Do you mean the ones out on loan or the academy? Of the ones out on loan, Cleverley is looking the best - four goals and two assists in twenty games for Wigan is some return for a 21 year old in a team facing relegation - it's more than Wilshire has managed in 30 PL games for Arsenal. Looking back, I'm gutted he went on loan now - he could have balanced our midfield out much better this season. To be honest, I'd rather have had him playing instead of Scholes in some games. Ritchie de Laet is another one who's impressed - he's made a huge difference in defence for Pompey, helping pull them out of freefall, and could easily replace Wes Brown in the squad if he leaves next year. Welbeck, Cleverley and Macheda have all done pretty well on loan, but faded recently after some good early displays. Hopefully with some good pre seasons one of them will come good enough to replace Owen and push on from there, but up front isn't really where we have a problem at the moment! As for the academy, it's quite hard to say. Like I said above, it's always difficult to judge players in the reserves and U18s against how they'll cope in the PL. Ravel Morrison has undeniable class and talent, and goes past defenders his age like they aren't even there, but needs to sort his attitude out. He's got the skill of Paul Scholes, and the dribbling of Giggs, but with the attitude of a young Joey Barton. Ryan Tunnicliffe is looking quality too - he bossed the midfield against Josh McEachran in both games of the FA Cup semi against Chelsea and gets forward well too. He's like Nicky Butt but with skill on the ball... Paul Pogba is another great talent, who plays the game like Patrick Vieira used to, but is much more arrogant. He needs to get his act together if he's going to make the big time. Those three are the stand outs for me - we have plenty of other ones who could make it - Will Keane, Jesse Lingard, Tyler Blackett and Larnell Cole all have good skills, but haven't developed as well as I'd hoped they would over the last few years. They may well turn out like plenty of our other youth players - some games for the first team, couple of seasons on loan, and then sold on for a few million to another PL club.
Swarbs. I've seen some of those play for Uniteds u18s against Liverpols u18 and definitely the stand-outs were Ravel Morrison,Tunnicliffe and the keeper.Ravel Morrison is possibly the more likely to make the break-through first.Given his atitude,Seems very level headed. Can you tell us anymore about Josh King,He was on the radar there for a while and looked a decent prospect. Cleverly actually has done well with Wigan,very mobile and possibly should have been kept as a Scholes stand-in,He looks a far better player than Carrick.
Josh King's dropped off the radar a wee bit lately. He was on loan at Preston until the whole Darren Ferguson debacle. He's playing well and scoring quite regularly in the reserves, but then so are Obertan and Bebe. I reckon he may go on loan again next year - if any of Welbeck, Macheda and Diouf break into the first team squad he won't get much game time next season. But should hopefully be ideally positioned to break into the team in the next couple of seasons.
He might get his chance seeing as Wellbeck won't play again until April 2012.Macheda started off fine but if he can't beat serial crock Michael Owen then somethings wrong.As for Diouf,He can't get in Blackburns first team.I reckon he'll go the same way as Manucho. Maybe there is hope for young Josh King.I read reports Alex Ferguson rates him highly.
Ravel Morrison level headed? The guy is almost certain to end up in prison if he doesn't make it in football.
Isn't Ravel Morrison the one the BBC made an article about having trouble at home etc.. and AF trying to sort him out? The name sort of rings a bell.
Thats the one. I've seen videos and he looks extremely talented but just doesn't seem to give a **** about anything.
April 2012?! He has a hamstring injury, it's hardly career threatening. Macheda's still only 19, although not developing as fast as he was at first - I reckon he may go on loan to another PL club next season as Serie A doesn't really prepare you for the PL. King was potentially going to go on loan to Forest in the January window, but that fell through, so maybe SAF thinks he still needs to develop more at OT. As long as one of the four is in a position to contribute with appearances and goals next season, I don't mind which one it is. SAF said in a recent interview that Macheda, Welbeck and Cleverley "will come back into the first-team squad and they will get plenty of games next season.", which implies all three will play some part in the CC and probably CL group stages as well as sub appearences in the league, and then see which of them progresses. Yeah, he has a real attitude problem - he was in court for intimidating a witness late last year and only just escaped prison. I'm hoping that will serve as a wake up call for him - his performances in the youth team and the reserves have definitely improved since then so maybe he's getting his act together.
