Yes, I completely forgot about Thorpe, definitely a strong prospect.
I'm the same, it's hard not to get carried away when watching these lads in form. I think there's an unfair trend of assuming that if a kid doesn't make it at United, he was never actually as good as those who watched him suggested. In fact, I think at least 50% of whether a youngster makes it or not is down to factors out of their control. It is certainly not the case, as plenty would argue, that 'if you're good enough, you make it.'
Which is one of the reasons I'm really glad we got Moyes. This generation of youngsters has the potential to define the next era at the club in a similar way to Barca's golden generation. But it will only happen if we actually risk playing them, and choosing them over older players at times even if it costs us in the short term. I shudder to think how much potential would have simply been flushed down the drain if we'd gone for Mourinho (and I have to admit I was one of those who put him just above Moyes on my list). Imagine if he'd been allowed to oversee the era at Barca just as Messi, Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi etc were coming through. They might never have made it at Barca, and worse still they might never have become anywhere near the players they are now.
It's why it's so important for someone like Oliver Torres to stay put for at least a couple of seasons. A bigger team will do nothing for him right now. What he needs is uninterrupted first team football.
