicliffe (midfielder) are all very promising players. Petrucci arrived at United when he was just 17 years old, he's now 21. A number of injuries had blighted his first couple of years with United but he looks to be kicking on since then. He has developed under the careful guidance of a host of United coaches and knows the club and it's philosophy very well. Will Keane picked up a horrendous injury after having the season of his life (2011/2012) during international duty with the England u19 squad that made him miss an entire season. He was promised a place in United's first team but his injury has pegged him back. He continues to work very hard to get to the level he was once at, and looks very much to be a natural goalscorer. Ryan Tunnicliffe is an exciting prospect, having been a great midfield partner for Pogba and Morrison. He's an all-round midfielder, which is always nice to hear and he can tackle!
There's an endless amount of youth talent that Moyes has at his hands, but he will also do well to assess whether they are truly ready for the big stage. We know that Moyes is not afraid to introduce youth into a first team squad, like he did with Rooney at Everton, but he might need just a little bit more time to get to know our youth players better, and he has already been doing that, having being spotted at the United u19s UEFA Youth League game tonight.
This might very well be the time to take a leap of faith. Clear out the deadwood and give our lads a chance. I'd rather lose with kids than lose with experienced players who are not of United calibre in the first place. You get the feeling that some of the senior players, Ferdinand for example, do not respect Moyes on the same level in which they respected SAF. These young players will give Moyes the respect he needs to drive this team forward and they'll be motivated to impress the world on one of the biggest stages in the world, Old Trafford.
