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Men's Football Ole may have to turn to the kids to get Manchester United back to where they belong

In August 1995, as a pundit on Match of the Day, Alan Hansen was critical of then-Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson following a 3-1 defeat away to Aston Villa.

His “You cant win anything with kids” quote went down in football folklore as that season the United team, made up of a team with an average age 26 years and 137 days, went on to lift the Premier League trophy and FA Cup.

Many of the youngsters, including David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes Gary Neville and Phil Neville, better today as the Class of ’92, who played in that game went on to have a glittering career winning over 90 trophies between them.

It was just one of the periods in his 26 years as United manager that Ferguson had to strip away the deadwood and replace the old guard from his squad and rebuild in search for both domestic and European success.

Fast forward to the present day and the man who currently sits in the Old Trafford hot seat has a rebuilding job of his own.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who himself had a distinguished career a player for United — winning nine trophies including the Champions League 20 years ago this month, now has his own rebuilding job having seen his side underperform over recent weeks and finish outside the Champions League places.

With Antonio Valencia ending a 10 year stay at the club, Ander Herrera announcing he is leaving for pastures new when his contract expires in the summer and Alexis Sanchez, Paul Pogba, David de Gea and Romelu Lukaku all being linked with moves away from the club, Solskjaer himself may choose to promote youth instead.

However, the Norwegian will undoubtably need to dip into the transfer market when the summer window opens. But it may again be kids that the Norwegian looks to bring in with reports that 21-year-old Swansea City and Wales winger Daniel James may be one of the first players through the door at United’s training ground in Carrington this summer — a far cry from the clubs scattergun approach of recent transfer windows.

In the final game of the season against Cardiff City, United’s front six of Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Mason Greenwod, who became the youngest player to start a Premier League game for the club aged 17 years and 223 days, came through the club’s academy system. 

James Garner and Angel Gomes, both 18, were also among the substitutes.

But despite Rashford and Greenwood, who looked impressive in the early stages, having chances to give the home side the lead, it was the away side who took the lead on 23 minutes after they were awarded a dubious penalty that was converted by Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.

And having already been relegated back to the Championship, the Bluebirds continued to play with freedom and deservedly went 2-0 up nine minutes into the second half when Mendez-Laing slotted in his second from close-range.

It’s now was just two wins in the last 11 games since Solskjaer was appointed permanent manager of United.

And the defeat to Cardiff, combined with Arsenal beating Burnley to secure fifth position in the league, means United’s rebuilding will need to begin early with Europa League qualification kicking off in late July.

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