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Article on former youth players - where are they now?

"Massimo Luongo (2010-) One of our best youth players and one which is expected to break into the first team squad in the coming years. Currently one of four players on loan at Swindon and probably the best of the lot. 20 year old defensive midfielder with a bright future."

If he is already 20 then I'd be shocked if he breaks into the first team squad at all. At that age he should be pushing for a place now. Sadly, the same applies to the rest on the list. Carroll is probably the best one I've seen, but if he fails to make a spot his own this season then I can't see him being anymore than a squad player for a couple more years before being moved on.
 
Jumpers said:
"Massimo Luongo (2010-) One of our best youth players and one which is expected to break into the first team squad in the coming years. Currently one of four players on loan at Swindon and probably the best of the lot. 20 year old defensive midfielder with a bright future."

If he is already 20 then I'd be shocked if he breaks into the first team squad at all. At that age he should be pushing for a place now. Sadly, the same applies to the rest on the list. Carroll is probably the best one I've seen, but if he fails to make a spot his own this season then I can't see him being anymore than a squad player for a couple more years before being moved on.
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What a load of gonads.
 
Luongo should never have been loaned out. I'd much rather he was around our time than Livermore and now Livermore is gone Luongo would have been perfect back up to Sandro.
 
Jumpers said:
"Massimo Luongo (2010-) One of our best youth players and one which is expected to break into the first team squad in the coming years. Currently one of four players on loan at Swindon and probably the best of the lot. 20 year old defensive midfielder with a bright future."

If he is already 20 then I'd be shocked if he breaks into the first team squad at all. At that age he should be pushing for a place now. Sadly, the same applies to the rest on the list. Carroll is probably the best one I've seen, but if he fails to make a spot his own this season then I can't see him being anymore than a squad player for a couple more years before being moved on.
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Tom Cleverley is 24 now. Was 21 when he went on a season long loan to Wigan. United seem happy about keeping him around and he's starting to establish himself in the English national team.

Michael Carrick was 23 when we signed him from the Championship. At that point he'd looked alright in a poor West Ham side, but far from good enough to make PL clubs go crazy for him and he ended up spending a full season in the Championship with West Ham before we "took a punt on him". Needless to say he turned out alright.

I've never seen Luongo play, but I have seen Carroll and I think he has a lot of potential. I have no idea if they will make it with us, but writing off central midfielders as not good enough when they're still 20-21 years old just because they can't get into our side considering the central midfielders we have available seems a bit silly.
 
Who was the Czech striker we had for a while? Big tall fella looked the business for a while.
 
Storky said:
Who was the Czech striker we had for a while? Big tall fella looked the business for a while.
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That would be Tomáš Pekhart.

He's now a well established Czech Republic international and plays his club football in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Nuremberg.

Fair to say that's he's one we let slip through the net.
 
braineclipse said:
Tom Cleverley is 24 now. Was 21 when he went on a season long loan to Wigan. United seem happy about keeping him around and he's starting to establish himself in the English national team.

Michael Carrick was 23 when we signed him from the Championship. At that point he'd looked alright in a poor West Ham side, but far from good enough to make PL clubs go crazy for him and he ended up spending a full season in the Championship with West Ham before we "took a punt on him". Needless to say he turned out alright.

I've never seen Luongo play, but I have seen Carroll and I think he has a lot of potential. I have no idea if they will make it with us, but writing off central midfielders as not good enough when they're still 20-21 years old just because they can't get into our side considering the central midfielders we have available seems a bit silly.
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Tom Cleverley - Was loaned out at 19, and then again at 20 to Championship sides, winning player of the year at one of them. Was then loaned to Premiership side at 21.

Michael Carrick - Will always irk me we didn't get him sooner. I remember watching him in 2000 and thinking he was exactly what we needed. I was so sure Hoddle was going to try and get him as even at that young age he was head and shoulders above Freund and Sherwood. Very misunderstood player even now. Compared to Hoddle as a type of player, when he played nothing like Hoddle. Stayed with West Ham and showed loyalty when they were relegated, but then moved to us when they failed to secure promotion via the play off. We should have signed him at least two years earlier than we did. We should have at least signed him at the beginning of the 2003 season when we had no defensive midfielder, but we really should have gone all out and splashed the cash in the Summer of 2001.

I am writing players off based on historical evidence. I would never write players "in" based on hope and emotion. I like Carroll and I do think he is capable of forming a Premiership career if he has the determination. Do I think he'll form a high end Premiership career? No. You mention Cleverley, but how many Spurs fans would want Cleverley? Most Utd fans I know don't want him. Cleverley at 20 was better than Carroll is now. I'd like to see evidence as to why people think Carroll is going to make this massive jump in ability between now and the time he hits his mid-20's.

One player missing from the list is Mark Gower. He took a long time to get there mind you.
 
THFC6061 said:
That would be Tomáš Pekhart.

He's now a well established Czech Republic international and plays his club football in the Bundesliga with 1. FC Nuremberg.

Fair to say that's he's one we let slip through the net.
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Don't know much about German Football. Are Nuremberg competitive? In my opinion to let one slip through the net, means that a player goes on to have a career at a superior level than the club that let him go. This is why I never regarded Bobby Zamora as one who slipped the net, despite him playing a lot of his career in the Premiership.
 
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