Ok. We’ve done the important bit. Champions League football is confirmed. That was our goal at the start of the season and we have achieved it with three games to go. Happy days.
Now what?
Manchester United currently sit third in the table and six points clear. It would be nice to finish third, especially after last season’s 15th place finish, but even in a worst case scenario where we dropped to 5th, it wouldn’t change much.
So the way I see it, we now have a rare opportunity.
You might say we get the next three games for free, because, ego aside, there is little added benefit to throwing everything at coming 3rd. But there is a huge potential upside if we start introducing our academy players.
With all the issues United have had recently, minutes have been hard to come by for our youth prospects, but a lot of them look ready for a run out. Thinking ahead, it makes sense to give them that opportunity now, because it can’t hurt us, and we might well need them next season.
The Final Three Games
I’m not saying that Michael Carrick should throw our final three games away – we still want to finish third – but he can afford to take more risks.
With Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton still to come, the academy stars should be given minutes. Real minutes. Not a stoppage time cameo, but enough time to settle in, get some of the ball, and show what they can do.
Brighton are currently 8th, Sunderland 12th, and Nottingham Forest sit in 16th. The table is tight in the middle though, so all teams still have plenty to play for, making them ideal testing grounds for young players who need a taste of a real game at the top level.
It’s a perfect situation that we need to take advantage of.
What’s more, these boys will be hungry. That’s important because, despite everyone’s best intentions, with Champions League Football in the bag and a World Cup coming up, our first team might take their foot off the gas a little. Our youth players won’t. The first team lads will want to protect themselves for the summer. But one of the youngsters coming on for half an hour is only thinking about making a mark and establishing themselves for next season.
Get the balance of youth and experience right, and we could use these games to seriously help develop the next generation.
Next Season
Manchester United are famous for giving opportunities to their academy players. It’s what we are all about. But this isn’t about romanticising the past. I’m not trying to say we’ve got the next Class of ’92 or Busby Babes coming through.
It’s about squad planning.
Think ahead to next season. Man United will be playing in four competitions again, with two games a week.
Now look at our squad. Already thin, especially in the middle, and we are losing Casemiro and probably Ugarte. Of course there will be new players coming in, but we need depth, and it can’t all come from the transfer market. Some of it will have to come from within.
We are going to have to rely on some of these youth prospects at certain points next season, so let’s get them ready. Let’s build up some trust in them now, so it feels like less of a gamble to use them next season.
Top Youth Players to Give Minutes
There are a lot of young players who could be used in these final three game, but here are the five I think would benefit from it the most, and why.
Chido Obi
Chido is an obvious one.
We saw a bit of him last season but it was during Amorim’s tenure when things were all over the place. Plus, he was only 17. In any case, he didn’t look ready.
A year later, he is bigger, stronger, more mature, and has clearly been developing his game.
An FA Youth Cup semi-final winner against Crystal Palace put a bow on top of a great season for him at U21 level, and if that is rewarded with one or two 20 minute showings in the Premier League, he will only grow in confidence for next season.
Shea Lacey
Shea Lacey made three appearances already this season, and he looked very exciting indeed. Pace, directness, technical ability, and those shots from just outside the box. He was inches away from scoring.
I was at the Brighton FA Cup game where he was sent off too. The boy has passion and confidence for days.
He is 100% ready for staggered first team appearances next season, and to help him get over that sending off, now is the time to reintroduce him. The kid plays with a real edge and he deeply wants to affect the game. His attitude is perfect for Manchester United and we need to see more of him.
The issue is he prefers playing on the right, an area already contested between Mbeumo and Amad, but for the sake of development I think he should be rotated in for these last three games.
He’s 19, he’s ready for minutes.
Godwill Kukonki
United already have a lot of talented youth in defence, but there is room for more.
Godwill Kukonki is 18 years old, composed on the ball, and 6ft 5 inches tall. Needless to say, this is an excellent combination for a Manchester United defender.
His physicality and athleticism are key traits, making him dominant in the air but also very strong when going up against attackers in one on ones. You would imagine that, of all the youth prospects, Kukonki would struggle the least with the physical leap from youth football to senior level football.
What he needs is experience, in order to establish where his game needs to improve. His tackling and positioning is great, but that needs testing at senior level.
Stick him next to Maguire or Martinez for 20 or 30 minutes and see what he can do.
Jim Thwaites
Arguably the most important academy player for us next season is Jim Thwaites.
We need backup options in midfield, and a player like Thwaites could be the answer in those early League Cup games where first and second choice players need resting.
He has been described as a Paul Scholes re-gen, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a no nonsense midfielder with great passing range, real game intelligence between the lines, and he’s a set piece threat too. A thinking player with good instincts.
He’s still only 18, but so was Kobbie Mainoo when he began making regular appearances in a similar position. They aren’t miles apart as players, either, so Thwaites could realistically become a backup for Kobbie.
In any case, he is at the point where needs his senior debut, and Sunderland or Nottingham Forest are probably the best games for him to do it.
Noah Ajayi
He is only 17, but Noah Ajayi has been making a real impact at youth level in the U18s and U21s.
He’s the rawest of the group, so I would limit him to one or two late-ish appearances just to give him the experience. But what a luxury to be able to do that.
He’s another pacey winger who goes direct and frightens defenders before they have had a chance to react. He will probably struggle to do that in the Premier League, but if he has a taste of it he will at least know what’s required.
Then again, maybe he will. This is exactly why these young players need testing. Some young players adapt to senior level football quicker than others, but they need to get minutes to establish that.