Utd bid to sign 16 year old twins from Man City - Darren Fletcher’s sons!

Yagami said:
Promising. The only downside is that he makes me feel old. Watching Darren Fletcher's son play. It doesn't even feel that long ago I was watching the old man play for us.
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To be fair, Fletcher isn't that old and only a year older than the likes of Ronaldo and Young who still play.
 
roonster09 said:
No, it isn't. Fletcher twins joined City when Darren Fletcher was playing for West Brom. He joined ManUtd in 2020, they joined CIty around 2015.
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A United homegrown talent/player thought that his kids had a better future at City academy rather ours. That's quite damning on our academy (not on him) Everyone does the best for his kids
 
devilish said:
A United homegrown talent/player thought that his kids had a better future at City academy rather ours. That's quite damning on our academy (not on him) Everyone does the best for his kids
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If Mason wasn’t a predator our front 3 would all be home grown last weekend. . In a different universe a midfield 3 behind them would have 2 out of 3 academy graduates as well.
This thinking is so out of date it’s unreal
 
cyberman said:
If Mason wasn’t a predator our front 3 would all be home grown last weekend. . In a different universe a midfield 3 behind them would have 2 out of 3 academy graduates as well.
This thinking is so out of date it’s unreal
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Why do you think that Darren Fletcher moved his kids to city? He's not the only one. Kai Rooney was there as well.

I believe that there was a time when our academy was being neglected. Results at youth levels during that time kind of confirm that
 
cyberman said:
If Mason wasn’t a predator our front 3 would all be home grown last weekend. . In a different universe a midfield 3 behind them would have 2 out of 3 academy graduates as well.
This thinking is so out of date it’s unreal
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Why a different universe? McT and Mainoo are homegrown.
 
Do they both play in midfield? I just want to see both play in a midfield 2, next to each other, for the main team.. even if its in pre season.
 
devilish said:
Why do you think that Darren Fletcher moved his kids to city? He's not the only one. Kai Rooney was there as well.
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Even this logic doesn’t make sense. Surely both of them moving to United would be a positive for Uniteds academy? I can’t believe how shit Fletcher thinks Uniteds youth system is..as his sons move there?
We aren’t a baby sitting service. Who says we were in for them at a young age? Darren can’t just decide to let United have them if we didn’t want them in the first place
 
Tyrion said:
I still think it's just so damning that the guy who's job is (apparently) to help bring academy players into the first team thought his sons were better off at City. That's effectively conceding that they're better at his job than he is.
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Looks to me he’s simply chose wisely for his sons development and United could be the beneficiaries. They look comfortable on the ball like City academy kids with the Spanish influence, add in opportunities United are better at giving alongside love for the club and Darren could have played it perfectly. Almost like he planned it the whole time?
 
prateik said:
Why a different universe? McT and Mainoo are homegrown.
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I meant in that universe that had Mason here, I phrased it incorrectly (and weirdly)
Hell in another universe Pogba kicks on so we don’t sign Bruno and the entire midfield and attack played through the academy.
Fans downplay our academy calling for revamps but it does carry us through our shit transfer dealings
 
cyberman said:
Even this logic doesn’t make sense. Surely both of them moving to United would be a positive for Uniteds academy? I can’t believe how shit Fletcher thinks Uniteds youth system is..as his sons move there?
We aren’t a baby sitting service. Who says we were in for them at a young age? Darren can’t just decide to let United have them if we didn’t want them in the first place
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Nah man... he only wanted the best for his kids when they were 8.. now that they are 16, he is trying to sabotage their careers.
 
devilish said:
A United homegrown talent/player thought that his kids had a better future at City academy rather ours. That's quite damning on our academy (not on him) Everyone does the best for his kids
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I honestly think there was something wrong with the academy during that period. Rashford is poorly developed and has poor footballing IQ, Scott has no idea on how to play in midfield despite supposedly being a midfielder and they’re the two that managed to have a first team career with us.

Contrast that a few years later and suddenly the academy players have better techniques and are arguably better prepped for modern football again.
 
cyberman said:
We aren’t a baby sitting service. Who says we were in for them at a young age? Darren can’t just decide to let United have them if we didn’t want them in the first place
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Ehhh. We've had lots of players be sons of former players. It's likely that if a player was good enough for City's academy, he's likely good enough for United's academy. Not because they're somehow better, but because they're both competing for the same talent pool of players.
 
elmo said:
I honestly think there was something wrong with the academy during that period. Rashford is poorly developed and has poor footballing IQ, Scott has no idea on how to play in midfield despite supposedly being a midfielder and they’re the two that managed to have a first team career with us.

Contrast that a few years later and suddenly the academy players have better techniques and are arguably better prepped for modern football again.
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Rashford hasn't been the same since the double stress fracture to his back led to a loss of agility. Before that he was up and down with decision making but technically and physically great.
 
devilish said:
Why do you think that Darren Fletcher moved his kids to city? He's not the only one. Kai Rooney was there as well.

