Louis van Gaal: Manchester United’s Youth Policy Attracts Signings
The Dutchman has included 21 Manchester United academy graduates in matchday squads this season.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal believes the club’s policy of playing youngsters and giving them chances in the first team attracts new signings.
This season, despite poor performances and results, one positive of the campaign has been the way in which a number of young players have shone for the senior team. Jesse Lingard, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Guillermo Varela and Marcus Rashford have all played key roles.
Other players, such as Tim Fosu-Mensah, Adnan Januzaj and Andreas Pereira, have played less often but are incredibly talented.
Van Gaal – a manager who has an excellent track record of developing young players at previous clubs – deserves credit for giving chances to so many academy players. Naturally, his hand has been forced on a number of occasions due to injuries. It is, however, undeniable that other managers would have been less trusting of the club’s young talent.
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The Dutchman, who streamlined his squad (perhaps too much) in order to be able to give young players a chance, said that his record with youth was one thing that appealed to United’s owners when he was appointed.
It’s that very same factor which might rule Jose Mourinho out of the job once Van Gaal leaves. The Portuguese had so many talented young players at Chelsea during his second spell but seemed reluctant to use them in the first team.
Van Gaal, though, says that he is the right person to manage young players and that players want to join United as a result.
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"“When you have me as the manager, you have a lot of chances. Also, a lot of players, because of that, are coming next season to Manchester United because they see that [I give them a chance].”"
Whether or not Van Gaal is United manager next season is, of course, an entirely different matter. He has failed to mount a title challenge despite spending over £250 million. His legacy, however, will be determined by what the club’s current young players go on to achieve in their careers.
Anthony Martial, for instance, despite not being an academy player, has all the potential to become one of the standout players of his generation. United were ridiculed for spending so much money on a teenager, but the Frenchman’s performances quickly put an end to that talk. It was Van Gaal who took a risk on signing Martial and then made him such a prominent figure in the first team.
Other players like Lingard, Rashford, Varela, Januzaj, Borthwick-Jackson and Fosu-Mensah may not reach the same level – or even have long-term futures at United – but the point is that Van Gaal is helping them to fast-track their careers.
Look around the top two divisions in England and you won’t find many clubs who don’t have at least one player who plied their trade in United’s academy. That trend looks set to continue.
There is also a growing feeling that United’s current group of young players include a number of seriously talented individuals. Among the aforementioned players – and yet-to-debut Axel Tuanzebe, RoShaun Williams, Callum Gribbin and Angel Gomes – there could be half a dozen or so players who go on to enjoy long and successful careers at United.
By handing so many opportunities to young players and also signing them (Martial and Memphis), Van Gaal is continuing with one of United’s great traditions.
Next: United: Small squad gave youth a chance
Last season’s home shirt included the tagline “Youth Courage Greatness.” There’s no doubt that United have a commitment to developing young players. They, in turn, have shown great courage in grasping the opportunities handed to them. In a few years’ time, there’s every chance that some of them will go on to achieve greatness.