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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Speaking to talkSPORT, former Manchester United man Paul Parker has revealed it is the “wrong time” for the club to be using their talented youngsters.
What did he say?
The Red Devils have endured a difficult start to the current campaign, picking up just eight points from their opening six Premier League games.
The likes of Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Axel Tuanzebe, amongst others, have all been involved this season in various competitions, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to utilise his academy players.
However, Parker has now suggested the club currently don’t have the right environment or atmosphere for them to thrive in, and delivered a damning verdict on the kind of culture that exists at Old Trafford.
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He said: “There’s not enough men now, who I would come out and say, who have got anything about them to believe they can make something happen.
“I keep reading all the time about bringing through these young players, I think to myself, if you were a parent and your son was with Manchester United you would not want him to go on that pitch to make his debut with that team there in this moment in time.
“There are too many selfish players out there who are more concerned about their own issues than be concerned about looking after a young player out there who is looking to make his name in the game. It’s the wrong time to be using these wrong players.”
The truth hurts
Whilst Greenwood appears to be thriving in the current conditions with two goals in two starts, make no mistake about it, the drama that is beginning to engulf the club is not conducive to getting the best out of young players.
Look no further than the ruthless reaction from some United fans to Chong’s display against Rochdale on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup. Should a teenager really have fans writing him off after just his second start? Would that happen if the club were on their perch winning games?
When things aren’t going your way, patience wears thin. There becomes no room for error, and factors like age and inexperience go out the window. At times like these, the senior pros need to step up and show the path forward. Instead, it’s the Red Devils’ most experienced players like Paul Pogba who continue to frustrate and disappoint – back in August, both Sam Allardyce and Dean Saunders urged him to cut out the fancy stuff and just stick to the basics.
So as Parker says, it does feel like the “wrong time” to be turning to the club’s academy.