Gary Gardner

[steaknchips]

Sir Alex Ferguson has said Manchester United will not go back into the transfer market before the end of the month, declaring "you can forget" the idea of Wesley Sneijder signing and masking any sense of disappointment by placing his trust in the emerging crop of young players at Old Trafford.

Ferguson had made signing a new central midfielder a priority this summer but the Premier League champions are resigned to Samir Nasri joining Manchester City from Arsenal and, as the Guardian revealed on Thursday, have let it be known that exploratory talks about Sneijder's potential availability at Internazionale have amounted to nothing.

United's official stance is that the Sneijder deal is now finished and Ferguson insisted he is happy to begin the season with his current squad and, as well as highlighting Tom Cleverley's impressive performance in the Community Shield, he reiterated his faith in Michael Carrick, Anderson and Darren Fletcher and talked for the first time about promoting the 18-year-old Paul Pogba to the senior team.

"When you take that roll call of players, I'm certainly not looking to add to that," the United manager said. "I've been saying that for weeks but you [the media] have all been writing differently – that I'm going to buy this one or that one. But we've said nothing, we just carry on with our business."

Ferguson was asked whether United's official briefing about Sneijder, originating from the Old Trafford boardroom, meant the club should forget about the possibility of signing the Holland international. "You can forget anyone you like," he replied. "I'm happy with the young players I've got."

At one point in the Community Shield the average age of United's team was 22 years and two months and it could go even younger if Ferguson rewards the French teenager Pogba for the "great promise" he showed for the team who won last season's FA Youth Cup.

Pogba is a tall, rangy central midfielder, signed from Le Havre at the age of 16. "We're quite positive about him," Ferguson said. "If we hold Paul Pogba back, what's going to happen? He's going to leave in a couple of years' time when his contract is finished. We have to give him opportunities to see how he can do in the first team. He's got the ability, the physique and the athleticism."

Ferguson also confirmed he would stick by David de Gea for Sunday's game at West Bromwich Albion rather than bringing in Anders Lindegaard, seven years his senior. De Gea's goalkeeping was scrutinised after both Manchester City goals last weekend but Ferguson believes it was inevitable the 20-year-old would have a few lapses. "The reason we bought him and spent £18m is the long-term view," Ferguson said. "He was unfortunate with the second goal. We didn't expect that and he won't be doing that again. But he had no chance with the first. The goalkeeper has absolutely no chance when the ball is whipped in like that. It needs only a fraction of a touch and the goalkeeper's dead.

Last season Houllier said he would be running this season with our crop of emerging youngsters, aiming to give them 40 games...Yet since McLeish has come in, these youngsters have so far been held back.

Different managers do different things...Ive a guess, had McLeish been manager of Manchester United, then we would be seeing more of Berbatov, Park etc and less of Wellbeck, Cleverley etc...It comes down to the type of manager you are and the ability you have as a coach.. Bannan, Albrighton and Clark are ready and if Fergie,Houllier etc was our manager these players would be starting.

There was list in the press last season of young players to watch out for this season; On that list was Jones, Kelly, Wilshere, Ramsey, Albrighton, Clark, Wellbeck.. And its the Villa lads that are the only ones getting left behind. Its important this season to play them, otherwise rot will set into their minds and they will begin to question their ability and confidence as players.

This season under Houllier, he said 40 games for the likes of Albrighton, Clark,Bannan and Delph...I would also have imagined we would have seen 20 games then from Gardner, Delfouneso and Baker...The art of improving is to think of the future and get them moving through the system..

[Stu_The_Villan]

Its important this season to play them, otherwise rot will set into their minds and they will begin to question their ability and confidence as players.

[sellbydate]

Sir Alex Ferguson has said Manchester United will not go back into the transfer market before the end of the month, declaring "you can forget" the idea of Wesley Sneijder signing and masking any sense of disappointment by placing his trust in the emerging crop of young players at Old Trafford.

Ferguson had made signing a new central midfielder a priority this summer but the Premier League champions are resigned to Samir Nasri joining Manchester City from Arsenal and, as the Guardian revealed on Thursday, have let it be known that exploratory talks about Sneijder's potential availability at Internazionale have amounted to nothing.

United's official stance is that the Sneijder deal is now finished and Ferguson insisted he is happy to begin the season with his current squad and, as well as highlighting Tom Cleverley's impressive performance in the Community Shield, he reiterated his faith in Michael Carrick, Anderson and Darren Fletcher and talked for the first time about promoting the 18-year-old Paul Pogba to the senior team.

"When you take that roll call of players, I'm certainly not looking to add to that," the United manager said. "I've been saying that for weeks but you [the media] have all been writing differently – that I'm going to buy this one or that one. But we've said nothing, we just carry on with our business."

Ferguson was asked whether United's official briefing about Sneijder, originating from the Old Trafford boardroom, meant the club should forget about the possibility of signing the Holland international. "You can forget anyone you like," he replied. "I'm happy with the young players I've got."

At one point in the Community Shield the average age of United's team was 22 years and two months and it could go even younger if Ferguson rewards the French teenager Pogba for the "great promise" he showed for the team who won last season's FA Youth Cup.

