Joining Rant on the virtual round table this month is Tony Park @mrmujac, Ian Brunton @manutdreserves, and Nick Poole @manunitedyouth.

Rant – How did you get into watching youth football and what’s the appeal?

TP: I was 16, living in Australia and used to read all the youth reports in the Pink Final, which I had posted to me each week. On returning to England I started watching the Youth games at Old Trafford. Then I met Ian and he got me going down to Carrington. Having my own career cut short at 17 through a car accident and reading all about the youth players at United during that period. Seeing Whiteside, Hughes, Hogg, Garton, Blackmore, Wood, McGarvey all coming through at the same time. Andy Ritchie and then Mike Duxbury were big heroes of mine in those days.

Nick: It’s only since I moved to Manchester about a decade ago that I’ve really been able to follow it closely, but I guess I got into it because my early United heroes all (to an extent) came through the ranks – Sharpe, Giggs, Beckham. That more than anything probably brought home just how important the youth side has been for United, something reinforced the more I learnt about the club and its history. With so many of the club’s greatest ever players having been homegrown, and arguably the three greatest sides in the club’s history having such a strong core of homegrown talent, it’s always seemed like a side of the club worthy of real attention and affection.

As for the appeal – there are many aspects to it. At the heart of it probably lies the thought you’re potentially seeing stars of the future, and the enjoyment you get from seeing them develop, as well as the thrill of watching MUFC in genuinely entertaining and attractive games. More and more though it’s also about it being almost the antithesis of modern football at senior level – no ridiculous ticket prices, the chance to stand, to get to away games, to enjoy the game alongside your mates, to enjoy all that without all the media bullshit, sanitised stadia or depressing emphasis on money. It’s like football stripped down to just the enjoyable things about it.

Ian: I got into watching youth football as a natural progression from watching the Reserves. As players were being introduced into reserve football, I wanted to know more about them and their style of play so I decided I would go and watch a couple of games. I’ve been a regular ever since that first match. As for the appeal, without a doubt it is to see players progress through various levels and into the first team. I find it very satisfying to see a boy of 16-17 and know within a few games he will make the grade.
The ‘class of 92′ – will we ever see its like again?

TP:Why not? We have done it so many times before. In 1947 we had seven players, 1956 with nine players, 1966 with seven players, 1983 with six players and then 1994-1996 so if anyone can get another crop coming through together then it’s United.

NX: I certainly can’t see it in the near future. The stakes are so high at the top level now that clubs seem a lot more reluctant to blood one or two youngsters, let alone several at a time. Patience doesn’t seem to exist in football these days, and while we’re relatively fortunate that Ferguson has the job security to take more risks than his peers, he’s obviously not going to be around forever. The pressure on his successor will be extreme.

There was something freakish about that set of players coming through at the same time – in many ways it set an unrealistically high bar and many fans seem to judge our youth system harshly these days because we’re not producing on that scale. You’d struggle to find too many ‘crops’ of that quality in the history of English or even world football.

The introduction of the FA’s Elite Player Performance Plan, which in theory should give the clubs with better youth setups an advantage in securing talent, is cause for optimism, but unless something radically changes in football as a whole, one or two from every crop is probably the best we can/should hope for.

IB: Never is a very long time but I will say that it’s very unlikely to happen in my lifetime. The rules in Youth football are different to 1992. Beckham wouldn’t have been able to join us as a young boy. Also, more players are joining from overseas who don’t have the passion for United that the ’92 boys had. For them, its just the team they play for now. For the likes of Giggs, Becks, Butt, it was the team they would fight for, and often did. Money is now the driving force for kids of 18, (Pogba and Morrison, yes I mean you). Whereas with the ’92 lads they fought to get into the first team and let the riches flow to them then, and only then.
Some of last season’s FA Youth Cup winners have had a mixed season… Ravel, Pogba at United, Tunnicliffe on loan at Peterborough. Are you optimistic about them?

TP – Depends how you define optimistic. I still think that some will be fine players, if not at United then certainly in the game as a whole. There has been a lot of expectation about them, with loads of interest on the internet, and some people think it was all hype. Fergie doesn’t give anyone first team football and yet Pogba, Morrison, Cole, both Keane’s have all made their first team debuts, while Lingard and Thorpe have been on the bench. Other clubs would kill for that success.

NX: It’s been a weird season in a way – some of the less-heralded members have had the more impressive campaigns. The Keane twins, Larnell Cole, Zeki Fryers, Jesse Lingard – that’s probably not far off the shortlist for reserve player of the year there, and they’ve all had a taste of first team action.

