United Kids Lack Class
Mirror: Sir Alex Ferguson famously had the last laugh 12 years ago when Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen uttered the immortal phrase: “You’ll never win anything with kids.”
After a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on the opening day of the 1995-96 season, Hansen wrote off United’s chances of winning the Premier League because Fergie had drafted so many young unknowns into his first-team.
But Fergie’s fearless young brigade, led by David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers, went on to capture the League and FA Cup Double that season to ram Hansen’s words back down his throat.
Yet while that generation went on to dominate the domestic scene and achieved their finest hour with their unprecedented Treble triumph of 1999, the current generation of United youngsters look way short of emulating those glittering achievements.
The Carling Cup may be an afterthought for Fergie as he focuses on the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, but United’s third-round exit to Coventry on Wednesday went much deeper than a mere cup shock.
Fergie showcased his stars of the future and, unlike Arsenal’s the previous evening, they proved such an embarrassment that even the United boss admitted afterwards that he was “flabbergasted” at the failings of his players.
United’s raw recruits such as Danny Simpson, Lee Martin, Phil Bardsley, Gerard Pique, Chris Eagles and Dong Fangzhou were no match for Coventry’s spirited players, whose industry and commitment shamed those in the famous red shirts. In contrast to United’s limp offering in front of a record Carling Cup crowd of 74,055 at Old Trafford, Arsenal’s next generation served a warning with an accomplished 2-0 win over a virtual Newcastle first team.
The likes of Justin Hoyte, Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Theo Walcott, Armand Traore and Lassana Diarra justified Arsene Wenger’s decision to select them and provided conclusive proof of the Arsenal boss’s enduring ability to spot and nurture special talent.
Yet the concern for Fergie is that he has no such assurances over his stars of tomorrow, who squandered a chance to impress. The 65-year-old Scot is set to step down in the next few years, but has already said he wants to leave his successor a strong squad. “When I go I want to have left them with a really good team, because this is a great club,” said Fergie.
Given that sentiment, what Fergie witnessed in midweek will have given him cause for concern, particularly as he was so boastful about his young players going into the game.
“We have an exceptionally gifted group,” said Fergie. “I’d have no qualms about playing them in our first team.”
Watching Fergie eat humble pie is a rare sight given United’s sustained success, but he could barely contain his anger.
“It’s a big shock to us and we just hope the young players look at it and improve themselves,” he said. “I’m flabbergasted.”
Fergie has bemoaned the controversial academy ruling, which prohibits clubs from signing young players who live more than 90 minutes away.
But the gulf in class between Arsenal and United’s youngsters goes much deeper.
While Wenger has used his detailed knowledge of the overseas market, in particular the French and African scenes, to attract the best talent, Fergie has retained a largely home-grown group who are technically not as good.
Wenger, without Fergie’s financial muscle, has had to rely on his own judgement in unearthing the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Kolo Toure, Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby.
Former United midfielder Lou Macari believes the defeat is a wake-up call. “The manager was disappointed and, if he had his way, the daily routine of the youngsters would be a lot tougher,” said Macari.
“The game has changed so much. A lot of young players are molly-coddled and that’s not the way he likes it.
“Young players are given a lot of money at a very young age and aren’t really having to push themselves to achieve that.
“That ends up with a disappointing result like the one against Coventry. So maybe it’s a wake-up call.
Some are certainly going to have to buck their ideas up.”
