Manchester United’s kids are better than yours
The season’s over, we bottled it at the San Siro and Wembley but Liverpool bottled it at Athens AND we’re league champions, so there’s some balance in the Universe this time around.
On Sunday I talked about doing a season review – well, this is it folks. We’re kicking off with a look at how the young kids at Manchester United have fared this season, finishing off what we started here.
Ben Foster
We all got a chance to see him in action over the course of the season, and I think that despite Watford’s relegation and a couple of clangers (the Robinson goal), he’s had a good season.
He’s ready, in my opinion, to be given a run in the United squad, and hopefully we’ll see a lot of him in the pre-season friendlies. With Kuszczak also in the squad its a bit difficult, but Foster’s got a lot of fan support, not least because he has a shot at being England #1.
Next season is still some time away and we’re not sure whether all 3 keepers will stay or if Ferguson will send one (or two) out on loan). There’s also news of United considering a bid for Craig Gordon but that’s unlikely to happen before our other targets are secured.
Gerard Pique
Highly-regarded in the Spanish setup and supposedly one of the best defenders to come out of Spain in quite some time. Wants to play regular football and there are reports that Ferguson wants him back at Old Trafford next season for a spell in the starting lineup.
I personally haven’t seen him play much so can’t say much on that regard, but if he IS to be played I’d play him as the 3rd center-back with Brown manning the right-back post. Pique and Evans could also allow us to sell some of the older defenders who aren’t going to be regulars anymore.
One for the future, and he is definitely one of those who can make a career at Manchester United.
Jonathan Evans
I saw him play in the pre-season friendlies, and was impressed. I’ve seen him again for Sunderland, and while he’s been playing in the Championship I can guarantee that he’s good enough to play for Manchester United. The boy is a natural defender – he anticipates and waits, knowing when to dive into tackles and when to hold off and just cramp the player for space.
With Pique coming back, I don’t think Evans will start for United next season – he could be sent back to Sunderland for another season on loan.
Daniel Simpson
A solid part of the title-winning Sunderland lineup, Simpson is a good, attacking right-back.
After seeing both Simpson and Bardsley play this season, plus Brown picking up at right back for United, I’m thinking that Ferguson has a tough choice to make now.
Simpson can do well, but whether he’ll get the chance or go back to Sunderland remains to be seen.
United also have Kieran Lee to consider, so there’s plenty of competition for the right-back spot.
Lee Martin
An average time at Rangers and not a great time at Stoke either. With Chris Eagles unexpectedly shining (albeit in just a couple of games), it’s going to be harder for Martin to get a spot in the squad, let alone the lineup.
He could be sold on, or he could be loaned out to a Prem club. If they loan him outside the Prem, there’s little point to it, is there?
I don’t think he’ll be at Old Trafford next season, but let’s see what happens.
David Jones
Sold to Derby. Dammit! He’s done well for them, and he’s a good player who I still think should be playing for us, but you can’t deny that Fletcher hasn’t done a good job either.
Guiseppe Rossi
Goes into the starting lineup or on the bench next season. This kid has done well this season despite spending half of it doing nothing at St James Park. His goals at Parma will have done wonders for his confidence, and with a good pre-season he should help United mount their title defence.
Phil Bardsley
Seen him play this season for Aston Villa and he’s a good player, but I’m not sure that I’d pick him over Wes Brown at right-back. Plus the fact that Danny Simpson is doing good as well, Fergie has a big headache over who to retain and who not to.
Bardsley should come back to United, unless O’Neill’s convinced Fergie to sell him.
Others
Chris Eagles and Kieran Lee did reasonably well in their outings, and I haven’t had the chance to see Darren Gibson in action. Hopefully we’ll see more of these three in the pre-season.
For the long-term future, players like Febian Brandy and Craig Cathcart should be more prominent in the future, don’t see them being sold. However, some players will be sold (including a few from the list above).
Overall, I’d expect several young players to be released this season as the Academy kids move up (Cathcart should be sent out on loan for regular football, ditto for Kieran Lee).
Up Next
Next, I’m discussing the golden generation of United, the old guard. They’ve done better than expected, but that doesn’t mean that the problems are all solved.
Stay tuned 
This article is Part 1 of our 7-part Manchester United 2006/2007 season review coverage at Soccerlens.
Topics: Manchester United
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[...] Our kids are better than yours [...]
May 24th, 2007 @ 16:34The future looks rosy for Manchester United. I think we will be a dominant force for some time to come. I think SAF’s major headaches will come not in who to buy, but who to leave out of the 1st team, especially in defence.
May 24th, 2007 @ 16:59Don’t forget about our attaking options either. Everyone is on about signing a striker (justifyably perhaps), but don’t forget that we have prospects like Dong, Rossi and Frazer Campbell all dying for a shot. Three gifted youngsters fighting with Ole, Smith, Saha (and whoever SAF decides to sign) for 1 spot – given we’ll focus on 433 and Rooney and Ronaldo are abvious 1st choices already – ensures selection and ‘player future’ headaches for SAF. Expect a lot of ‘selection criticism’ from the fans this season.
