---The cups---
An unexpected (but deserved) home defeat to Brighton in the FA Youth Cup overshadowed a magnificent third round victory against Chelsea, which featured another inspired Greenwood hattrick, and with the U18 PL Cup defeat to City best forgotten about, I'll focus on the UEFA Youth League.
The U19 age group rules allowed United to co-opt many of the younger members of the U23 squad to join the seniors of the U18 side to form what looked very much like a superteam: the likes of Chong, Gomes and Bohui joined Greenwood, Garner and Laird to form a side that looked very capable of competing against Europe's best.
And indeed it was. The campaign opened with powerful and dominant performances against Young Boys, Valencia and Juventus. Three wins put United in pole position in Group H; and they wrapped top spot in the group up comfortably in the next three games with only a draw against Juventus blemishing their otherwise perfect record.
Greenwood scored four goals in the six games, and seemed to be enjoying in particular linking up with Gomes, who was the stand out player in this U19 side. Playing often in the area we most enjoy seeing Pogba operate in - off the left side of the midfield behind the opposition eight - he sought the ball in deeper areas, kept it as well as always, and repeatedly picked out both Chong with long diagonals into the right hand channel, and Greenwood and Bohui either between the lines or off opposition centrebacks' shoulders.
Gomes still looks slight - his size won't help him once he steps up to the seniors at all. But this was the clearest sign yet that he is ready to be given a first team berth and a serious run of games.
And then came the Round of 16 and familiar minnows Midtjylland. In maybe the most frustrating game of the campaign, the youngsters were hit by a classic sucker punch performance. United dominated the ball and in intent throughout, but often failed to break down a committed and resilient opposition defence. Two thirds of possession only engineered three shots on target for United, and although Midtjylland only mustered the same, they scored with all three of theirs.
It was a disappointing end to the campaign, but one that gave fantastic hope for fans keen to see more Academy players step up and be given chances. Based on the group games, all of the players mentioned above, and others, will have given Ole and his team reason to be optimistic about the potential in the group.
---Next season---
Back to the U18s and the coming season will see big changes.
Despite all still being eligible to play in the side next season by age requirements, we can't expect to see any of Greenwood, Garner, Laird, Mellor, Arnau Puigmal, Largie Ramazani, Williams, Dylan Levitt or Bernard play too many - if any for some - games at U18 level next time out. They will likely all step up to the U23s, with Greenwood and Garner possibly going a step further.
This will mean a raft of scholars - some of whom we've seen a little of in the second half of the season, including RB Harvey Neville (where have I heard that name before...) - seeing game time each week.
Responsibility will likely fall on the shoulders of mercurial gangler Anthony Martial, sorry Anthony Elanga, to lead the attack; scheming and tricky Dion McGhee and Charlie McCann to conjure the assists; Ethan Galbraith to shore up the midfield; and child-mountain Teden Mengi to lead the defence.
It's going to be a challenging season with a very young squad, but if they and the management under Neil Ryan approach their task the same way that their predecessors have this season, they'll at least demonstrate that the club is represented at youth levels by a group that will leave everything on the pitch for United.
*Happy to provide my very amateur scouting opinions on any of the players in the U23 or U18 setups if anyone is interested in any player(s) in particular.
Greenwoods movement in his cameos of the firsts looks brilliant. He and Chong will take time to bed in and look very slight right now for PL football.
Any idea of any who could be ready to step up Rosso?
Thanks Rosso - great stuff
We don’t care about stuff like this ffs just sign Griezmann and Sancho ffs pay whatever it takes Ed
comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 48 minutes ago
Greenwoods movement in his cameos of the firsts looks brilliant. He and Chong will take time to bed in and look very slight right now for PL football.
Any idea of any who could be ready to step up Rosso?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We should see a good number of young players join the seniors preseason, particularly if those players departing are in large part already known.
I don't see any sense in taking those who Ole has decided won't be forming part of his squad in August going on tour.
Tuanzebe and TFM will return, and of the loanees, I'd expect them to go straight into the squad.
Gomes, Greenwood, Garner and Chong will certainly join them. The rest is a bit of a lottery, although I'd like to see Ole looking at Ethan Hamilton, Brandon Williams, Ethan Laird and maybe one or two others.
To see playing time for the seniors next season, the first four as well as the loan returnees are the safest bets, although I'd be very careful with over-exposing Greenwood given his lack of experience.
