Misery continues to pile on Ruben Amorim, with a disappointing draw away at Goodison Park. The fixture was viewed as a ‘must-win’ for United, but the same problems emerged for Amorim’s side on the pitch: a lack of tempo, cohesion and quality in the final third.
United find themselves in uncharted territory, sitting 15th in the Premier League, with the thought of the glory days dwindling in the back of fans' minds.
Amorim faces an impossible task not only on the pitch but putting the hope back in the football club. With a cash-strapped board and an ongoing injury crisis, United must once again look towards Carrington for solutions.
The number of notable academy graduates promoted to the first team has declined under the Glazer ownership. With the spotlight on Carrington to provide the next ‘class of 92’, the work of Nick Cox alongside Adam Lawrence has been pivotal in preparing the next generation of academy graduates.
Under his tutelage, he led the under 18’s to the domestic treble last season. With the appointment of Ruben Amorim, he has the under 18’s playing the 3-4-3 to allow the transition to the first team be as seamless as possible.
There is a plethora of talent in the ranks of Carrington across both the under 18’s and under 21’s. With the performances on the pitch leaving fans thoroughly disappointed, there is a clear need for change and this spark can be provided by the youth.
Chido Obi-Martin
With one goal scored between Zirkee and Hojlund since the start of December, United are crying out for a clinical goalscorer who can convert the Red’s chances. The pair have both struggled adapting to Amorim’s system, with Zirkzee being misprofiled as a clear number nine and Hojlund struggling to play with his back to goal.
Even when United find themselves wide looking to create chances, they lack that presence in the box that traditional number nine’s offer. Enter Chido Obi-Martin.
The Danish centre forward became a youth sensation at Hale End, scoring 32 times in 20 appearances in the U18s Premier League for Arsenal. It was a shock to clubs up and down the country when he asked to leave after contractual disputes and Ineos made their intention of ‘building for the future’ clear when they poached him from their great rivals.
After a slow introduction into the Carrington setup, Obi-Martin has found his feet netting 12 goals in 13 games for the U18s. Apart from his insatiable appetite in front of goal, Chido-Obi has excellent link up play often finding himself dropping deep to recycle the ball.
His two cameos in the first team have been lackluster with fans seeing that he’s not quite ready for the intensity of the Premier League. With no doubt we will see Chido-Obi regularly featured till the end of the season, and fans eagerly await to see him open his account.
Sekou Kone
Signing from Guidars FC in his homeland of Mali, there was an unexpected reaction from the fanbase to the news of his signing. The direction of the recruitment has been heavily scrutinized over the ‘Glazer Era’, with the arrival of high profile names coming in for staggering transfer fees.
With the change in sporting ownership falling into Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hands, he’s prioritized putting in place a sporting structure that has been lackluster over the Glazer tenure. The appointment of Christian Vivell on a temporary role in the summer played a crucial part in bringing Kone, who was previously head of scouting at RB Salzburg being directly involved in deals for Erling Haaland and Dayot Upamencano.
Representing United as the first Malian to wear the shirt signifies the shift in transfer strategy towards discovering the next generation of talent. Kone became a sensation at the U17s World cup after Mali took home the bronze medal with a historic victory over Argentina.
Since his arrival at Carrington, lead coach Travis Binnon has integrated Kone slowly into the setup. Moving to the country at such a young age and adapting to the style of football has raised questions around his fitness, but the manager hasn’t put the pressure on Kone allowing him to deal with the intensity gradually.
Kone excels as a defensive midfielder, who possesses all the potential to play as part of Amorim’s two man pivot. His unique blend of ball carrying, tackling and passing gives Amorim a chance to play him as a six or an eight. United’s physical floor has been underwhelming for the past few years, and the first team is in need of athletes. The physical abilities he possesses partnered with the likes of Manuel Ugarte, means he can cover the vast amount of space that Amorim demands from his midfield.
With back to back appearances on the United bench, his first team debut seems imminent.
