Looking Back...

spenzo

Full Member
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Jan 18, 2015
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810
I thought it'd beinteresting to see the different youth players people had hoped or expected would make it at United but didn't. Personally I've got a couple:
  • Thorpe - When LVG had the injury crisis in defence I, as I'm sure most did, just assumed that this was the opportunity Tom had been waiting for but as we know McNair was chosen instead, at that moment I knew his days were numbered. I've not seen a centre back as comfortable at Reserve level as he was in his last two seasons and I hope he can work his way up the Football League, although it's easier said than done.
  • Cole - Excellent close control, clinical finisher and penalty master (at Reserve level at least), I was a big Larnell fan. Composure beyond his years. Over the years you always get comparisons: Rothwell vs Pearson or Mitchell vs Rashford and with Cole and Lingard, it always looked like it'd be one or the other to make it to breakthrough and I was in the Cole camp, and we know how that turned out :lol: (although I still stand by it). Think it shows how youth-centric I am that it took Cole getting sold to confirm that I wanted Moyes out.
  • Rothwell - Quality player, just oozed class, between Moyes giving a squad number and LVG putting him on the bench he (and I) had a couple of promising moments where it looked like he'd get a chance but he didn't.
  • Petrucci - I think everyone wanted him to make it, injuries destroyed any chance he had unfortunately. Very Pereira-like style in many ways but it's a shame how things turned out.
I've got plenty of others right too but as you can see I've got plenty wrong, it's part of the fun of watching these guys though to see where they ultimately end up. As far as the current crop, Angel is the obvious one but he shouldn't even really count - he's that good. I've backed Riley, Tuanzebe and Mitchell since they were in the Under 18s and I'll stick by it although Mitchell looks like he'll struggle to do it now. O'Connor is another that I really like and think should make it.
 
SirAnderson said:
James Wilson for me. I know his a bit older, but he looked like he was going to step up in a big way for me but just didn't happen in the end.
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The one I'm most disappointed with. Injuries ruined him, but he had a wand of a left foot and pace to burn. Could easily have been our starting striker right now if it wasn't for injury.
 
Getting emotionally involved in the careers of underage United players seems to always end in heart-ache. The odds are so high against them. The one I felt most disappointed about was Danny Welbeck. Absolutely gutted when he was sold, as I was convinced he was the real deal. Pogba's departure was similar, actually. Thank feck that turned out for the best in the end! I also remember throwing a bit of tizzy when Ljajic's United career finished before it had even started :nervous:

One thing is for sure. For all the huffing and puffing on here when assorted young players leave, the decision of the club is almost always vindicated with hindsight. Pique and Pogba would be the only exceptions to this rule and I'm fairly sure the club would have retained both of them if they could.
 
I thought Tom Thorpe and Michael Keane would make it. James Wilson could have been our centre forward for years. Ravel Morrison has to bethe biggest ''if only'' - he had as much talent as Bestie.
 
There some players that just need to be given a solid chance. Fans seem to think that it is normal for an 18 year old to boss the league in his first season, which is just ridiculous. Thorpe was one of those players imo. I still believe he could have come good if he was given the opportunity and I know that some will say that he is not exactly tearing it up now but the same could have been said for Rashford. Had Keane remained fit, Rashford would never have had a chance and he could have been loaned out and probably disillusioned and fade away. I also agree with Petrucci, I enjoyed watching him more than did with Pogba in the academy. But injuries did him bad like Rothwell. I'd throw Wilson in that mix too.

I didn't think Cole would have made it although I thought he was ahead of the likes of Tunicliffe
 
Morrison was so unbelievably good! :(
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Getting emotionally involved in the careers of underage United players seems to always end in heart-ache. The odds are so high against them. The one I felt most disappointed about was Danny Welbeck. Absolutely gutted when he was sold, as I was convinced he was the real deal. Pogba's departure was similar, actually. Thank feck that turned out for the best in the end! I also remember throwing a bit of tizzy when Ljajic's United career finished before it had even started :nervous:

One thing is for sure. For all the huffing and puffing on here when assorted young players leave, the decision of the club is almost always vindicated with hindsight. Pique and Pogba would be the only exceptions to this rule and I'm fairly sure the club would have retained both of them if they could.
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Almost forgot about Danny. Yeah, that also hurt me a bit. Always felt he just needed more time, but it wasn't to be.
I still even was sad when I see he isn't succeeding at Arsenal, with injuries and all.

