Emergence Of Youth Trumps Marquee Signing

Thank Cantona! The transfer window has finally come to a close with Manchester United having a very quiet deadline day.

While I am happy to see the end of the transfer window, I have been left disappointment by the behavior of some United supporters immediately after the window slammed shut. I noticed some supporters on Twitter sending abuse to Wesley Sneijder because he had not signed for United. Seriously, if you were one of these people, take a step back and reevaluate your life. Behavior like this gives your fellow supporters a bad reputation and is simply embarrassing for yourself. Leave the bitter feelings for Manchester City fans.

I think Sneijder is a fantastic footballer and would have been a very exciting signing for Manchester United, but I have always found excitement of a marquee signing second to watching a player come through the ranks. As thrilled as I would have been with Sneijder, it will never compare to how excited I will be to watch Tom Cleverley succeed. Should he do it, and I am confident he will, there is no doubt that for me watching Cleverley step up and fill the creative void in midfield will be far more satisfying than having to buy Sneijder to do the same thing.

That is not to say that I did not want a midfielder, as I do believe the squad is a bit light in that position. A midfield enforcer perhaps would have been a nice addition, but I think that would have been more of a luxury then a necessity. This squad is more than capable of winning the Premier League. The aforementioned enforcer is a role often seen as a key position in Europe, but also one Darren Fletcher can play when he returns.

I am not saying that it is acceptable to overlook the squad’s needs in favor of giving inadequate youngsters a chance for sentimental reasons. That is a fool’s game, one Arsene Wenger knows far too well. But it all goes back to the old quote by the great Sir Matt Busby: “If they are good enough, they are old enough.” If Sir Alex Ferguson believes Tom Cleverley and Anderson are good enough to fulfill our midfield needs after the loss of Paul Scholes – a view I tend to share – then what is the point of paying over the odds for another midfielder?

But what makes a player coming through the ranks more exciting? Hopefully you needn’t ask yourself that as a Manchester United fan. Our squad is currently graced with players who have risen through the ranks to become heroes and fan favorites, perhaps none more so than Ryan Giggs. Our history is full of them too, from Paul Scholes and Gary Neville of Fergie’s Fledglings to Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best of the Busby Babes. The excitement of watching a youngster make it at Old Trafford is deeply rooted in the club’s history.

Having watched Cleverley in the Academy and Reserves, and then making the effort to watch him at Wigan, I have now invested a lot in watching the young midfielder’s development. Some people I know have done more than that, watching him during loan spells at Leicester City and Watford. He has been with the club since he was 12 years old, he was brought up with Manchester United in his heart and has risen through the ranks. Watching him grow up and develop into the exciting player he is now has created a special connection with that player. Following Cleverley’s journey for the past few years and now watching him thrive in the first team has provided me with a genuine excitement early this season. On the contrary, what connection do I have to a player like Sneijder? I enjoy watching him play when I have seen the Netherlands in action, but that is where it ends. I would have grown to love him at United I’m sure, but I doubt that would ever match the same love I will have for Cleverley if he goes on to emulate the careers of players like Scholes and Giggs.

The same can be said of Danny Welbeck, after also watching him in the Reserves and then at Sunderland. Manchester born and bred, he wears his love for Manchester United right over his heart. He is one of the few players that can kiss the badge and have me genuinely believe it was out of a sincere passion and love for the club. Following his goal at Tottenham he spoke of his excitement at scoring in front of the Stretford End and you can instantly recognize this is his dream, that he is Manchester United through and through. He has never known any other way. If you love United, he is a dream player to have; someone who loves the club like the fans do, similar to Gary Neville before him.

Of course there are exceptions, perhaps none more so than Eric Cantona because for me he represents Manchester United’s rise to Premier League dominance in the 90s and became something of a talisman for the club. The most recent example has perhaps been Javier Hernandez, due to the excitement of watching him come from obscurity and rise to international acclaim as one of the world’s most potent finishers, all in a matter of months after arriving at Old Trafford.

Ultimately, we had a fantastic transfer window with David de Gea, Ashley Young and Phil Jones, but there are those who feel let down by the lack of a massive superstar like Sneijder. I sincerely believe that some were more consumed by the excitement of a big name than their concern for strengthening midfield. Maybe the marquee signing is what does it for those fans, but the players who were bred to be United and have been here long enough to understand what this club means will almost always get me more enthusiastic. This is why I loved Paul Scholes and Gary Neville, and why I was such a huge Wes Brown fan even when he was not playing. This is why I love Ryan Giggs. This is why Darren Fletcher, Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck are among my absolute favorites in this current squad. You can complain about missing out on Wesley Sneijder, after years of watching our youngsters come through the ranks I will happily sit back and enjoy watching new stars complete their accession to the top. That is an excitement a big name will never invoke in me.