Ruben Amorim introduced Manchester United academy graduate Jack Fletcher as a half-time substitute against Wolves.
Jack Fletcher made his debut for Manchester United in the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, and he impressed in his short cameo.
It earned the 18-year-old midfielder another spot in the matchday squad for the 1-1 draw against Wolves, and Ruben Amorim brought him on at half-time with United chasing a winner.
Fletcher replaced Joshua Zirkzee in what seemed a bizarre decision from Amorim considering that the Dutch forward opened the scoring for United.
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United were unable to find a second-half winner, and Fletcher wasn’t able to make his mark at Old Trafford.
Man United fans showed frustration with Jack Fletcher
Amorim has been criticised for not showing enough faith in United’s youth, but he has hit back at his critics in recent weeks by giving debuts to Fletcher, Shea Lacey and now Bendito Mantato.
When defending his use of academy players, Amorim argued that he would rather introduce young stars into a winning side to relieve the pressure on them.
That has not been the case for Fletcher, and he was given plenty of responsibility to try and inject some energy into United’s midfield against Wolves.
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Unfortunately, Fletcher had the opposite effect and United fans could be heard moaning and groaning when the young midfielder would collect the ball and pass backwards.
As per SofaScore, Fletcher did boast an 86% pass completion rate, but far too many of his passes were either too safe or backwards.
Jack Fletcher deserves time and patience
While Fletcher did show a weakness to his game, no one can expect an 18-year-old midfielder to be a finished product.
Amorim is running low on midfield options with both Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes injured, and it is Fletcher who has stepped up.
What has impressed you about Jack Fletcher since he made his debut?
Where does he need to improve? How can Ruben Amorim help him?
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Minutes in the first team will be invaluable for Fletcher’s development, and now there is a clear area to work on in training.
There were still plenty of positives for Fletcher to take from his performance. He coped physically in duels and was composed in possession, only losing the ball seven times in the second half.
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