Pogba is a tall, rangy central midfielder, signed from Le Havre at the age of 16. "We're quite positive about him," Ferguson said. "If we hold Paul Pogba back, what's going to happen? He's going to leave in a couple of years' time when his contract is finished. We have to give him opportunities to see how he can do in the first team. He's got the ability, the physique and the athleticism."

Ferguson also confirmed he would stick by David de Gea for Sunday's game at West Bromwich Albion rather than bringing in Anders Lindegaard, seven years his senior. De Gea's goalkeeping was scrutinised after both Manchester City goals last weekend but Ferguson believes it was inevitable the 20-year-old would have a few lapses. "The reason we bought him and spent £18m is the long-term view," Ferguson said. "He was unfortunate with the second goal. We didn't expect that and he won't be doing that again. But he had no chance with the first. The goalkeeper has absolutely no chance when the ball is whipped in like that. It needs only a fraction of a touch and the goalkeeper's dead.

Last season Houllier said he would be running this season with our crop of emerging youngsters, aiming to give them 40 games...Yet since McLeish has come in, these youngsters have so far been held back.

Different managers do different things...Ive a guess, had McLeish been manager of Manchester United, then we would be seeing more of Berbatov, Park etc and less of Wellbeck, Cleverley etc...It comes down to the type of manager you are and the ability you have as a coach.. Bannan, Albrighton and Clark are ready and if Fergie,Houllier etc was our manager these players would be starting.

There was list in the press last season of young players to watch out for this season; On that list was Jones, Kelly, Wilshere, Ramsey, Albrighton, Clark, Wellbeck.. And its the Villa lads that are the only ones getting left behind. Its important this season to play them, otherwise rot will set into their minds and they will begin to question their ability and confidence as players.

This season under Houllier, he said 40 games for the likes of Albrighton, Clark,Bannan and Delph...I would also have imagined we would have seen 20 games then from Gardner, Delfouneso and Baker...The art of improving is to think of the future and get them moving through the system..

Man United didn't need stability this season. We did. We came of the back of a terrible season by losing our best player and a good one (this doesn't need to go into who's fault it is). It was crucial to settle down, get some points and then look where we are. Give it a couple of months to get points on the board, and if we look in a safe position then maybe they'll get games. I don't want to see the youngsters stagnate either, but I can understand why McLeish, after the reception he got from us in taking the job, didn't want to risk giving the youngsters till January, can't you?

[Grievemeister]

Its a problem at our club, that when young players reach the 1st team the managers are too scared to play them..The car they were traveling in soon starts to break down and stall, along with their promising careers...The same exact thing happened to MrCahill, who is now performing in the full International team but plys his services elsewhere..

The only youth player to ever come through regulary in recent times was Gabby..Yet we have some of the best facilities in the world...Something just dosnt add up. Like you said alot of them are 22 yrs old,yet when at youth level were a match for any of the youths around them...Yet ours when 1st team comes along just get frozen out..

Its time for the club to show some bottle and get these kids that have sat around the 1st team squad for 2/3 seasons into the set up alot more often and chuck out the players like Heskey and Petrov that are holding them back.

Why did we buy Hutton for 4m and another 30k ish wage per week just after Herd had just swallowed Jarvis up for his supper? Its things like this that knock the lads confidence..He should have been given the chance, with Beye/Cuellar always at hand for back up...We would have been ok.

Because one game doesn't make a player?

Lichaj marked Bale out the game but then got tore a new one at Man City and got skinned by Jerome Thomas regularly vs WBA also.

Albrighton, had we just relied on him then God knows how we'd do, he's been pretty dire for a while now and given the lack of experience in our squad, if we had to rely on Herd/Albrighton etc..for full seasons, we'd be in contention for relegation. Just like last year.

Rescued by our senior players at the end of the season which you have failed to accept.

Skinned against Thomas??? I dont think so. I was right on the touchline for that game and all you saw / heard was Freidal, Cueller & Collins applauding Lichaj for the way he handled Thomas's runs.

[NeilS]

Yeah I agree Grievemiester. WBA at home was one game that I managed to get to last season. I remember being nervous about Lichaj at RB before the game, but he impressed me by the end and dealt will most of the attacks down his side comfortably. IIRC most of the danger was coming on Warnocks side, with their large right sided player who's name escapes me now, or through the centre when Hogg was losing his runner.

[Bazmonkey]

The difference with Fergie using Utd’s youngsters and us is plain simple..they are a lot better.

All of Utd’s youngsters and you can count the other top four teams send their youngsters out to premier league teams and they get played week in week out…they get accustomed to the league so it benefits Utd…as they get their players who wont play every week valuable experience. Cleverly – Wigan, Wilshire – Bolton – Sturridge – Bolton to name but a few

We however send ours to lower league teams in the championship and league one and they hardly get a game nor when they do they don’t exactly set the pitch on fire!!! They have all played for the reserves and have won the reserve league or come near the top for the last few years…..but is the reserve league just a glorified youth league?????