Shea Lacey
Dubbed as Manchester United’s version of Phil Foden, the 17-year-old winger has the world at his feet. His incredible close control and dribbling makes him a joy to watch but a nightmare for opposing players. Clips of Lacey’s in-game dribbling have amassed thousands of views online, often seeing him drive with the ball taking on three or four players before shooting.
He has a killer instinct creatively, as he provides a superb option as a wide outlet. Press him, he’ll have flicked it past without you knowing. Give him space, he’ll curl one from 30 yards into the top corner. There is nothing Lacey can’t do with the ball at his feet. The Old Trafford crowd is in need of a player to get them off their seats as the icons before have done.
Being skilled with either foot, he offers United a profile that they severely lack in attack. Whilst being arguably the most talented player in the academy setup, there are concerns over his physicality and how well that will transition to the Premier League.
The last few years have been a nightmare for the 17 year-old with time spent constantly on the sideline. Injuries have hampered Lacey from playing regular youth football, but every time he laces his boots we are reminded of how truly special the youngster can be.
Godwill Kukoni
During the summer, United identified Everton’s Jarred Braithwaite as their top target for defensive reinforcements. Eventually, the transfer fizzled out, with Everton locking the England international's price tag at £70 million.
United moved on with the signing of De Ligt from Bayern Munich, but the appointment of Amorim raised the same question United faced in the summer; who will be the left sided centre back?
The injury to Lisandro Martinez further compounded this issue, and United’s need to address their lack of a left-footed central defender. Once again Carrington provides a solution.
Kukoni has shown his excellence as the left sided centre back and potential to play more advanced in a left back role. Standing at six foot five, his physical prowess towers over the competition at youth level. He has outstanding recovery pace for his size, and he always looks favourite going into a duel.
His technical skills shouldn’t be underestimated due to his height; he is a composed defender with a varied passing range. Amorim demands his two outside centre backs to be capable of breaking the lines with their passes and Kukoni certainly has this ability. The uniqueness he possesses with being left footed, will benefit United massively in terms of build up from the back.
Bendito Mantato
Amorim has made it clear that he will not shift to another system, and will persist with his 3-4-3 for the rest of the season. Seen as wingbacks on paper, Amorim puts more emphasis on playing them as wingers and at Sporting often deployed natural wingers in these positions.
Over January, United fans became familiar with the name Geovany Quenda as there were constant links to Amorim’s former right-wingback. With United looking to revisit the deal in the summer and reports of a contract being agreed, United must find an internal solution until the end of the season.
Bendito Mantato can be the answer to United’s struggle. He offers a two-way threat both offensively and defensively that fits Amorim’s needs.
Going forward the 17-year-old is exceptional at cutting inside on his favoured left or taking it down the byline to put that ball in the danger area. The trajectory of his career has mirrored that of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka as the pair have both transitioned from left back to the right wing.
Mantato caught fire at the start of the 24/25 season as he netted six goals in nine appearances with the U18’s. Injury struck at the worst possible time for Mantato as the form he displayed would have been worthy of a first team call up.
Amir Ibragimov
Famously playing two matches against Liverpool’s youth teams, scoring in both, from a young age Ibragimov has been destined for super stardom. When you receive endorsement from Sir Alex Ferguson you know you’re doing something right. With his two younger brothers playing for various levels of United youth teams, the surname ‘Ibragimov’ will be on the lips of United fans for years to come.
Ibragimov has exceptional ball carrying skills that the first team is deprived of. Between the lines, he comes to life with his quick thinking and tight close control. For his age he has remarkable composure, always looking to be inventive when the ball is at his feet.
He has a directness to his game that will drive the team forward, resulting in less side-to-side possession that is impeding United’s build up. Under Amorim, it is likely to see him utilized as a left-sided number ten. With the right development and transition into the first team he could save Ratcliffe from dipping into his pocket.
These are just a few names of the next generation of stars emerging from Carrington that can directly impact the Manchester United first team. Carrington has to live up to its reputation of being one of the world’s premier talent factories and this next crop of youngsters provides that.
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