Manchester United’s Under 21 side pulled off an impressive victory against Carlisle United in the EFL Trophy opener yesterday.
You can enjoy the full match report here or, if you want the quick version, the player ratings here.
In the aftermath of the 2-1 win against Carlisle’s senior team, Travis Binnion – taking on a surprise role as manager for the day instead of regular Mark Dempsey – was full of praise for the performance.
The youngster stood up well to testing themselves against more physically imposing opponents with 17-year-old Kobbie Manoo in particular shining against the EFL side.
Also impressing were Alejandro Garnacho – who set up Charlie McNeil for the opener – and Zidane Iqbal, who showed an ability to dictate the tempo of the game alongside the aforementioned Mainoo.
A huge factor in the performance, according to Binnion, is the impact of Erik ten Hag on these younger players.
“The manager’s been great,” said Binnion, speaking to The Mirror. “Zidane and Alejandro played tonight but they’re with the first team permanently.
“Omari and Isak have been with them frequently like Kobbie and Dan, so most of those boys have experienced first-team training in the last few weeks.”
Ten Hag’s willingness to bring so many academy players into the first team environment seems to be paying off, with Omari Forson scoring the winner as well.
He has a track record of trusting younger players and certainly got the most out of several of Ajax’s academy prospects during his time in Amsterdam.
With the Dutchman taking a keen interest in what the Manchester United academy has to offer, it would be no surprise to see some of the Under 21s trusted with senior gametime this season.
Ten Hag spoke earlier today about the importance of having multiple offensive options in particular and with the Red Devils set for a gruelling schedule he is likely to turn to the younger players to supplement his first-choice attackers throughout the season.
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