So are they really that good…..are they the future….who knows….IMO a lot of the youth players and 1st teams players on here get bigged up more than they actually are without really kicking a ball for us or for another team and purely because they play for the Villa….is it time to take the claret and blue glasses off and really judge all of our players not just the youth based on what we have seen not what we hope to see.

[Stu_The_Villan]

IMO a lot of the youth players and 1st teams players on here get bigged up more than they actually are without really kicking a ball for us or for another team

You know what, ive seen loads of people banging on about how our youngsters 'keep getting bigged up on here' and i honestly cant remember seeing a post bigging them up. Ive seen loads of posts like yours though (sorry to pick up on yours in particular) so i wonder where this notion comes from. It seems to me people are just as likely (or even more so) to write them off as opposed to big them up.

[JulieB]

I'm not sure about bigging them up but you only have to listen to Gary Cahill's comments today to know that actually we have a good Academy

which has produced some decent players.

U21s are playing a friendly tonight against Israel, it's on ESPN from 6.30pm (KO 7pm) so hopefully Mr Gardner might make an appearance at some point.

[VillaAlex]

He's on the bench, Baker is starting though. No Delfouneso either although that was expected given it's a friendly (on bench too).

Not sure where Baker is playing, as there are three centre backs and a left back in the starting XI.

[LondonLax]

IMO a lot of the youth players and 1st teams players on here get bigged up more than they actually are without really kicking a ball for us or for another team

You know what, ive seen loads of people banging on about how our youngsters 'keep getting bigged up on here' and i honestly cant remember seeing a post bigging them up. Ive seen loads of posts like yours though (sorry to pick up on yours in particular) so i wonder where this notion comes from. It seems to me people are just as likely (or even more so) to write them off as opposed to big them up.

There are regular calls for players to be put into the first team but clearly they are not yet good enough. They are being 'bigged up' by people expecting them to be able to perform at this level.

However, if they were good enough there would be offers all over from premier league sides wanting to take them on loan like there are with Man U and Chelsea youngsters.

[dudevillaisnice]

Not sure where Baker is playing, as there are three centre backs and a left back in the starting XI.

Just seen that myself (the lineup that is) interesting..

[VillaAlex]

That's not entirely true.

The reason why people like Sturridge, Wilshere and Welbeck have gone on loan is because the clubs can afford to sent them out.

Although the likes of Bannan, and Delfouneso have gone out for short spells, that's the longest amount of time we've been able to send them due to the size and strength of our squad.

Clark and Albrighton were never sent out on loan as they were needed in the first team. Although I felt the season Clark made his debut v Fulham, he could have been sent out somewhere for a short spell as we had good depth in defence at the time.

EDIT: Also forgot the main reason, we're not in the position to send them out on loan to other Premier League clubs. Teams like Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham have confidence in their own abilities to do so.

Not sure where Baker is playing, as there are three centre backs and a left back in the starting XI.

Just seen that myself (the lineup that is) interesting..

Playing at centre back

Pleasing, I hate seeing him played at fullback.

[LondonLax]

We are not loaning them out, fair enough, but there is not the demand to have them from permier league clubs either. We get calls from lower league clubs but never hear of the likes of Bolton or Sunderland wanting any of them.

[VillaAlex]

We are not loaning them out, fair enough, but there is not the demand to have them from permier league clubs either. We get calls from lower league clubs but never hear of the likes of Bolton or Sunderland wanting any of them.

Well we don't know if they are asking for the players. Also they probably know that we wouldn't loan them out. Imagine the uproar if we loaned out Bannan to someone like Wigan, he had a blinder of a season and they finished above us.

Unfortunately until we're a a top 6 club again with a decent squad size we'll only be able to send them out to Championship sides.

Thinking about it, I can count on one hand the amount of players we've loaned out for a whole season to clubs. For this reason it rules out most Premier League sides as unlike Championship sides they can't loan players throughout a season.

There is also a demand from a parent club for a player to be playing every week, which can be rare for a loanee. There are players like McEachran way down the pecking order at Chelsea right now, and he hasn't gone out on loan anywhere. If there wasn't so many stipulations I think 5 or 6 Premier League sides would want him.

[JulieB]

Baker played CB along with Dawson from the Baggies. Looked very composed.

Both went up for a corner & big Nath nearly scored but Israelis broke away and scored whilst they were up the other end in the 1st half.

Unfortunately he was strechered off just before HT.

Gary Gardner came on 2nd half to make his debut and looked good. Fonz scored from the penalty spot.

[JulieB]

Playing at centre back

Pleasing, I hate seeing him played at fullback.

Him and Clark could be a good pairing as future CBs...Baker looks too tall to be a full back.... but IIRC they're both left footed.

[mikeyp102]

Who got the 4th? as the ever efficient fa website states won 4-1 and only names 3 scorers + goals

[sir_gary_cahill]

How was Gardner when he came on?

[JulieB]

Gardner did OK in midfield. Nowt spectacular but got stuck in and looked tidy. It was his debut and he's only 19.

Lansbury scored 4th IIRC.

[Killeen30]

Well done GG! Sorry to see Baker get injured.