Before Manchester United took on Wolves, Sir Alex Ferguson provided commentary about Manchester United, and how they should follow Arsenal’s blueprint for providing players like Bukayo Saka the chance to earn minutes
For Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson has emphasized the value of using young players, and he has praised Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka as an example for his former team to follow.
Ferguson made an appearance on the American NBC Sports telecast prior to Manchester United’s victory over Wolves. The storied coach emphasized to Tim Howard the significance of players having high expectations for themselves if they want to play for United. Ferguson also emphasized the importance of the team identifying players whose profiles match the team.
He cited spirit, which is typically generated when young players are given the opportunity to shine, even if he believes that having elite players is essential to a club’s success. He cited Saka as an example, who has emerged as one of the league’s top young players and, at the age of 17, has already played senior minutes for Arsenal.
“Well, for my take, people talk about when we had Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Butt, and the Nevilles, people thought they made a great team,” Ferguson said. “But what made it a great team was the spirit they created.
“They brought you a spirit, and they never forget you for giving them a chance in life. All the young players you get, like Arsenal at the moment, have got a lot of young players – Saka in particular – who will remember the manager who gave him his chance. That’s the important thing.”
Ferguson emphasised that signing young players is only the beginning of a club’s journey. The key lies in utilising their potential by putting them on the field. This builds trust between the coaching staff and scouts, paving the way for adding more players who align with the team’s objectives.
“And I think that most clubs have a very good scouting operation, but if a scout recommends a young player to you and you take him but don’t play him – scout’s wasted,” he added. “You’ve got to have the confidence and the trust in your scouts to present this player to you. And if you’re producing young players, give him a chance. Because [otherwise] there’s no point in having them.”
Raphael Varane, a center back, scored Manchester United’s lone goal against Wolves in their season opener by heading the ball in after leaping over Nelson Semedo. With only three shots on target after the goal, United struggled to develop other scoring opportunities.
