Manchester United's Young Attack Provides Hope at Old Trafford

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — As the pomp and circumstance was rolled out to celebrate Manchester United's past before the 1-0 win over Everton on Sunday, it was fitting that a teenager adorned the front cover of the day's programme.

It was a day on which Old Trafford honoured one of its most honour-worthy legends by renaming the South Stand the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, the ground transformed by a co-ordinated display in his honour ahead of kick-off.

Sir Bobby's time at the club began as a youngster, part of the first group brought through by Sir Matt Busby as he set out to ensure the best of the country's youth plied their trade for the Red Devils.

Marcus Rashford will have to go some to get a stand named after him in 60 years, but nonetheless there was a pleasing circularity to his place on the cover of United Review.

And the 18-year-old was hardly just a sentimental choice. After all, his goal in the recent Manchester derby was the standout moment of that game and will rank among the best moments of the season for United supporters.

During the match against Everton, he, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard formed an effective attacking trio. Lingard is the oldest of the three, but at 23, he can just about be included in the young-players bracket.

Their presence meant United's attacking play was not business as usual. It was notable during the first half that although they failed to create much in the way of clear-cut chances, there was still a good deal of off-the-ball movement when the Red Devils had possession.

This was in pretty stark contrast to some of the more static games earlier in the season.

Morgan Schneiderlin broke ahead of play a couple of times, heading for the left flank on one occasion and to just outside the box on another. Juan Mata—the odd one out in United's attack in terms of movement speed—also made sure he was not stuck to the right, drifting inside with regularity.

Indeed, both of those more senior, less mobile players were crucial to United's goal. Schneiderlin's long diagonal pass was controlled beautifully by Mata, who was in position on the right. He found Rashford, who—with the confidence of a player in form and the impudence of youth—fed Timothy Fosu-Mensah with a lovely backheel.

Fosu-Mensah's cross found Martial, who beat Seamus Coleman to the ball at the far post and scored. The Stretford End broke into a 10-minute chorus of Martial's new chant. Sung to the tune of the ubiquitous "Tom Hark," it ends with the marvellously ironic couplet: "50 million down the drain, as Tony Marshall (sic) scores again."

Fosu-Mensah's performance, both in terms of his attacking contribution and his defensive presence, can be added to the reasons to be cheerful about United's future.

Manager Louis van Gaal described Marcos Rojo's performance as "jet-lagged" and said he noticed space on the right that Fosu-Menah could exploit once he had replaced the Argentina international at half-time, with Matteo Darmian sent to left-back.

While he was obviously pleased with the impact of his substitution, Van Gaal insisted the praise belonged to the player, not the manager.

Van Gaal said United's performance lacked "freshness," and in the sense of fitness, he was correct. However, there was certainly a freshness to United's attack.

It was the freshness of youth, invention and belief. Not everything United's young forwards tried worked, but the totality of their performances definitely offered some hope for the future.

It remains challenging to assess the merits of United's squad on absolute terms. Van Gaal's impact has so often been to stifle its best talents, either through selection decisions or style of play. It may be that as soon as Wayne Rooney is fit again, Rashford is forced to the bench. It is hard to imagine United being as fluid up front if that happens.

However, on Sunday, the promise on youth, so central to the club's identity, was on show for all to see. Whatever else has happened this season, as United honoured their past, that must surely offer some hope for the future.

All quotations obtained firsthand.