31 players have features for van Gaal this season, with a good portion of those from the academy.
Manchester United are set to square off with 10th place Watford today, in which Timothy Fosu-Mensah has a chance to receive his full debut.
The 18-year-old made his Premier League debut with the senior team as a substitute in the victory over Arsenal, coming off the bench after Marcos Rojo was forced off with a knock. Filling the void at left-back, Mensah was near perfect – strong in defense, while also making incisive runs into the opposition’s half, including his combination play with Adnan Januzaj as the Reds looked to see out the result.
Rojo should be back for the match against the Hornets, but Fosu-Mensah was kept out of the reserves team for their Monday match against Middlesbrough, leaving the possibility of his involvement with the first team.
Much like Daley Blind, the Dutch youth international has the versatility to play across the defense and in holding midfield. Louis van Gaal spoke on his usage to MUTV:
"“I think I have already tried him as a right full-back in the second team. Through the circumstances, I have to do that because he is very fast and very fast with the ball.”“He can dribble, he can cross, but he can also play in the centre-half position or in midfield. He’s a multi-functional player. But it is not easy to play in the first team when you are so young because the play is so quick, especially against Arsenal, because they are also moving the ball quickly. So it was a good debut for him.”"
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Fosu-Mensah’s favored position is actually at center-back, where he began his career with Ajax. For the under-21s at Manchester United, he has also featured in the no. 10 role as a result of his pace and technical ability.
But the coaching staff at Manchester United should also be wary of playing the touted prospect at various positions on the pitch. In a young player’s development, it’s great to have versatility, but at a certain stage his skills need to be fine-tuned for a single position, or at least group of positions. His fellow countryman, Blind, is a prime example of a top level player who can feature as a defender or holding midfielder, but there is no chance of seeing him operating behind Anthony Martial.
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Warren Joyce expressed this point back in August 2015, per ManUtd.com:
"“He [Fosu-Mensah] is a footballer. If you’re looking for footballers, you’ve got to look at what their real strengths are. He played at the back for us and, in the first game against Salford, he was arguably at fault with their three goals. He could stay there as he’s played there and in holding midfield for his country, the Netherlands, but you have to look at his strengths and what else he can offer the team. We’ve got to hone his strengths as well so he ultimately he can be selected for the first team.”"
For now, it looks as though van Gaal has identified the player’s strengths as best suited for the full-back position. The hope will be that he can continue to improve in only that role, so that when he is ready to make an extended run in the first team, the manager will know where to play him.
Next: Preview of Man Utd vs Watford
If the coaches for United manage his development properly, Tim Fosu-Mensah could easily be the next star to emerge from the academy.