Personally, I'd like to see Gomes used in midfield when Pogba has days off or is otherwise unavailable, Garner getting starts at DM, Tuanzebe getting games in the cup competitions and Europe, and Chong off the bench.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Excellent stuff as always, rosso.
comment by Dave NotSo (U11711)
posted 52 minutes ago
Really appreciate your efforts with these articles, mate.
I quite liked the look of Puigmal earlier in the season. He was playing right back and RM for a few matches. Seems to have settled in CM for most of the games he's played since.
Apparently he's one of a handful of academy players that are training with the seniors for Cardiff and a few could get games. Greenwood is a likely contender for game time, along with Chong and Gomes. Your boy Garner could get time as well, especially given some uncertainty over the futures of some of our senior midfield players.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm a big fan of Puigmal too. He's got fantastic technique, an excellent footballing brain and strikes the ball beautifully cleanly.
I think he's now played RB, RW, LW, CM, and if I'm not mistaken number ten for the junior sides.
The questions with him I think are going to be whether he's suited to English football and if he can nail down a position.
That said, McT played in almost every position on the pitch in the season he spent with the U23s before stepping up...
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 1 minute ago
Excellent stuff as always, rosso.
----------------
Don't encourage him, Darren. Or you, Dave and RR.
Yeah, sorry. Shiiiiiit article, don’t ever write an article like this again.
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 22 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
-------------------
Nonsense. They need to get on the Lukaku training regime at once!
Thank you all for your kind and constructive feedback, Berba, Dazza and Dave, in particular.
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So what you're saying is if they're good enough, they're fat enough basically?
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 14 hours, 43 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
================
Well... You were calling Modric "too lightweight" when everyone was pointing out he was one of the best midfielders in the PL.
comment by Dave NotSo (U11711)
posted 13 hours, 49 minutes ago
comment by rosso is facking happy(U17054)
posted 6 hours, 58 minutes ago
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm a big fan of Puigmal too. He's got fantastic technique, an excellent footballing brain and strikes the ball beautifully cleanly.
I think he's now played RB, RW, LW, CM, and if I'm not mistaken number ten for the junior sides.
The questions with him I think are going to be whether he's suited to English football and if he can nail down a position.
That said, McT played in almost every position on the pitch in the season he spent with the U23s before stepping up...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I watched a few games early in the season but only caught the highlights in the second half of the season and didn't realise he'd played so many positions. I understand your point about nailing down a position, not becoming too much of a jack of all trades, master of none type player. At this level and stage of his career, I'm not at all concerned though. I think it can be a real positive as it will hopefully give him more game intelligence and positional awareness.
Your example in McT is spot on. Again, primarily through highlights, I'd watched McT play in much more attacking roles for the academy teams and score a few decent goals than how he's been perceived by many. On the recent match thread before kickoff (that's usually all I can cope with to preserve my mental health) some folk were concerned that McT and Matic wouldn't work as Scotty has been typecast as a dull, talentless, holding DM. Diafol and Shugs were quick to point out that error of that assumption and five mins later McT scores.
I'm pretty sure it was you who tried (and sadly failed - given the commonly touted misconception) to clarify that McT wasn't just a talentless DM hack when Jose brought him through. He was just good at following Jose's instructions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That last point could be made of a bunch of players not only under Jose, but also LVG.
Jose and his team were at times giving a lot of very detailed instructions to the players, with specifics about how they should position themselves and use the ball under particular circumstances, which, on following, would often see the players unfairly chastised by fans.
We've even seen a bit of it under Ole, despite the fact the players are clearly able to play with a bit more freedom now. An example would be Pogba getting abuse for not being involved in the game against Everton when he was started at number ten right in behind Lukaku and clearly told to stick there, then shifted to a deep inside right role.
Played out of position, isolated from the rest of the midfield at twenty five to thirty yards further up the pitch, then gets stick from people because he wasn't getting on the ball.
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Manchester United U18s - season in review
Page 1 of 1
posted on 9/5/19
---The cups---
An unexpected (but deserved) home defeat to Brighton in the FA Youth Cup overshadowed a magnificent third round victory against Chelsea, which featured another inspired Greenwood hattrick, and with the U18 PL Cup defeat to City best forgotten about, I'll focus on the UEFA Youth League.
