Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is proud of his track record bringing through young players.
One of the reasons Erik ten Hag was hired by Manchester United in 2022 was the way he supported the development of young players at Ajax.
Manchester United had a talented crop of youngsters, winning the FA Youth Cup that same year, and Ten Hag has since overseen the rise of two of these players.
Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have established themselves as first team regulars in successive seasons, demonstrating the talent coming through the club’s academy.
Ten Hag delighted with Garnacho and Mainoo
Erik ten Hag has been under fire after another disjointed performance at the weekend which saw Manchester United crash to a 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham.
In his press conference ahead of the game with Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, Ten Hag discussed the faith he has in young players.
And he took great joy in pointing out how he feels the press has shown hypocrisy over his faith in Garnacho and Mainoo.
Ten Hag told club media: “I brought Kobbie Mainoo [into the team], and everyone was questioning. We are six weeks ahead and the same who were questioning are now telling: ‘He has to go in the England squad’.
“Same people. Garnacho… it’s the truth. I brought Garnacho [into the team]. ‘What is the manager doing? What is the staff doing?’ But they need time.”
Ten Hag has faith in Omari Forson
Mainoo’s rise has been remarkable and there has been a clamour for him to go to the Euros. Personally, I’d rather he is left out.
Ten Hag believes the development of both players could prove him right with Omari Forson, who has seven goals for the club’s academy teams this season in eight appearances.
Forson started against Fulham at the weekend, although won’t have been happy with how it went, substituted after 53 minutes as part of a tactical shift.
Ten Hag is confident his faith in Forson will go on to be proved a success, just like with Garnacho and Mainoo.
He said: “Omari came on and it’s not easy to come into that game because we didn’t play our best game. The team, then it’s also for him, not easy [to come into] but he plays a reasonable game. And I think he showed abilities, that he can be a player for the future.”
Ten Hag has given debuts to five young players to come through at Carrington so far, with Forson the most recent, and is unlikely to be the last.
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