Ravel had his moments but obviously there’s sadly no cause for optimism there anymore. Pogba’s been so-so – not as impressive at reserve level as you’d expect and not particularly eye-catching in his League Cup cameos. I think the contract issues have seen many quick to play down his ability, but his performance against Stoke on his Premier League debut reinforced just what a prospect he is. As for Tunnicliffe – it’s been a tough season for him, was in and out of a struggling side for long spells but he seems to be making his mark now – playing regularly in the Championship at 18/19 is no mean feat. I’ve still got high hopes there.

IB: The simple answer is no – it’s looking unlikely that any of them will be at the club for much longer. Pogba looks likely to move on very soon, if the press is to be believed. As for Tunnicliffe, I always thought his chances were very slim as his strengths at youth/reserve level will be more than matched at a higher level. This seems to be the case during his loan spell, where he isn’t a regular starter for Peterborough, and is inconsistent.
The club hasn’t yet offered Davide Petrucci a new contract. Will he, should he leave?

TP:I’d like to see him get this season out of the way after all his injuries and just build his confidence. Maybe next season he should go out on loan but i like him a lot. His range of passing is second to none at that level, he has good pace, incredible vision, good physique…I’d love to see him get a chance.

NX: No to both questions, I think. It makes a degree of sense to hold off on contract talks after his horrendous injury problems – this season has always been about getting a full year of football under his belt and re-assessing thereafter. Touch wood he’s managed that so far and been particularly impressive of late, to the extent that he can’t have been far off joining a few of his reserve colleagues on the first team bench in recent weeks. Davide’s still only 20, which many seem to view as over-the-hill in terms of making it at United these days. He seems to really enjoy it at United and is definitely pushing on in his development again, shown by his Italy Under-21 call-up recently.

IB: There is little doubt that the year-long injury that Petrucci suffered has seriously hampered his career to date. He plays well a lot of the time for the reserves, but that doesn’t mean he will succeed at a much higher level. The difference between reserve football and first team is immense, a fact not taken into account by lots of fans. He can turn in match winning games at times, and at other times he can be so wayward it’s hard to watch. He is easily bullied out of games and there is no sign of this improving. Should he stay? Yes, give it another year. If he’s no closer to stepping up, then he’ll leave for pastures new.
Ok so the big question. Ravel. Where did it all go wrong?

TP – Absolutely no idea. Maybe he was always a time bomb waiting to go off. It’s becoming a very boring topic now. The move to West Ham United was probably best for everyone.

NX: There have been so many rumours and contrasting stories, but it does seem like – finally – there was a straw heavy enough to break the camel’s back, specifically the no-shows at training after his involvement against Crystal Palace. The club have tolerated an extraordinary amount from him over the years – more than a lot of fans realise. Many have said they can’t believe we’ve let him go, we gave up too soon, but if even half of what I’ve been told is true I’m amazed we persevered as long as we did. It seems like he was never going to learn, never going to knuckle down to doing what’s expected of a professional player at United. Hopefully a move away from Manchester will be the making of him, but I fear he’ll go down as one of the great wasted talents sadly.

IB: If I could answer that question I would be a highly paid specialist in several fields including sociology, psychology, criminology and a few more “ologies”! It’s clear, and no secret, that he has had a rough upbringing and has been a gang member of some description for years. This seems much more important to him than playing football, at least for United.
I really don’t think United could have done more to help the boy. He could/should have been sacked a long time ago for several incidents that I dare not go into due to libel laws. As far as I’m concerned, if he doesn’t want to play for us, piss off and let someone dedicated to the game have his chance.
The reserves are going great guns this season. Who’ll make it out of that side and into the first team?

TP: Will Keane has come on a lot in recent weeks and Petrucci has been wonderful. Watch out for Jesse Lingard…I’ve been watching this lad since he was 14 and he has superb technique, great passing and scores important goals. He can get stuck in too! The current crop of Academy players is another gifted bunch. What do you make of the season so far? They really lack a decent forward. Daehli and Januzaj look fine midfielders and the defence is ok but up front we lack goals.