Regarding the topic of this article…I doubt any other team can boast the same crop coming through.
May 24th, 2007 @ 17:01I think arsenal could
May 24th, 2007 @ 20:50i’d bet my mortgage that between the gooners and man-u, arsenals kids are 100% better. if you ask even the most die hard fans of the premier league about Jonathan Evans,David Jones,Daniel Simpson,Lee Martin,Darren Gibson they would not be able to tell which club their from let alone which position they play in, compare them to theo walcott, cesc fabregas,denilson,clichy and djourou(these players are around the same age bracket) and the man-u players have no chance.
May 25th, 2007 @ 05:25[...] Manchester United’s kids are better than yours [...]
May 25th, 2007 @ 06:44I have seen pique play while on holiday to spain, i can safely say that he is going to be the spanish john terry. he just gets everything in the air, a very powerful tackler as snuffs out danger in the box very well. Doesn’t really a have great vison and cant reader the game that well, but i’d say in the next year or to that will come. i think him and Evans will be the United pairing of the future.
Also i think Lee Martin and Bardesly are in the united mould, I think that just going off to rangers at that time mucked them up a bit. Martin is my man to replace giggs, he is just like giggs when he first started out, lighting fast, nightmare for defenders and does get a good cross in, has to develop though. As For Bardesly, he has a great building blocks to be a great right back (and i mean that)
May 25th, 2007 @ 13:12MDH, wun shun:
May 25th, 2007 @ 14:41Those gunners are ‘first teamers’. We’re not referring to our current ‘first-teamers’. We are talking about guys that’s coming through the academy that will provide the club continuity. It seems like Arsenal is heavy on yougsters at the moment…if they need them, they buy them. The point here is that United don’t seem to ‘need to buy’ anyone for a while once these academy guys come through. And, they should within the next year or 2.
1) Foster: he is almost age of Cheh ..What he has extra? He is just an ordinary keeper, his lack of height makes him non sutable for top teams..
2) Pique :I Have seen him playing, Not a Conventional CB.
Some thing of Rogerio Alex (PSV) Mold, bit slow in back tracking..In Zaragosa we prevailed bcoz of Diogo and Milito.
3) Evans : Iam not able to comment on him, EPL standard is diff.
4)Simpson : same …
5)martin: not even regular at Stroke!!!
6) Rossi, he is Quality, bay be fill into scholes(02/03) role, not a striker.
7)bradsley : Expected to do better than sepctor, not more, wont be manU first choice RB.
May 26th, 2007 @ 02:28don’t 4get ollie norwood, just signed contract. under16s he gonna b good.
May 27th, 2007 @ 03:03Apart from pique and rossi, all the rest of man utd’s youngsters are British, which can be nothing but good for the English game. Also which many of you won’t no, united have just recently accepted 12 new english players into their academy, 9 of which are from the manchester area. Granted only 2 or 3 at ost will make it but at last they are local. Not like Arsenal, apart from hoyte and walcott, all other promising youngsters at Arsenal are foreigners, now i have nothing against foreigners in the EPL, but imo, it is quite essential for a good team to have an British backbone, just look at the fantastic team of the 90′s. Therefore maybe some of Arsenals youngsters have more quality, but for the reasons i have mentioned, in my opinion Uniteds youngsters are better.
May 27th, 2007 @ 03:59Oh come off it. This was the same thing that was being said about Spector, Fletcher & Chadwick. I’d safely bet that less than half of these would not get anywhere near Manu’s or any other top four or five placed teams line ups. And also Karl, just because your youngsters aren’t good enough for the first team it doesnt mean that theyre going to be around longer than arsenals.
May 27th, 2007 @ 16:53Spot on, Chris, and I firmly believe that one of the reasons Man U and Chelsea are better than the Arse and the Liver is that they have that British backbone. Of course, this is just one of the reasons, but don’t undermine it. The Arse simply cannot win the title in England without a single English player. You simply can’t do it, not because their players aren’t good, it’s a cultural thing too. What language do they speak in trainig? English? Hardly. It’ s not only about skill, technique or passing range, football is a cultural phenomenon, it’s rooted in local identity. You can’t just stuff your squad up with players from million different countries and kick out your own. At the end of the day, it just makes no sense. Why do they play in the EPL anyway?
May 27th, 2007 @ 19:34ttts – I strongly disagree with you. Arsenal’s and Liverpool’s reasons for not winning are far simpler than a lack of English spine – they just aren’t good enough over 38 games
They do, however, raise their game for one-off matches, which is why between them they’ve played 3 CL finals on the trot.
June 8th, 2007 @ 20:59MU ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCKS
February 24th, 2009 @ 12:05