I believe that there was a time when our academy was being neglected. Results at youth levels during that time kind of confirm that
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I could be wrong, but I do feel like several of our attacking talents have some flaws in their game that should have been coached out at a younger level. Even Rashford. While the talent of Greenwood have almost become a bit mythical, I also think it was the same for him. Rashford, Elanga, Garnacho and Greenwood «makes it» more due to their natural, godgiven talent than beeing very well coached.

A bit frustrating as it makes you think what could have been.
 
In Rainbows said:
Ehhh. We've had lots of players be sons of former players. It's likely that if a player was good enough for City's academy, he's likely good enough for United's academy. Not because they're somehow better, but because they're both competing for the same talent pool of players.
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But you have to be after them first right? Were City after Mainoo, Rashford etc?
If all scouts saw the same thing on the pitch right in front of them then fair enough but sometimes teams just get the jump on a player or see what others don’t.
If we didn’t sign Haaland even though Ole gave him to us on a plate then surely scouts can miss what a 10 year old could bring
 
I think it's pretty obvious that the under ages standards had fallen behind City over recent years, in facilities, coaching and scouting. I'm not surprised that ex pros decided to send their sons there if they were good enough.

That said, we have invested more in recent years, I guess as it's one area of investment in playing staff where the Glazers might see an ROI if they were competent.
 
Drainy said:
Rashford hasn't been the same since the double stress fracture to his back led to a loss of agility. Before that he was up and down with decision making but technically and physically great.
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He’s not technically great at all. His dribbling is basically just knocking the ball ahead and using his athleticism to beat the defender. It’s the reason why he struggles to beat players nowadays.

His finishing is questionable as well, with him always trying to go for power and not placing his shots.
 
stealthy said:
Looks technically and tactically a cut above rest of the group. Decision making looks better than anyone that age for as long as I can remember
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That group has Lacey and Fitzgerald. He looks to be in that class, which is class for us.
 
elmo said:
He’s not technically great at all. His dribbling is basically just knocking the ball ahead and using his athleticism to beat the defender. It’s the reason why he struggles to beat players nowadays.

His finishing is questionable as well, with him always trying to go for power and not placing his shots.
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If you say so. I'd suggest refreshing your recollection of his dribbling pre injuries
 
devilish said:
A United homegrown talent/player thought that his kids had a better future at City academy rather ours. That's quite damning on our academy (not on him) Everyone does the best for his kids
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No its not. Mourinho's son was with Fulham's academy when he was Chelsea and United manager, are you say Fulham's academy is better than both Chelsea and United?
 
cyberman said:
Even this logic doesn’t make sense. Surely both of them moving to United would be a positive for Uniteds academy? I can’t believe how shit Fletcher thinks Uniteds youth system is..as his sons move there?
We aren’t a baby sitting service. Who says we were in for them at a young age? Darren can’t just decide to let United have them if we didn’t want them in the first place
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Devante Cole, Harvey Neville, Shaquille Van Persei, Kai Rooney, Tyler and Jack Fletcher all played for City. That can't be a coincidence and its kind of backed on what's happening on the pitch. City had in fact dominated the U18 North league by winning 4 seasons in a row (2019 till past season). Which kind of suggest that they had invested heavily on kids. Its also a fact that City had made good money out of selling kids as well, the latest being Cole Palmer who was sold for 42.5m. If that deal was done by United it would have been our 4th biggest sale and the second biggest deal (in terms of pure profit) in our club's history.

So what changed? Well many things seem to have changed. First of all we had finally rediscovered the fact that investment in the academy makes sense as it can be a proper cash machine. Chelsea who are experts on the matter had made over 90m euros this year alone by selling homegrown talent. Secondly we're also seem to have acknowledged that homegrown talent can provide us with top quality without the need to cash money. Mason Greenwood had been far more effective on the RW then Mkhitaryan, Jadon Sancho and Antony put together. That's over 200m worth of talent there trying (and failing) to succeed a homegrown kid who had costed us almost nothing.

Once again this is sort of backed by results as well. In fact we're currently dominating the U18 league North.

Thus if you ask me, Darren Fletcher did what every responsible dad would probably do ie he sent his kids to the best school in town.
 
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Jack Fletcher trained with the UCL squad. The only u18 player involved.
 
devilish said:
Devante Cole, Harvey Neville, Shaquille Van Persei, Kai Rooney, Tyler and Jack Fletcher all played for City. That can't be a coincidence and its kind of backed on what's happening on the pitch. City had in fact dominated the U18 North league by winning 4 seasons in a row (2019 till past season). Which kind of suggest that they had invested heavily on kids. Its also a fact that City had made good money out of selling kids as well, the latest being Cole Palmer who was sold for 42.5m. If that deal was done by United it would have been our 4th biggest sale and the second biggest deal (in terms of pure profit) in our club's history.

