Miscellaneous Reserve/Youth News

U15s just lost to my local side, Galway Utd, in the final of the Uk Challenge Cup. (4-3 on pens). While I’m delighted for Galway Utd and for the kids on the team (I’d know some of their families quite well) thats a shocking indictment of the standard of the Man Utd academy.
 
U15s just lost to my local side, Galway Utd, in the final of the Uk Challenge Cup. (4-3 on pens). While I’m delighted for Galway Utd and for the kids on the team (I’d know some of their families quite well) thats a shocking indictment of the standard of the Man Utd academy.

It depends on the makeup of the squad. Some players may be in training camps/tournaments with their countries and some may be on holiday with their families.
 
U15s just lost to my local side, Galway Utd, in the final of the Uk Challenge Cup. (4-3 on pens). While I’m delighted for Galway Utd and for the kids on the team (I’d know some of their families quite well) thats a shocking indictment of the standard of the Man Utd academy.
United came top of the league part of the tournament which included every team in the tournament & were an u15s side playing in an u16s tournament. This United side also won the u14s North & National version of the Albert Phelan cup last season & are probably the strongest age group at the club so no it's not an indictment of the academy it's just yet another slightly strange result in underage football which happen all the time especially in tournaments where games aren't full length matches & the team has played 10 games in 3 days.
 
U15s just lost to my local side, Galway Utd, in the final of the Uk Challenge Cup. (4-3 on pens). While I’m delighted for Galway Utd and for the kids on the team (I’d know some of their families quite well) thats a shocking indictment of the standard of the Man Utd academy.

I can't even :lol: get a clue.
 
I can't even :lol: get a clue.
Get a clue? Explain? Lad, I know the kids from Galway. They are never, ever, ever, making it past Sunday league level. Literally basically a schools team. Very poor standard. But ok, you seem to know better
 
U15s just lost to my local side, Galway Utd, in the final of the Uk Challenge Cup. (4-3 on pens). While I’m delighted for Galway Utd and for the kids on the team (I’d know some of their families quite well) thats a shocking indictment of the standard of the Man Utd academy.
We fielded a mainly u15 squad in an u16 tournament. At this age the difference physically can be huge. We did ok to get to the final and lost on a penalty shootout.

there were other PL academies there too who didn’t get close to the final

bit of an over reaction seeing as we won a the NI super cup tournament not even two weeks ago
 
We fielded a mainly u15 squad in an u16 tournament. At this age the difference physically can be huge. We did ok to get to the final and lost on a penalty shootout.

there were other PL academies there too who didn’t get close to the final

bit of an over reaction seeing as we won a the NI super cup tournament not even two weeks ago
I was day drinking and had about 12 pints inside me while typing!! I regret everything
 
United came top of the league part of the tournament which included every team in the tournament & were an u15s side playing in an u16s tournament. This United side also won the u14s North & National version of the Albert Phelan cup last season & are probably the strongest age group at the club so no it's not an indictment of the academy it's just yet another slightly strange result in underage football which happen all the time especially in tournaments where games aren't full length matches & the team has played 10 games in 3 days.

The 07 U16's were playing in the group stage and were then sent home. However, the current U15's are physically the biggest size I've ever seen for their age (bigger than the U16's) so it is a strange result.
 
Another case of "Manchester United Youth Team haven't won 6-0 therefore they are all crap and our Academy isn't working".

Are we allowed to criticise the U21‘s or is that still taboo by the armchair experts?
 
The 07 U16's were playing in the group stage and were then sent home. However, the current U15's are physically the biggest size I've ever seen for their age (bigger than the U16's) so it is a strange result.
Was it not only the 4 lads Halliday, Baumann, Kaba & Abbas who were involved because they hadn't played much at the Super Cup in Northern Ireland?
 
Are we allowed to criticise the U21‘s or is that still taboo by the armchair experts?

People can criticise any time...but people saying 'they are crap' isn't particularly constructive.

My point is...there are too many (as you say armchair fans) that just look at a result without any context or big picture. And those same 'critics' all go quiet when we have a good result. So there's no fair and equitable balance either.

But hey if you want to criticise all the time...that's your call. The U/21's were very poor tonight so an easy target for everyone.
 
It has seemed like a quiet window for youth players. Is that because we have good prospects coming through or are we failing transfer wise in that regard too?
 
It has seemed like a quiet window for youth players. Is that because we have good prospects coming through or are we failing transfer wise in that regard too?

I believe we may have signed a player for the 21s, but as a whole we've lost out on all our targets, we won't pay the money other clubs are willing to pay.
 
I believe we may have signed a player for the 21s, but as a whole we've lost out on all our targets, we won't pay the money other clubs are willing to pay.
I thought we had decided to compete that way after mejbri, but maybe not
 
It's slightly disappointing that we haven't been able to sign anyone other than the GK Harrison for the U18s, but tbf we have a big intake and the ones we targeted are basically the 4 that moved from Spurs and Everton so it's generally very competitive.

We'll need to rely alot on our midfield stars for the FA Youth Cup campaign. That's by far our strongest department in that squad.
 
Going to need Mather to really step up and lead the U18s attack as he’s very much the star man left now after Ennis’s injury.
 
Going to need Mather to really step up and lead the U18s attack as he’s very much the star man left now after Ennis’s injury.
Yes, he showed glimpses last season but was surrounded by stars. We will get to see if he has "it" but leading the younger players. Oyedele and Jackson as well.
 
We have talented youngsters, but no plan for them. Players like Hannibal and Amad can go like six months without playing and nobody seems to care.
 
We have talented youngsters, but no plan for them. Players like Hannibal and Amad can go like six months without playing and nobody seems to care.
Unfortunately seems to have been the case for a while. Hannibal, Laird, Garner, Tuanzebe, Mengi, Chong, Pellistri have all been out on loan recently/are going out on loan with no plan after that.
 
Unfortunately seems to have been the case for a while. Hannibal, Laird, Garner, Tuanzebe, Mengi, Chong, Pellistri have all been out on loan recently/are going out on loan with no plan after that.

They play soooooooo little football compared to other talents, no wonder they disappear.
 
They play soooooooo little football compared to other talents, no wonder they disappear.
I'm hoping that is the next improvement we make after the first team because once the first team is at the level ten Hag wants, you won't see luck of the draw breakthroughs like Rashford and Elanga.

It should really be a lot more streamlined and dare I say it, successful.
 
We have talented youngsters, but no plan for them. Players like Hannibal and Amad can go like six months without playing and nobody seems to care.
Yeah its very frustrating. Hopefully there will be some improvement once there's stability with the manager in the first team, and that can filter down throughout the entire club.
 
They play soooooooo little football compared to other talents, no wonder they disappear.

Don't completely agree with you - as several of these players did play a lot over the last 2 seasons :

Chong played 48 matches over the last 2 seasons - and that included a long injury lay-off
James Garner played 90 matches over the last 2 seasons
Ethan Laird 52 matches - and that included the usual injury problems

Mengi played 19 matches over the last 2 seasons - but his form has simply not been good over the last 2 or so seasons - and he was awful at times for the U23
Diallo played 22 matches over the last 2 seasons - but did he really do enough at Rangers ? I certainly expected more

As for Hannibal - he didn't seem mature enough to play first-team football. He was a red card waiting to happen in several of the U23-games - and if he can't control his temper there, why should he do it in a competitive game. Hopefully he has matured enough so that we can let him go on loan
 
What's going on with Charlie McNeill? looks like he is training with the first team, but playing no where at all...
 
That is potentially a very good team. A midfield of Iqbal, Mainoo and Gore