The Future Of Young Players If Jose Mourinho Is Appointed Manager

Author: Pirfa James Temlong

Rumors of LVG’s sack circulated on social media like wild fire. Apparently Giggs has been given the responsibility of taking over for the Stoke match and Jose Mourinho will kick off his United managerial career against Chelsea, the club that let him go just a while back. The news of the sack was generally well received with Mourinho been recognised as a serial winner who would restore United to their winning ways. Others did not receive this news well, some said that Mourinho is cut out of the same cloth and quality of football that United fans are not accustomed to, while others said that our young players will suffer from the appointment of the Portuguese.

Looking at Jose’s record with young players, some of these concerns are not baseless. At Chelsea over his two stints as manager, he has given youth players limited playing time with Oscar, Kurt Zouma and John Obi Mikel being the only notable young players that were under 21 and that have had an extended run at first team football. The Carling Cup (now Capital One Cup) was always viewed as the completion for exposing youth to first team football but the emergence of Mourinho in 2004 signaled a shift from that direction for Chelsea due to his insistence on using seasoned players and fringe players in this competition, a trend that will arguably trickle down to most of the Premier league. At Inter Milan, he had one of the best young players in the world in the form of Mario Balotelli who was an integral part of his treble winning side but apart from Mario no other youngster was given an extended run of games in the league or other competitions. His record with youth at Real Madrid is abysmal, given the fact that this is one of the most demanding jobs in world football and Madrid are not really know for promoting youth to the first team since the Galacticos era unless you are one of the best young players in the world like Robinho. Jose’s only recognizably young player that was used consistently in Madrid was Raphael Varane, a French defender who has proved to be one of, if not the best defender of his generation.

With the likes of Pereira, Wilson, Powell, McNair and Borthwick Jackson gaining game time under LVG, the appointment of Jose Mourinho will most likely see them shipped out on loan before being eventually sold following the trend at his previous clubs. United being a team that is known for developing young players into very good or world-class players have some fans worried by the possibility of the Special One taking over the reigns at Old Trafford. Personally, I feel that if Mourinho is given the job, a clause should be included in his contract that will necessitate the promotion of young talent so that our famed Academy does not become a stockpile of young layers that are shipped out for financial gain without the players having an opportunity at of playing at the greatest stadium in England.