United plan to catch City super kids
MANCHESTER United have ordered a complete overhaul of their youth academy over the next 12 months to avoid falling further behind rivals Manchester City.
A system that produced United’s vintage Class of ’92 has struggled to meet expectations in recent years, even though Louis van Gaal has used Jesse Lingard ( aged 23), Paddy McNair (20), James Wilson (20), Tyler Blackett (21) and, most recently, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (18) in the first team during his 17 months in charge.
United bosses want to keep the soul and identity of the club’s academy at Carrington, but recognise the need for urgent change and have ordered what one senior figure described as ‘a root and branch’ review.
Nicky Butt has been in charge since Brian McClair left in February to become the Scottish FA’s performance director, and it is understood that United want to appoint someone to help the former England midfielder with the administrative side of the job.
Butt’s Under 19s emulated the first team’s Euro exit by going out of the UEFA Youth League last week after finishing third in their group. Despite winning the final tie against Wolfsburg, they could not recover from a disastrous 5-0 home defeat by PSV Eindhoven in the previous game. Meanwhile, City’s youngsters matched their first team’s success by topping their qualifying group.
Indeed, United are concerned that City have taken over as the favoured destination for aspiring young stars, helped by their new £200million City Football Academy built next to the Etihad Stadium. Even before the state- of-the-art complex opened a year ago, it emerged that the sons of former old Trafford favourites Robin van Persie and Phil Neville were training with United’s neighbours.
More recently, United considered complaining to the Barclays Premier League and even boycotting youth games against City over what they claimed was an ‘over-zealous’ recruitment drive by their rivals, although it is understood that no action was taken in the end.
When the two clubs met over a number of different age- groups in September, City won every game apart from one draw — including a 9- 0 win at Under 14 level.
United have also lost key coaching and scouting staff to City, who offer better rates of pay, and one of the changes expected to be made is the appointment of full-time scouts for their academy.
They will consider following City’s example by setting up their own academy stadium close to old Trafford. At present, United youth teams play at a number of different venues besides Carrington.
Some games below Under 18 level have even been cancelled because players are being called up to the higher age groups and there are not enough left over to make up the numbers.
There is a feeling within old Trafford that the club needs to restock its talent pool, with not enough prospects of the calibre of Angel Gomes Sanches — a 15-year-old attacking midfielder playing for United’s Under 18s — coming through the ranks.
They are currently in talks with Ajax youngster Juan Familia- Castillo, FC Zurich’s Nishan Burkhart and Matthew Olosunde of the New York Red Bulls.