Manchester United: United Fans Don't Need to Worry About Recent 'Youth Exodus'

Jonathan Greening, Ryan Shawcross, Chris Eagles, Danny Pugh

Just a small handful of former United Academy players who moved away from Old Trafford at a very early stage of their footballing careers. Lets face it, not every young starlet that is brought up through a professional team's youth system will go on to play first team football. Especially not for a club as high profile as Manchester United.

Only a select few players will ever be good enough to make that step up from the academy to the first XI. The players listed above were not. At least not in the eyes of Sir Alex anyway. And yet, all of these men have gone on to have more than successful careers elsewhere in the Premier League. Does this mean that United have "missed out" by letting them go?

The answer is a resounding no. Sure, these players are talented, but they pale in comparison to the likes of Antonio Valencia or Nemanja Vidic who despite not being brought up through the United academy, have been stalwart servants of the club for the past few years. 

Some Guys Just Can't Cut The Mustard

Sometimes youth players leave a club because, for lack of a kinder expression, they just aren't good enough. That is what is happening this summer in regards to the departure of a few of United's younger players. Ravel Morrison and Paul Pogba have already left the club, and it looks like left-back Ezekiel Fryers will soon be joining them, as he is set to join Tottenham Hotspur at some point this transfer window.

These three young men are undoubtedly extremely gifted players, but their decision to move away from Old Trafford is certainly nothing that should raise alarm amongst the United faithful. In fact, almost every summer, two or three of United's academy players will often move away from the club, with hardly any press or coverage at all.

So why then, is there such a clamour this season about something so mundane? There are two key reasons—of which neither should concern United fans greatly, if at all. 

Belgium's Blue Boy

A transfer that really shocked the footballing world at the start of the summer was the move of Belgium's Eden Hazard to Chelsea. On paper the deal makes perfect sense, from both a footballing and business standpoint. However, what was so miraculous about it was the fact that for the entire time Hazard's contract was up for sale, the only two teams who seemed in genuine contention to sign him were United and bitter rivals, Manchester City.

Chelsea's last minute swoop for the former Lille man caught everyone off guard, and suddenly planted the seeds of doubt in the sporting media's mind about United's dominance in world football. Of course any talk of United perhaps not being the superpower they once were was, in this writer's opinion, utterly foolish. If anything the signing of Hazard (a risky £32 million for someone so young and unproven in one of Europe's "top leagues") was a blessing in disguise for United, who were then able to focus on completing the signing of Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa.

Still, in the eyes of some, this was a sign of weakness from the Red Devils, who were seemingly losing their power-hold, finding themselves unable to get their man. 

Paul Pogba, You Have Been Evicted

The second reason is something that most people don't like to address, as it has no relation to actual sport. The media is trying to create a story out of relatively nothing. I'm sure you're all familiar with the hit television show, Big Brother. A team of editors works around the clock to contort and twist what the contestants on the show are saying to make it as dramatic as possible for the audience. And, love it or, more than likely, hate it, one has to admire how they can turn something as trivial as a stolen pack of cigarettes into a one hour storyline of lies and deceit.

That's basically what some footballing journalist's are doing right now—trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Its understandable that at this current moment in footballing history this sort of thing is happening. After all, for the first time in nearly 40 years, Manchester City have gotten one over on United, and with the retirement of Fergie now surely just a season or two away, it's not hard to see how this could be a brilliant opportunity to stir the pot and create a bit of tension. Undoubtedly, us Brits love a good sporting story.

I suppose one can make a direct comparison with the short vignettes that were shown before pretty much every England match at Euro 2012. These side-stories were incredibly entertaining, if not a little bit over the top. That is what is happening here.

A FIFA World Player Of The Year Nominee Apparently Means Nothing?

And if all that wasn't enough to think about, I haven't even mentioned the talent that United have brought in to the club. Shinji Kagawa and 18-year-old (yes, a youth player coming to the club) Nick Powell have already signed for Sir Alex's men this summer, and it looks like they may not be the only additions to the side. Reportedly a £20 million bid has been made for Joao Moutinho, who impressed not only for Portugal at Euro 2012, but also for the past two seasons playing for FC Porto. 

I wouldn't exactly call that the beginning of some kind of breakdown like some sections of the media are portraying it to be. Kagawa and Moutinho, or Pogba and Morrison? I know who I'd rather have in my side. 

Youth players will not always stay at their parent club. It's something that has always happened, and will continue to for as long as football goes on. However, the best players usually will stay, and if not, will find a way back to their home sooner or later.

Don't forget that as recently as last season, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling—three players who spent some time in the United youth academy—all made it into the United first team. 

Pogba, Morrison and Fryers are not good enough for United. I wish them all the best in their future endeavours, but it wont be at Old Trafford. United fans have no fear, this is a vicious culling of the weak, not an abandonment of those who are crucial to your success.