The Youth Policy Conumdrum

[ July 4, 2011 ]

The youth Policy at United has always brought in some notable and truely world class players Edwards, Charlton, Giggs, McIllroy,Beckham, Hughes, Whiteside, Gary Neville, Scholes, Butt even Phil Neville to name just a few.

The problem is that we have never really produced a Striker or Goal Keeper from our own ranks since the 80′s.
Take Mark Hughes for instance a top quality player and much adored by United fans the world over but not a man of many goals but a man of great goals, then you have the last of the strikers to define Fergies reign from the youth team in Mark Robbins, again not prolific but for people of my age he was a glimmering hope to reclaim the League Title.

When you look back at Goal Keepers the last youth product to cement his place as a first teamer was Gary Walsh who stepped in for Schmeichel during European Matches due to the Foreigners Rule employed at the time.

As a club United have produced great Defenders and Midfielders but never a Goal Keeper or Out and Out Striker and sometimes you have to think WHY?

Its true to think that other clubs have produced such talent which has then been taken by the big boys in football during the 80′s and 90′s examples such as Van Basten and Papin. The big thing is why have we never produced such talent?

Its fair to say truely great strikers come in dribs and drabs but weve never really produced one despite the likes of Hughes, Robbins, Ebanks Blake, Campbell, Wellbeck.

It seems im both Goal Keeping and the Striker department we have to spend money and in reason you can see why, both are very important positions more so than any other, stopping goals and scoring them.

I only hope that our Youth Policy proves me wrong in that Will Keane and notably Welbeck reach the hights of super stardom, my only fear is that these positions are posioned challis’ and we will never see one from our own ranks progress to what we hope for.