So what changed? Well many things seem to have changed. First of all we had finally rediscovered the fact that investment in the academy makes sense as it can be a proper cash machine. Chelsea who are experts on the matter had made over 90m euros this year alone by selling homegrown talent. Secondly we're also seem to have acknowledged that homegrown talent can provide us with top quality without the need to cash money. Mason Greenwood had been far more effective on the RW then Mkhitaryan, Jadon Sancho and Antony put together. That's over 200m worth of talent there trying (and failing) to succeed a homegrown kid who had costed us almost nothing.

Once again this is sort of backed by results as well. In fact we're currently dominating the U18 league North.

Thus if you ask me, Darren Fletcher did what every responsible dad would probably do ie he sent his kids to the best school in town.
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Yeah. And getting them to join us now is better because we’ve a far better track record of actually getting academy players into the first team.
 
Archer said:
No its not. Mourinho's son was with Fulham's academy when he was Chelsea and United manager, are you say Fulham's academy is better than both Chelsea and United?
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There's a list of former legends who had sent their kids to City. It can't be a coincidence.
 
elmo said:
Yeah. And getting them to join us now is better because we’ve a far better track record of actually getting academy players into the first team.
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There had been plenty of reports coming out that United had revamped their youth academy and results seem to support that. This is the first time since 2018-2019 that we're ahead of City in the U18 league North. The last time we won it was in 2017-2018. It was also the only U18 North league we've won in the past decade.
 
cyberman said:
I meant in that universe that had Mason here, I phrased it incorrectly (and weirdly)
Hell in another universe Pogba kicks on so we don’t sign Bruno and the entire midfield and attack played through the academy.
Fans downplay our academy calling for revamps but it does carry us through our shit transfer dealings
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Thought Pogba and Morrison would both make it at United. Morrison had such a disappointing career, was a very special talent and wasted it.
 
Tyrion said:
I still think it's just so damning that the guy who's job is (apparently) to help bring academy players into the first team thought his sons were better off at City. That's effectively conceding that they're better at his job than he is.
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Yawn
 
Tyrion said:
I still think it's just so damning that the guy who's job is (apparently) to help bring academy players into the first team thought his sons were better off at City. That's effectively conceding that they're better at his job than he is.
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There’s loads of ex United players who’s sons played for city before they became plastic city. Does that mean the club was better structured at the time?
 
crossy1686 said:
I think only one of them is actually good and has a chance of making it and the other is along for the ride.
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The Neville brothers, the Evans brothers, the Brazilian twins.. are there any other clubs snapping up more brothers than our academy
 
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devilish said:
A United homegrown talent/player thought that his kids had a better future at City academy rather ours. That's quite damning on our academy (not on him) Everyone does the best for his kids
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United having to pay a decent sum of money for the kids of an employee who earns a fortune sums up how badly the club has been run.

Although if one of them is good enough to play PL football then its an inspired move from United and not a clever move from City. They'd have known full well it was going to be impossible to hang on to the kids of a big name former United footballer the older they got.
 
Tyrion said:
I still think it's just so damning that the guy who's job is (apparently) to help bring academy players into the first team thought his sons were better off at City. That's effectively conceding that they're better at his job than he is.
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They joined City’s academy when he was at West Brom and if they joined us directly after he was hired with us, the club and him would be in for a lot of investigation. It would look like we hired him only to sign his sons and that might even get us a transfer ban if the FA decides they want to feck us as per their usual.
 
DanClancy said:
United having to pay a decent sum of money for the kids of an employee who earns a fortune sums up how badly the club has been run.

Although if one of them is good enough to play PL football then its an inspired move from United and not a clever move from City. They'd have known full well it was going to be impossible to hang on to the kids of a big name former United footballer the older they got.
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When we employ someone we're paying for his services and not that of his children. I expect United to attract the best employees in every role and I also expect Fletcher (whom Im sure is a good father) to send his kids to the best football academy in the country. Anything less would be disappointing.
 
golden_blunder said:
There’s loads of ex United players who’s sons played for city before they became plastic city. Does that mean the club was better structured at the time?
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I think that they believed that their kids will be better off at City rather then with us. Whether its down to structuring, coaching or simply better opportunities is down to debate. Its still damning though on our part. I am sure that the likes of Rooney, Fletcher, Van Persie and Cole would have rather sent them to United then to City.
 
devilish said:
I think that they believed that their kids will be better off at City rather then with us. Whether its down to structuring, coaching or simply better opportunities is down to debate. Its still damning though on our part. I am sure that the likes of Rooney, Fletcher, Van Persie and Cole would have rather sent them to United then to City.
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Kai Rooney is at United

Hardly damning. I daresay you would complain about the tea ladies if you could find a reason
 
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