Young Stars for the FA Cup ?

As a part of our build up to the FA Cup 5th round game against Tottenham we're taking a look at some of the promising talent in the Reds Squads.

With the international break not over yet for some of United's first team choices, Alan might pick a promising youngster or two to start the game.

" It's a great chance for some of our young boys to show what they can do. If they express themselves and show their talent like they do in training, Alan is going to have some selection headaches in the future! " Says Juan Merino, assistant manager.

So we at FM10Manager asked Juan for his picks of young devils he'd throw into the fray against tottenham.

" We've got good players coming through in all positions, but if i had to pick a few stand out prospects ....


In Defence i'd pick Hristic and Mathijsen.

Hristic ( 19 ) is a towering presence. He's only 19 but is the tallest player at the club. He's also got a really good head in defense. He concentrates on his defensive duties and has been consistent when called on. He's also extremely fast and explosive off the blocks despite his size. He's been a revelation this season with a few appearances under his belt because of injuries in the first team.




Mathijsen ( 19 ) was away at MK Dons in the first half of the season. Alan would have liked to have him back in November with all the injuries we had, but he was contracted until Jan. Nicky Butt at MK Dons has had only good things to say about the lad. He made 15 starts for them and created 4 goals. Hes a real threat when he pushes up into the holding area just behind the midfielders. He's a good physical player and has fantastic technique, attackers find it tough to shake him off. He needs some first team experience, but apart from that looks a great prospect.



I'd look at Niels Poot ( 20 ) for Midfield. Theres already been a lot of coverage about Poot's talent. His talent and ability is undeniable. He joined us as a 16 year old and we've been very happy with his progress at the club. He's really developed well. He's got great vision, good passing technique, great work-rate and above all he is a team player. Now we need him to get stronger both physically and mentally and we'll have a world class player on our hands. The managers already picked him for 13 starts this season and he's shown a lot of potential. He's got a very bright future if he continues to put his head down and work hard.



Lastly I'd pick Andy Welsh ( 19 ) in the striking department. The lad has tons of ability. This has been his breakthrough season. He's scored what ? 12 goals ? in 11 starts ?. Thats an astonishing return for a debutant. He's got a very bright future and he's really adapted well to top flight football. He's also got Dave ( robinson ) and Dominic ( Ferguson ) to guide him and I'd wager they're possibly the two best out and out strikers in club football today. With work and luck Andy can be a very important player for us in the future."


There you have it United's young stars as Assistant manager Juan Merino sees it.

With injuries, suspensions and international duties we're sure to see some of these on show against Tottenham, what a great sight it would be to see them produce the goods!