That's why today, I try to guard against that emotionally investment if possible, young ones like Chong, Gribbin, and even the more older ones like TFM and Rash. I so want them to succeed, but most times than not it doesn't work out well in the end.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Getting emotionally involved in the careers of underage United players seems to always end in heart-ache. The odds are so high against them. The one I felt most disappointed about was Danny Welbeck. Absolutely gutted when he was sold, as I was convinced he was the real deal. Pogba's departure was similar, actually. Thank feck that turned out for the best in the end! I also remember throwing a bit of tizzy when Ljajic's United career finished before it had even started :nervous:

One thing is for sure. For all the huffing and puffing on here when assorted young players leave, the decision of the club is almost always vindicated with hindsight. Pique and Pogba would be the only exceptions to this rule and I'm fairly sure the club would have retained both of them if they could.
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You can't underestimate the advantage of getting a chance or having a manager that wills to take odd risk though.
 
I agree about Wilson, thought he'd gone to be a top striker for us but again, injuries :(. I liked Ravel too but he threw that way himself, something you can't really predict. I have to say though, just because a player hasn't had the best of times since leaving United, doesn't necessarily mean that the decision not to give them a chance was right, unfortunately the cream doesn't always rise to the top. United produce talented players, it's often on the manager to just actually give them that break. I'm definitely more relaxed about who does or does not make it nowadays as I think I had to be for the sake of my health :lol:
 
dichinero said:
You can't underestimate the advantage of getting a chance or having a manager that wills to take odd risk though.
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The point is that after leaving United the youngsters who are so highly rated by many on here should easily find a top club/manager willing to take that risk. If they don't, well, that tells us all we need to know.
 
Welbeck's the only one I had really high hopes for in making it in recent years. Even though he hasn't set the world alight at Arsenal I still think he'd be a great addition to our current squad now actually, but hey-ho.

I didn't have exceptionally high hopes for these next three talents but they were some of my favourite talents in recent years that might have gone under the radar in Pearson, Harrop and W.Keane. I mean, I hoped they'd make the step-up to our first team as I thought they were a talented bunch, but I never actually got my hopes up too high. I probably like(d) Harrop the most, and though he's still with us, I just don't see him making it here sadly.
 
Wilson, Januzaj - fairly obvious
Macheda- that finish versus Villa was unbelievable and for someone to do so on his debut in a game that had direct impact on title race was just wow! He scored in the next game as well and the naive me thought, we could have the next big thing on our hands here
 
Welbeck was the one that hurt for me I truly thought he was gonna make it here even when everyone was convincing themselves that Macheda was the better of the two. Some notable ones are Magnus Wolff Eikrem (truly believed he was the heir to the ginger prince's throne) and Joshua King(happy to see him making it with Bournemouth) but Cole and Tunicliffe didn't look like they could ever make it here for me was always surprised by how so may people thought they would.

Ever since MUTV got cancelled in Africa I have been getting my heart broken less as I don't watch any academy and reserve matches.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
The point is that after leaving United the youngsters who are so highly rated by many on here should easily find a top club/manager willing to take that risk. If they don't, well, that tells us all we need to know.
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Let's be fair here. How many managers will that risk of acquiring a youngster that never got a chance at the club he just left. Given the expectation in lower leagues, only people that have worked with them like a Phelan or have inside knowledge like a Stam will take that risk.
 
Ben Pearson.
He would have been brilliant in the centre of the park. His energy, ability with the ball and his ability to read the game. He would be perfect as a 6 or 8 in centre midfield..
 
dichinero said:
Let's be fair here. How many managers will that risk of acquiring a youngster that never got a chance at the club he just left. Given the expectation in lower leagues, only people that have worked with them like a Phelan or have inside knowledge like a Stam will take that risk.
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None of them ended up unemployed. If they were as good as the hype they got on here they'd have made their way to the top quick enough. Instead, it's less fancied ex-players like Drinkwater and Simpson who have been catching the headlines.
 
Rossi for me. I was certain he would make it here and I think he would at any other epoch in the clubs history. Competing with Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and Saha was never going to be easy.

Other than that I really fancied David Jones(!) to make it here. He looked great for the reserves.
 
Danish Wizard said:
Ben Pearson.
He would have been brilliant in the centre of the park. His energy, ability with the ball and his ability to read the game. He would be perfect as a 6 or 8 in centre midfield..
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I think Pearson can make it as a Premier League player. Currently 21 and getting good minutes at a mid table Championship club.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Yeah. He looked great. Scored a screamer or two since leaving as well.
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He's a paticular flavour of midfielder we seem to bring through every year.

Drinkwater, Pearson, Tunicliffe to name a few more.
 
Matthew James. Looked class the way he controlled the game and range of passes. Sadly the injuries ruined it for him as well.
Then again, with his luck he missed the entire of last season, so wasn't even part of Leicester's amazing season...
 
Mats Moller Daehli was a real shock when he left. Was a treat to watch and really talented.

Another one who sadly injuries held back even after leaving us, though he showed promise time and again.
 
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