Manchester United Must Be Alert to Threat of Man City's Youth Development

Paul Scholes has expressed concern over the threat posed to Manchester United by the recent developments Manchester City have made in relation to youth football.

Writing in his column for The Independent, Scholes said: 

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It has been no secret among people I know in football that City have taken great strides in their youth academy programmes, to the extent that there are even United players past and present who have, or at least once had, sons at City’s academy.

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He goes on to say:

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The buzz in Manchester is that it is City now who have the better academy programme. That it is City who are getting the better players in the local area.

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Once upon a time, it was a very different story. Former City scout Dennis Schofield remembers the time City tried to persuade a young Ryan Giggs (then Wilson) to sign for the Citizens, per Simon Cass in the Daily Mail, in November 2013.

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They rolled out the red carpet for him, those comedians Little and Large, big City fans, they put down a red carpet for him too. For many years there was a photo on the wall at City of Ryan playing for them. They used to say that when he signs at 14, 'We’ll have a big do.'

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Of course, as Cass goes on to say, a pre-knighthood Alex Ferguson had other ideas.

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The comic talents of those eighties light entertainers were never required as Ferguson, alerted to Giggs’s remarkable skills by local newsagent and steward Harold Wood who had watched him regularly while playing for Deans, was already on the case.

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Schofield finished his tale by saying:

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I said to Ken Barnes (City’s chief scout) at the time: 'On Ryan’s 14th birthday make sure you are in his house because United are tapping him.'

But the day Ryan turned 14, Sir Alex Ferguson and Joe Brown [former United youth scout] were sat in his house with a contract - our chief scout was sat in his office, waiting for Ryan and his mum to come in.

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It is a very different story today, as City have just unveiled their remarkable new training facility. Having won two out of past three league titles, children growing up in Manchester do not automatically have to choose United in order to associate themselves with success.

For the past few generations of youth prospects in Manchester, United were a natural aim. Other than for those who had sentimental attachment to City, the glamour of Old Trafford and the legend of the so-called "Class of '92" made United an appealing prospect.

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Ferguson's time in charge saw United's ability to bring young players through flourish. As well as the obvious, those who made their names in the United first team, the Red Devils' youth setup brought considerable numbers of players through who went on to succeed at other Premier League clubs.

Back in December 2012, Sporting Intelligence collated data on which clubs had produced the most talents in Europe's “Big Five” leagues—the top divisions in Spain, Germany, France, Italy and England. 

United were fifth, ahead of all the other English clubs. The next English club on the list was Arsenal, in 13th place. Manchester City did not crack the top 40.

Given the changes in the footballing landscape—in a very literal sense given the redevelopment of City's training complex—United will have to work hard to ensure they maintain their No. 1 spot in that department.

If Louis van Gaal has started as he means to continue, then Paul Scholes' worries may prove unnecessary. Van Gaal has given debuts to seven United youth players so far, including four in the Premier League.

Some of those youngsters have already proved crucial.

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Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair may have played as much football as they have due to an injury crisis but, in truth they have rarely been Van Gaal's only option. A manager less comfortable in working with young players may well have chosen to re-purpose a senior midfielder, rather than opting for an untested youngster in the heart of United's defence.

The best antidote to City's rise as a force in bringing through young players is to solidify United's reputation as a place where they will not only get a first-class football education, but one where a route into the first team exists.

Van Gaal has shown that for now, the latter remains the case. It is now up to the club as a whole to address the former. Having City as a threat may force United to improve, and United fans will be hoping that in this case, City's rising tide raises all Manchester's ships.

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After all, for United, it is crucial this generation's Ryan Giggs does not end up a blue. It is a thought too uncomfortable to contemplate.