The U19 age group rules allowed United to co-opt many of the younger members of the U23 squad to join the seniors of the U18 side to form what looked very much like a superteam: the likes of Chong, Gomes and Bohui joined Greenwood, Garner and Laird to form a side that looked very capable of competing against Europe's best.
And indeed it was. The campaign opened with powerful and dominant performances against Young Boys, Valencia and Juventus. Three wins put United in pole position in Group H; and they wrapped top spot in the group up comfortably in the next three games with only a draw against Juventus blemishing their otherwise perfect record.
Greenwood scored four goals in the six games, and seemed to be enjoying in particular linking up with Gomes, who was the stand out player in this U19 side. Playing often in the area we most enjoy seeing Pogba operate in - off the left side of the midfield behind the opposition eight - he sought the ball in deeper areas, kept it as well as always, and repeatedly picked out both Chong with long diagonals into the right hand channel, and Greenwood and Bohui either between the lines or off opposition centrebacks' shoulders.
Gomes still looks slight - his size won't help him once he steps up to the seniors at all. But this was the clearest sign yet that he is ready to be given a first team berth and a serious run of games.
And then came the Round of 16 and familiar minnows Midtjylland. In maybe the most frustrating game of the campaign, the youngsters were hit by a classic sucker punch performance. United dominated the ball and in intent throughout, but often failed to break down a committed and resilient opposition defence. Two thirds of possession only engineered three shots on target for United, and although Midtjylland only mustered the same, they scored with all three of theirs.
It was a disappointing end to the campaign, but one that gave fantastic hope for fans keen to see more Academy players step up and be given chances. Based on the group games, all of the players mentioned above, and others, will have given Ole and his team reason to be optimistic about the potential in the group.
---Next season---
Back to the U18s and the coming season will see big changes.
Despite all still being eligible to play in the side next season by age requirements, we can't expect to see any of Greenwood, Garner, Laird, Mellor, Arnau Puigmal, Largie Ramazani, Williams, Dylan Levitt or Bernard play too many - if any for some - games at U18 level next time out. They will likely all step up to the U23s, with Greenwood and Garner possibly going a step further.
This will mean a raft of scholars - some of whom we've seen a little of in the second half of the season, including RB Harvey Neville (where have I heard that name before...) - seeing game time each week.
Responsibility will likely fall on the shoulders of mercurial gangler Anthony Martial, sorry Anthony Elanga, to lead the attack; scheming and tricky Dion McGhee and Charlie McCann to conjure the assists; Ethan Galbraith to shore up the midfield; and child-mountain Teden Mengi to lead the defence.
It's going to be a challenging season with a very young squad, but if they and the management under Neil Ryan approach their task the same way that their predecessors have this season, they'll at least demonstrate that the club is represented at youth levels by a group that will leave everything on the pitch for United.
posted on 9/5/19
*Happy to provide my very amateur scouting opinions on any of the players in the U23 or U18 setups if anyone is interested in any player(s) in particular.
posted on 9/5/19
Greenwoods movement in his cameos of the firsts looks brilliant. He and Chong will take time to bed in and look very slight right now for PL football.
Any idea of any who could be ready to step up Rosso?
posted on 9/5/19
Thanks Rosso - great stuff
posted on 9/5/19
We don’t care about stuff like this ffs just sign Griezmann and Sancho ffs pay whatever it takes Ed
posted on 9/5/19
comment by Busby (U19985)
posted 48 minutes ago
Greenwoods movement in his cameos of the firsts looks brilliant. He and Chong will take time to bed in and look very slight right now for PL football.
Any idea of any who could be ready to step up Rosso?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
We should see a good number of young players join the seniors preseason, particularly if those players departing are in large part already known.
I don't see any sense in taking those who Ole has decided won't be forming part of his squad in August going on tour.
Tuanzebe and TFM will return, and of the loanees, I'd expect them to go straight into the squad.
Gomes, Greenwood, Garner and Chong will certainly join them. The rest is a bit of a lottery, although I'd like to see Ole looking at Ethan Hamilton, Brandon Williams, Ethan Laird and maybe one or two others.
To see playing time for the seniors next season, the first four as well as the loan returnees are the safest bets, although I'd be very careful with over-exposing Greenwood given his lack of experience.
