Forget the Rafalution…In Youth We Trust

The fresh faced and future star studded United youth team of 1992 may now almost seem like a distant memory to many United fans, but it was these players who provided the nucleus of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad for many years to come.

After breaking into the first team ahead of his other class of '92 graduates, Ryan Giggs had already made himself an established first team player by the time many of the youngsters were given their real big break in the team.

It was the beginning of the 95/96 season before many of United’s young prodigies were really given their chance, losing 3-1 on the opening day of the season, on a dismal day for the club at Villa Park (and notably, the last time we’ve lost at that ground!).

Despite the curse of the new grey away strip the team had been sporting, Alan Hansen used all his expertise in order to advise Sir Alex, with his infamous quip, “You’ll never win anything with kids.”

Following the shaky start to the season, United’s so-called “kids” went to prove Hansen and all their other skeptics wrong.

Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, and Paul Scholes in particular playing a key role in order to secure the club their second League and FA Cup double winning season in three years, under the guidance of Eric Cantona who returned from his ban part way through the season.

Fergie and his kids on this occasion had the last laugh, and it was these youngsters who formed the backbone of the club’s famous Treble winning team just four seasons later.

But introducing youth is not something which stopped there for Sir Alex. Over the years as well documented, United have been renowned worldwide for their superiority in developing the best youth talent, with a success rate likely to blow any other Premiership team out of the water.

Sir Alex has always to some degree managed to find the perfect blend of youth and experience, with the '92 class having the likes of Mark Hughes, Eric Cantona, Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson, and the like to look up to.

The current crop of youngsters are able to find their feet under the careful guidance of such seasoned veterans as Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, and Edwin van der Sar.

Despite the large amounts of money banded about in the modern area, ever since the arrivals of the likes of Abramovich, The Glazers, Hicks and Gillet and Co. it seems that a strong youth set-up plays more than a key role in the deciding of the Premiership.

Over the last two seasons, Liverpool in particular have flexed their spending muscles in trying to purchase the Championship, but to no avail.

However, the problem with these teams is, they cannot for any amount of money buy the amounts of heart and desire that comes with a young, home-grown talent, raring to burst onto the scene, waiting in the wings for a chance.

The kind of desire and tenacity not seen at the other members of the "Big Four" since the promotion of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Mr Liverpool himself, Jamie Carragher to their respective first teams.

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