The Manchester United Thread

Manchester United have continued their trend of signing young Irish talent by recruiting U-16 captain Lee O'Connor


The 15-year-old is the first Waterford-born player brought to the club since John O'Shea in 1998.
O'Connor is considered one of the brightest teen talents in the country, having represented his country this season at both U-16 and U-17 level.
His performances were reflected by him receiving the FAI U-15 Player of the Year recently from Seamus Coleman.
Like Coleman, O'Connor is an attacking full-back and will depart his local club Villa FC in July to join Nicky ****'s United Academy, where he'll begin full-time training.

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Anthony said:
Manchester United have continued their trend of signing young Irish talent by recruiting U-16 captain Lee O'Connor


The 15-year-old is the first Waterford-born player brought to the club since John O'Shea in 1998.
O'Connor is considered one of the brightest teen talents in the country, having represented his country this season at both U-16 and U-17 level.
His performances were reflected by him receiving the FAI U-15 Player of the Year recently from Seamus Coleman.
Like Coleman, O'Connor is an attacking full-back and will depart his local club Villa FC in July to join Nicky ****'s United Academy, where he'll begin full-time training.

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Yeah posted about him yesterday. Watched a few clips. looks very talented and can play a few positions. Looks more suited to RB/RW. That's the 5 academy signing in the last 2-3 months things moving along well.
 
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Man Utd have taken SA born Kieth Groenvald on trail again with the look to sign him on a permanent contract. He is a Belguim youth international CB and was at Utd on trial a couple of years back. After monitoring him very closely and tracking his progress they have decided to take him on trial again and seal a deal. From KV Mechelen.
 
Theatre of dreams said:
Man Utd have taken SA born Kieth Groenvald on trial again with the look to sign him.....
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This really narks me with todays game. Clubs (and this isn't United centric by ANY means. Most EVERY top club does it) flooding their academy's with foreign youth. I get buying from wherever at the first team level. But not at the youth level. I hate seeing academy's filled with foreign names. Nobody's telling me there isn't real quality talent kicking around the parks of Manchester or Liverpool or wherever every weekend if clubs would only look on their own doorstep. You guys have a glaring example this year in Rashford.

There really should be more legislation at the youth level restricting how many overseas youngsters clubs can bring in at the expense of potential local/ English gems that just slip through the cracks and out of the game.
 
Scouseinthehouse said:
There really should be more legislation at the youth level restricting how many overseas youngsters clubs can bring in at the expense of potential local/ English gems that just slip through the cracks and out of the game.
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I agree.
Liverpool academy at the moment have a fair few imports.

Kelleher - Cork
Masterson - Dublin
Cleary - Dublin
Polgar - Hungary
Adekanye - Nigeria
Gomes - Spain
O'Hanlon - Dublin
Brimmer - Australia
Wilson - Wales ;)
Alves - Portugal
Gomes - Guinea Bissau
Lennon - USA
Canos - Spain.

I imagine United have even more, but I'm too lazy to list them all :S
 
Absolutely Anthony,

Benitez started down this road and although we've gotten better after his departure in redressing the balance, there's still too many for my liking that clearly won't make it at this level. When you're at that stage, it just seems such a waste to go foreign over British at the youth level.
 
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Scouseinthehouse said:
Absolutely Anthony,

Benitez started down this road and although we've gotten better after his departure in redressing the balance, there's still too many for my liking that clearly won't make it at this level. When you're at that stage, it just seems such a waste to go foreign over British at the youth level.
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The optimum age for bringin in any player is 22-24. So unless these kids are genuine superstar potential, or the local lot are under, keep the youth local.
 
Mike. said:
The optimum age for bringin in any player is 22-24. So unless these kids are genuine superstar potential, or the local lot are under, keep the youth local.
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Except the geographical location there is nothing local about the english clubs.

Owners are foreign.
Sponsorships and investments comes from foreign companies.
Managers are foreigners.
Most of the star players are foreigners.

So why only exception to the youth football?

For example, middle east fella invested 1 billion at ManCity, why shouldn't some young players from his country use the facilities?
 
ajt09 said:
So lads-looking forward to your FA Cup final?
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Read that Everton don't have any CBs available for semi finals?

