UNITED ACADEMY IMPLEMENTING NEW IDEAS
Manchester United's Academy may be one of the most successful in the game but it is continuing to embrace new ideas and innovations, after launching a six-week project at the start of the year designed to present a number of challenges for the club's various age groups.
A huge amount of hard work behind the scenes, led by long-serving Academy specialist Tony Whelan, who co-ordinated the programme, has enabled the youngsters to enjoy enriching experiences across a variety of versions of the game.
There was even a special 'elite playground' idea developed with Chelsea at St George's Park that cemented a special relationship between the clubs at youth level. Other opponents have included numerous teams from the continent, such as Bayern Munich, Dinamo Zagreb and Besiktas, in addition to the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.
BUTT'S VISION
Head of Academy Nicky Butt, whose own experiences as a schoolboy were very different to those being accrued in the current system, has been keen to implement these ideas. "We want to take an innovative approach to our games programme so it is one that maybe gives us an edge over our opponents," he said.
"We've devised a variety of experiences, on and off the pitch, for all our age groups as it's an opportunity to stretch the players and provide different challenges."
United have been competing in various tournaments with an Under-19s team winning the Sparkasse & VGH International Cup in Germany, while the Under-12s finished runners-up in indoor events in the same country in consecutive weeks. The Under-14s won their group convincingly in the Albert Phelan Cup in order to qualify for the knockout stages, while the Under-11s lifted the Graham Buckingham Cup, named in honour of a popular long-serving member of staff, at The Cliff.
COX EXPLAINS PROJECTS
Academy operations manager Nick Cox outlined the thinking behind the extensive planning for the first part of 2017, as the Reds work hard behind the scenes to produce the Marcus Rashfords, Jesse Lingards and Axel Tuanzebes of the future.
"In this six-week period, we were attempting to protect the kids from the weather, give the players a breadth of variety in the programme, plus different formats and opposition, with a little bit of competition thrown in," he told ManUtd.com.
"There were foreign trips, with the travel and cultural experience, and different challenges they won't face here. That was the plan, to achieve those things over the winter period, and it's fairly unique. I'm not sure it happens anywhere else but we made sure every one of our age groups was exposed to some kind of indoor festival every weekend.
"We've had player-led tournaments, where we leave it completely up to the boys and it's all about leadership, cage football, six-a-side events, in-and-out balanced tournaments where you add or subtract players at various stages, power-play football where music plays and goals are worth double, and futsal on a hard court with a heavy ball. So we've been bombarding the kids with loads of different things.
"The variety of opposition is important as well and we've invited Tottenham and Chelsea as, because of the geography, we don't play them on a regular basis. It's really important we pitch our players against the best in the country and we also hunted down other types of opponents. Chester spring to mind as perhaps their players are more used to real football on a Sunday and they actually won that particular Under-14 competition.
"We put a project in place due to our good relationship with Chelsea. We have similar thoughts on how to develop players and, this year, decided to meet them at St George's Park where three of the younger age groups played all day across every format of the game. It was the best players, we perceive, in the north and south of the country in a pressurised situation. It was difficult but almost creating an elite playground. It was playground type of football against the best players out there and it was an absolutely fantastic experience and is not something that is done anywhere else."
UNSWORTH A FAN OF INDOOR FOOTBALL
Under-12 lead coach Lee Unsworth is a big advocate of the boys honing their skills in small-sided games and also enjoying the different challenges that are posed.
"The indoor programme benefits our boys in many different ways," he told ManUtd.com. "Firstly, it is designed to allow football to continue through the traditionally poor weather months. More importantly, it provides the players with the variety in the football that we feel they need.
"Technically and tactically, it is a real test to play smaller sided games and there is no hiding place on the pitch as the action is fast paced. We run indoor tournaments for all age groups, inviting teams from across the North West to participate. These events have proved over many years to be a real success and the players gain so much from them, not least having tremendous fun and enjoyment.
"We also participate in some European indoor tournaments where we are tested to the limits against top-class foreign opposition. This is a real spike in the learning opportunities for the boys and a programme that we wish to continue and enhance over the coming seasons."
STRETCHING THE YOUNGSTERS
The travel element is important to the club as Cox explained the value of taking youngsters out of their comfort zone at the Aon Training Complex.
"There's lots of developmental football," he said. "It's great as the boys can express themselves and learn through making mistakes. But, at the end of the journey, they have to deliver under pressure so, slowly and gradually, we introduce this aspect. If they go to a tournament, there is a crowd and they might have to take a penalty in a shoot-out or go into a game knowing a draw is enough to qualify for the next stage.
"It gives them loads of new problems to face; they're not just turning up for a game that doesn't necessarily mean anything and they're very comfortable. That's fine as they can express themselves but they need to experience discomfort. We want them to experience everything and are stretched before they cross that white line at Old Trafford."
FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
And what better way to learn than to listen to somebody who has a wealth of experience of becoming a United legend? Michael Carrick may still be playing regularly for the first team but he is spending some of his time coaching the Under-14s and also passed on valuable information to the whole group of Academy youngsters during a special Q&A session.
"I enjoy it when I can," he told ManUtd.com. "I had a bit of a chat and a Q&A with the boys a few weeks ago, a lot of the Academy lads, and it’s something I enjoy.
"It’s just trying to pass something on, some experience that I’ve had over the years, what I was like in their situation and things like that. Obviously, I’m using it to go for my badges as well and go for my A-Licence, so it’s worked quite well."
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