Erik ten Hag needs to keep following Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice – it’s evidently working

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Manchester United are going through a bit of a rough patch, to say the least.

Erik ten Hag endured a pretty disastrous December with his Manchester United side. He won just two out of his eight games and crashed out of the Champions League. Not a very Merry Christmas at Old Trafford.

This was a stark contrast to the Red Devils form in November, where Ten Hag scooped up the manager of the month award – whilst watching his side go unbeaten in the Premier League.

It’s hard to pinpoint just what is going wrong at Carrington at the moment, but one thing is for certain – it isn’t the academy stars fault.

Manchester United’s Player of the Month for December

In a month with so much misery, three academy products shone brightest for Manchester United.

Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Jonny Evans are the three players up for the Player of the Month Award for United in December.

All three came through the academy, with obviously the latter in Evans doing this more than a decade longer ago than Garnacho and Mainoo.

But what’s becoming apparent as of late is Ten Hag putting faith in youth is working to his advantage. Mainoo and Garnacho, despite their age, were a cut above the rest in United’s side as 2023 concluded.

Evans can be used as a lesson for Ten Hag, and United going forward. The academy produces some elite-tier talent, that can be utilised till the grand old age of 35.

Erik ten Hag needs to follow Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice

It all comes back to what the great man once said. Sir Alex Ferguson was a firm believer in youth. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

“For young players,” Ferguson wrote in his book, “nothing is impossible. They will try and run through a barbed-wire fence, whereas older players will try to find the gate.”

Which has been ringing true lately. The younger players have a point to prove, and with the POTM nominations, have proved it.

United have an array of talent bursting through the academy ranks – Dan Gore, Hannibal Mejbri, Joe Hugill… the list goes on. Utilise them, or we run the risk of losing them like so many before.