Louis van Gaal feels his decision not to sign players in January has been vindicated.
Manchester United have benefited from the debuts of numerous young players as a result of an extensive injury list to the small squad.
Prior to the start of the season and then again in January, Louis van Gaal made the decision not bring in extra depth, a result of his firm belief that reserves and academy players can respond when called upon. With the recent appearances of countless young players propelling Manchester United into winning form, it looks as though the manager made the right decision despite heavy criticism from supporters – myself included.
Marcus Rashford, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, and Guillermo Varela headline the growing list of youth players to have made their debuts under van Gaal this season. The trio have shown maturity and composure beyond their years, marked by their ability to step into proceedings without a hiccup.
A particular area of frequent rotation had been at left-back once Marcos Rojo went down with injury in December but, speaking at Friday’s press conference, the Dutch manager defended his decision not to strengthen his team:
"“In January we took the risk not to buy a left full-back. We needed one, but we said maybe Borthwick-Jackson and Varela could do the job. There was interest from Spanish clubs for Varela but we said no.”"
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"“All the young players are hungry and a colleague of yours used the word ‘desire’ which is a very good word. They want to prove and show to the manager, to everybody, that they are the best. They always give spirit to the team and that’s why we decided not to invest in January.”“The policy is to have a small selection so you can give youngsters a chance. Thanks to my policy and the club who approved it, Rashford is there and it’s the same with Borthwick-Jackson and Varela.”"
In addition to the trio of youngsters, Donald Love, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, and several other players have made positive impacts for the team.
Rashford recently was voted Manchester United Player of the Month for February, throwing into question the possibility that the supporters may yet put too much pressure on the 18-year-old. But van Gaal believes his young prospects can cope with the pressure, as they have done already:
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"“I don’t want to give pressure to the young players. It is fantastic what he [Rashford] has done already because he was one of the youngsters who have made a great contribution to the new spirit in our team. The others include Borthwick-Jackson and Varela, and also now Timothy Fosu-Mensah and James Weir. They give a lot of spirit.”"
When the senior players make their return to full fitness, the manager will surely have a selection dilemma on his hands. The optimal squad should generally have a combination of youth and experience, as the senior players can lead the team with the youngsters offering an endless work rate and freer play.
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Manchester United expect Phil Jones, Marouane Fellaini, and Antonio Valencia to return to the team in the near future, while other injured players could be back before April. But there is no chance of those former first choice players walking back into the team with the way the young players are currently playing, and it will surely make the Red Devils stronger as a unit.