At Old Trafford on Wednesday, something weird, almost a mass hallucination, took place. Manchester United were goalless with 10 minutes left and really should have been two or three down to the visitors from Watford.
And 75,000 home supporters? They were happy. Quite different from the bored and rebellious throng on the many other occasions United had been 0-0 and toiling this season. That same audience was suddenly seeing something and, encouraged, United went on and won. That is what changed perceptions can do; that is the power of youth. Especially at Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford, pencil-thin, puppy-dog eager, chasing causes; Timothy Fosu-Mensah, a bold kid bumping big Troy Deeney; Guillermo Varela scrapping for every grass-blade of his flank — such sights will always stir a crowd reared on Fergie Fledglings and Busby Babes. Louis’ Lads? They are miles behind, but it is fun to watch them take a few steps along the same road.
Later, when pimply youths in new club suits filed past reporters, you understood how the United milieu has altered. There was novelty in hearing what Rashford’s voice sounded like and the club’s own security staff were no wiser than reporters about which was Joe Riley and which was Joe Rothwell, as obscure young substitutes walked past.
It has been a season of the unexpected. Is another left-field development under way? Overnight, Louis van Gaal does not look so much a dead man walking: could his lads prolong his shelf life another season?
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Consider the scenario: riding their wave, Rashford and Co win a few more games, senior players return, feel-good energy and competition for places push United to finish 2015-16 well. They beat Liverpool in the Europa League, and West Ham in the FA Cup to reach Wembley. They even catch one of the faltering top-four sides in the league.
Not so improbable. And because youth puts a new complexion on everything, Ed Woodward feels vindicated in his backing of the Van Gaal-Ryan Giggs ticket. When United avoided obvious candidates during the Ferguson succession, the argument was always that United are a different club needing different stewardship. Executive vice-chairman Woodward has stuck to that, even without seeming sure what it should look like.
Maybe now he does. Louis’ Lads are not good news for Jose Mourinho. Van Gaal held forth about United’s need for managers who adhere to club traditions of youth. “We discussed this in, how do you say it, in my maiden speech,” said Van Gaal. “We had two conversations, two maiden speeches, first with Ed and later with the owners. They said what the culture of Manchester United is and why they wanted me.
“One of the reasons was [development]. Now we are seeing it. You need the luck that the youngsters are performing at that level, but when you see how many players I have given the chance to show themselves, that’s already good. Of course, at the end, only two or three finish up as a Manchester United player. But when you have me as a manager you have a lot of chances.”
Van Gaal added something intriguing, suggesting he believes he will stay in charge for 2016-17. “Because of that, [his development record] there are a lot of players coming to Manchester United next season, because I give them a chance. They see that.”
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Fosu-Mensah, just a few weeks on from his 18th birthday, became United’s ninth academy player to make his debut this season when he came on against Arsenal seven day ago. His ensuing 90 minutes against Watford suggested he is the most sure thing of all the prospects, including Rashford. He carried a United back four in which Daley Blind, clearly tired after 46 club and international games in 2015-16, was uninterested in the defensive dirty work.
Fosu-Mensah revelled in it. Deeney gave him an early, “welcome to the big school” barge and Fosu-Mensah spent the rest of the game trying to bash the striker and take his dinner money. Great response. And he showed he could play. In the under-18s, Fosu-Mensah has been used in midfield and even as a box-to-box operator.
The Dutch kid signed the same day as Radamel Falcao in 2014 — nicely symbolising United’s right and wrong turnings. “He’s from Ajax. So I know him already. But he has also a lot of [development] history in his two years,” said Van Gaal. “It’s not for nothing he is now in this team. I can say [I’ve played a role] and he can say that also to you if he’s honest.”
The coach offered insight into his methodical way of promoting kids. “I go to matches of the youth team and then I pick the players and put a note inviting them to train with me once in a week when [the first team squad] plays 11 against 11.
“Giggs is the trainer-coach of the simulated opponent. We play West Brom so we simulate the play of West Brom. Youngsters learn a lot because of that. They have to perform like West Brom, not like Marcus Rashford or whoever they are. They learn from that and I can see if they want to [follow instructions] or not.”
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After breaking through “they have to be open to their manager and the staff and the older players who can guide them too. It always starts with the player — I’ve said that today to a player again.”
Any forward with 18-year-old Rashford’s calmness in the box, and knack of waiting in space, has a chance: so, too, any full-back with the tenacity of Varela, 22. Add Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 19, who needs polishing but has athleticism and a good head. Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw are just 20, Memphis Depay 22, Jesse Lingard 23. Maybe Adnan Januzaj, 21, can even be refocused.
There is a genuine core of United talent again, despite an acknowledged patchiness in standards throughout the club’s academy. Even Van Gaal’s philosophy looks less clunking when expressed by the kids. They add energy and more off-the-ball running to the possession game and, Van Gaal admitted, find it easier to bow to his many instructions.
“Older players have their own opinion and want to play the way they like, and that’s not always possible, especially not with me,” he said. Van Gaal was once a PE teacher and said “it’s part of my function” to be like a teacher towards players. He may have got here a bit by accident, because of injuries to United’s senior stars, but youth has been his lucky charm in management since, as a 35-year-old caretaker at AZ Alkmaar, he promoted seven kids to transform the senior squad and avoid relegation.
Darren Fletcher, the opposition captain today, said: “It’s not joyless [under Van Gaal]” but “he’s demanding with regards to your role”. He remembered Van Gaal’s first address to United’s squad in 2014. “He said he didn’t care about experience, age or reputation. If there was an injury, he wasn’t going to change a central midfielder for a left-back, he was going to take a left-back out of the youth team and play him if he was doing well.
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“He has stuck to his word and almost turned the corner. The injuries have been almost a blessing in disguise.”