Personally, I'd like to see Gomes used in midfield when Pogba has days off or is otherwise unavailable, Garner getting starts at DM, Tuanzebe getting games in the cup competitions and Europe, and Chong off the bench.
posted on 9/5/19
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 9/5/19
Excellent stuff as always, rosso.
posted on 9/5/19
comment by Dave NotSo (U11711)
posted 52 minutes ago
Really appreciate your efforts with these articles, mate.
I quite liked the look of Puigmal earlier in the season. He was playing right back and RM for a few matches. Seems to have settled in CM for most of the games he's played since.
Apparently he's one of a handful of academy players that are training with the seniors for Cardiff and a few could get games. Greenwood is a likely contender for game time, along with Chong and Gomes. Your boy Garner could get time as well, especially given some uncertainty over the futures of some of our senior midfield players.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm a big fan of Puigmal too. He's got fantastic technique, an excellent footballing brain and strikes the ball beautifully cleanly.
I think he's now played RB, RW, LW, CM, and if I'm not mistaken number ten for the junior sides.
The questions with him I think are going to be whether he's suited to English football and if he can nail down a position.
That said, McT played in almost every position on the pitch in the season he spent with the U23s before stepping up...
posted on 9/5/19
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 1 minute ago
Excellent stuff as always, rosso.
----------------
Don't encourage him, Darren. Or you, Dave and RR.
posted on 9/5/19
Yeah, sorry. Shiiiiiit article, don’t ever write an article like this again.
posted on 9/5/19
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
posted on 9/5/19
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 9/5/19
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 22 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
-------------------
Nonsense. They need to get on the Lukaku training regime at once!
posted on 10/5/19
Thank you all for your kind and constructive feedback, Berba, Dazza and Dave, in particular.
posted on 10/5/19
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
Sit Matt got this slight kid over from Belfast, Fergie found a couple of slight kids one from Wales and the other was Ginger.
Barcelona found this slight kid from Argentina.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
So what you're saying is if they're good enough, they're fat enough basically?
posted on 10/5/19
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 10/5/19
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 10/5/19
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 10/5/19
comment by Vidicschin (U3584)
posted 14 hours, 43 minutes ago
Not bothered about players being 'slight' if they have the ability.
================
Well... You were calling Modric "too lightweight" when everyone was pointing out he was one of the best midfielders in the PL.
posted on 10/5/19
comment by Dave NotSo (U11711)
posted 13 hours, 49 minutes ago
comment by rosso is facking happy(U17054)
posted 6 hours, 58 minutes ago
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm a big fan of Puigmal too. He's got fantastic technique, an excellent footballing brain and strikes the ball beautifully cleanly.
I think he's now played RB, RW, LW, CM, and if I'm not mistaken number ten for the junior sides.
The questions with him I think are going to be whether he's suited to English football and if he can nail down a position.
That said, McT played in almost every position on the pitch in the season he spent with the U23s before stepping up...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I watched a few games early in the season but only caught the highlights in the second half of the season and didn't realise he'd played so many positions. I understand your point about nailing down a position, not becoming too much of a jack of all trades, master of none type player. At this level and stage of his career, I'm not at all concerned though. I think it can be a real positive as it will hopefully give him more game intelligence and positional awareness.
Your example in McT is spot on. Again, primarily through highlights, I'd watched McT play in much more attacking roles for the academy teams and score a few decent goals than how he's been perceived by many. On the recent match thread before kickoff (that's usually all I can cope with to preserve my mental health) some folk were concerned that McT and Matic wouldn't work as Scotty has been typecast as a dull, talentless, holding DM. Diafol and Shugs were quick to point out that error of that assumption and five mins later McT scores.
I'm pretty sure it was you who tried (and sadly failed - given the commonly touted misconception) to clarify that McT wasn't just a talentless DM hack when Jose brought him through. He was just good at following Jose's instructions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
That last point could be made of a bunch of players not only under Jose, but also LVG.
Jose and his team were at times giving a lot of very detailed instructions to the players, with specifics about how they should position themselves and use the ball under particular circumstances, which, on following, would often see the players unfairly chastised by fans.
We've even seen a bit of it under Ole, despite the fact the players are clearly able to play with a bit more freedom now. An example would be Pogba getting abuse for not being involved in the game against Everton when he was started at number ten right in behind Lukaku and clearly told to stick there, then shifted to a deep inside right role.
Played out of position, isolated from the rest of the midfield at twenty five to thirty yards further up the pitch, then gets stick from people because he wasn't getting on the ball.
Page 1 of 1