Funes Mori -Suspended
Jagielka - Injured?
Stones - Went off yesterday, so injured?

Also coleman is also injured.

So all are out for semi finals?
 
It must also be hard to judge genuine superstar talent at such a young age. I suppose we have to trust our scouts with the players we have signed recently. But I agree we should have s balance.
 
Theatre of dreams said:
It must also be hard to judge genuine superstar talent at such a young age. I suppose we have to trust our scouts with the players we have signed recently. But I agree we should have s balance.
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Exactly. Balance is very important.

Also when you sign foreign players, they can do only when they are 16 or older, so it makes news. When you recruit local player, they do from young age so they don't make news. They are promoted from U7s to U18s gradually. They grow with the club. For example, signing Rashford, Welbeck, Cleverley, Lingard never made any news because they were signed when they were 7 or 8 years old but signing Januzaj, Fosu Mensah made news because they were 16 year old.

So in this case, all English clubs will have local players or English players in the younger groups. Younger than U16s.
 
Mike. said:
The optimum age for bringin in any player is 22-24. So unless these kids are genuine superstar potential, or the local lot are under, keep the youth local.
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I agree that most youth players rarely show their true ability until they are 22-24. I also agree that the costs of bringing the majority of them in far outweights the benefits as most turn out to be average players so financially, more sense to invest in local talent

However, there are many talented footballers who probably have zero hope of realising their potential unless they are able to utilize the top facilities and coaches at the EPL clubs. Especially players in countries outside Europe. A good example off the top of my head would be the Da Silva twins who probably would not be as good if they remained in Brazil. I am sure there are much better examples mind
 
Unsurprisingly De Gea is named in the team of the year.

5th season in PL and named in team of the year 3 times.
 
Michael Keane is named in the championship team of the year. Would be good to see him in PL next season.
 
sunilvk7 said:
Read that Everton don't have any CBs available for semi finals?

Funes Mori -Suspended
Jagielka - Injured?
Stones - Went off yesterday, so injured?

Also coleman is also injured.

So all are out for semi finals?
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Jagielka should be fit for the semi. And Stones left with an illness (stomach cramps) though I suspect that the performance was that atrocious by the team it brought on nausea. We've also lost Barry to a groin/pelvic injury. Right now there is a serious fitness problem in the squad.

Also more people are agreeing with my viewpoint to let Stones move on. He's regressing under the current management and would hate to see that happen-let him move on. We're ****-simply put. We have no winning attitude from the board down to the pitch.
 
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ajt09 said:
Jagielka should be fit for the semi. And Stones left with an illness (stomach cramps) though I suspect that the performance was that atrocious by the team it brought on nausea. We've also lost Barry to a groin/pelvic injury. Right now there is a serious fitness problem in the squad.

Also more people are agreeing with my viewpoint to let Stones move on. He's regressing under the current management and would hate to see that happen-let him move on. We're ****-simply put. We have no winning attitude from the board down to the pitch.
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Checked Everton forum to see injury updates, looked like most are very angry with Stones and Lukaku and want them out.

Many lauded Everton for not bending down to Chelsea when they made 40 Million bid, that now looks like a bad decision. Hindsight and all that.

1 or 2 seasons more with Martinez and Coleman will look like pub player and all the defenders will lose whatever talent they have.
 
sunilvk7 said:
Checked Everton forum to see injury updates, looked like most are very angry with Stones and Lukaku and want them out.

Many lauded Everton for not bending down to Chelsea when they made 40 Million bid, that now looks like a bad decision. Hindsight and all that.

1 or 2 seasons more with Martinez and Coleman will look like pub player and all the defenders will lose whatever talent they have.
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I'm willing to place a bet that Martinez won't be in charge next season. Especially with the new investors not being overly impressed with what they've seen
 
ajt09 said:
I'm willing to place a bet that Martinez won't be in charge next season. Especially with the new investors not being overly impressed with what they've seen
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Good for Everton. Few are scared FA cup victory might save his job. Looks like both ManUtd and Everton fans are in same boat.
 
ajt09 said:
I'm willing to place a bet that Martinez won't be in charge next season. Especially with the new investors not being overly impressed with what they've seen
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Pellegrini rumours have already started. :)
 
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