Manchester United had arguably the most successful period during Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as manager. There was a group of players that could not be overlooked when assessing the club’s success in the past 25 years.
This special group of players emerged into the first team when United were struggling and Eric Cantona was suspended for 4 months for the Kung Fu incident during the match against Crystal Palace on January 1995. The class of ’92 was truly a sensational group with Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. They have already won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 and eventually was introduced into the first team the same year.
David Beckham was the first play that left the group after being told by Sir Alex Ferguson that he wasn’t wanted at Manchester United. Nicky Butt soon followed in Beckham’s footsteps in 2004 by leaving for Newcastle United. And it should not be forgotten about the importance of Roy Keane in the Manchester United squad who move from Nottingham Forest in 1993 and left for Celtic in his final year of his Career. Phil Neville also left for Everton in 2005 which left Gary Neville Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Manchester United. From 2003-2009, while Cristiano Ronaldo was an important part of Manchester United’s success, it was Paul Scholes who held down United’s midfield since Roy Keane left. He continued to do so since Ronaldo left and was proven to be the most important player in United’s success. United’s back 4 also wasn’t home grown.
Rio Ferdinand was bought from Leeds United for £20 million in 2002 and Nemanja Vidic was bought from Spartak Moscow for £7 million in 2005. Same goes for Pactrice Evra who joined United for £5.5 million in 2006. If more thought goes into United’s squad, Wes Brown and John O’Shea were never first choice for Manchester United. United didn’t have a striker who came through the Academy for a long time, hence fan’s attachment to Danny Welbeck. But when you think about it, there were two Generation of Academy players who had been successful and that was the Busby Babes and the Class of ’92. While Paul Scholes was the Engine behind United’s play, most of the other main players were bought from the transfer market. It just so happened that David Gill did not spent a lot of money bringing those players in.
It was really down to the Glazers who have stopped United from signing players since 2005. It wasn’t until in this year’s summer transfer window, when executive vice chairman Ed Woodward was allowed to spend money and bring quality players back into the squad. Many fans make the argument that we have not given youth a chance before bringing in world class players. But youth players need experienced players to guide them in their development, which United lacked. By Bringing in Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falco, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, they could guide the younger players like Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Adnan Januzaj, Jesse Lingard, Tyler Blackett and Reece James into becoming a first team regular. The among of Academy players coming through for Manchester United probably have been the most in the last ten years, with many more that are currently out on loan.
Developing youth is about dedicated the time to give the players a chance to proof to proof themselves on the pitch. With Louis Van Gaal now at Manchester United, having developed the likes of Edwin Van Der Sar, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos. There is no doubt that Van Gaal has the ability to develop players and help them perform at the very highest level of club football. He is a manager who will put his players in the best position for them to be successful.
Manchester United fans have treated youth development as a one hit wonder, but in fact it is a long process that take years for a player to break into the first team. And I would say maybe around 1/3 of the players have a have a chance to challenge for a first team spot, and even if players make it into the first team, many would go on loan to gain more first team experience. So when talking about home grown players, think about the one that actually goes on the pitch every week and trying their hardest, instead of reverting our minds back to the special group which was the class of ‘92.
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