NX: They’ve been very impressive – Warren Joyce is doing a superb job and they’ve not really missed a beat after Ole Solskjær left. I’ve been very impressed by Zeki Fryers. He wasn’t really on anyone’s radar after last season when he missed most of the Youth Cup run through injury, but he’s done remarkably well in his first team appearances and there definitely looks to be an opportunity there in the first-team with Evra ageing and little cover at left-back. Will Keane’s extremely highly thought-of by the coaches and probably has to be the big hope (along with Pogba) – he’s noticeably developed physically in recent months and is at the stage now where he looks too good for reserve level. I’d love to see Jesse Lingard and Larnell Cole make it – watching their development has been an absolute joy. Robbie Brady deserves a mention as well – a genuinely left-sided wide player would be a definite asset.

IB: It’s going to be tough for all of them to have a decent career as a first team regular for United. Pogba and Morrison, by far the biggest talents, seem to be heading off elsewhere. The Keane twins could make it. Michael’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. When I first saw him, I couldn’t believe someone with so little talent could get into the team. Now, he is by far the most improved player at the club. He has a good chance of being a ‘play anywhere’ squad player. Will is a talented lad who scores some great goals, but he is so far down the pecking order its hard to see how he will get a look in. As we have seen, Fryers has stepped up without much difficulty, but again, way down the order.
Who is the player you most expected to make it who hasn’t?

TP:Chris Casper. He looked class at youth level but just couldn’t make the step up.

NX: I get a hell of a lot of stick whenever David Jones gets mentioned or appears on TV. I really liked him at United and thought he had a real chance – in hindsight I can see he really lacked on the physical side but it’s a shame he didn’t get more of a chance. Same probably goes for Magnus Eikrem – now a Norwegian international and a key part of OGS’s Molde side – who I think we’ll hear a lot about in the next few years. Giuseppe Rossi almost looked like a cert from the moment he pulled on the shirt – a case of being around at the wrong time though I think.

IB: Since the late 1980s, two players have stood out as brilliant youth/reserve players who didn’t make the grade. First, Adrian Doherty, who played alongside Giggs (or Wilson as he was then) and was in fact a better player. He was a fantastic young player destined for the very top until a horrific injury ended his career at a tragically young age. If Doherty hadn’t got injured its even possible that Giggs wouldn’t have gotten into the team when he did. The other is John Curtis. What a player at 17! Imagine Phil Jones, but better. That’s how good Curtis was. Sadly for him, he peaked at 18 and quickly went downhill from there. He is the youngest player I have ever seen peak.
Who is the player you are most surprised to have seen make it?

TP: Probably Gary Neville. Hard work, practice, attitude and motivation to reach the highest level. A real role model.

NX: Have to admit I never saw much in Ryan Shawcross to think he’d go on to do as well as he has, but I know a few other regular youth/reserve watchers who thought differently.

IB: I don’t think I’ve ever been surprised by a United player making the grade after watching them for years. It’s quite obvious who is rated and who isn’t. I have been very surprised at how well Ryan Shawcross has done for himself. As an 18 year old I wrote his chances off completely, and said he had no chance at all of a career at any kind of decent level. I’m delighted I was wrong.
What are you personal highlights of watching the young players?

TP:Seeing them progress into the first team and staying there is always a highlight. Then when you get a handful all in the first team together it reinforces our culture of bringing kids through.

NX: Big Youth Cup games, particularly away from home in proper stadiums, are always hugely enjoyable. You can see how much the players buzz off those situations and it really translates to the crowd. Games at Anfield, Bramall Lane, Stamford Bridge and Turf Moor really stand out from the last few years.

It is always good to see the kids get the chance to play at OT as well. On a personal level getting to watch the semi-final second leg against Chelsea last year from the OT press box was a definite thrill. Other than that – it’s probably the really eye-catching debuts when you first see a youngster and think ‘woah, this is one to watch’. Adnan Januzaj made that impression on me most recently, Pogba was another a couple of years back . Danny Welbeck as a 15 year-old in the Youth Cup, Morrison doing likewise.

IB: I take great satisfaction from the fact that I saw the ’92 boys at 16-17 and knowing right away how bright the future was. I got much more joy from watching the youth team than I did from watching the first team in that era. That’s not something I’ve experienced before or since. Plenty of games stand out, but few have been enjoyed as much as Liverpool away in last season FAYC. The boys were 2-0 down an Klanfailed, and down to 10 men, and we still beat them 3-2 despite both teams having another player sent off. It was a brilliant game and the highlight of the season.
The current crop of Academy players is another gifted bunch. What do you make of the season so far?

TP: They really lack a decent forward. Daehli and Januzaj look fine midfielders, and the defence is ok, but up front we lack goals.

NX: It started off as expected, with a team full of quite lightweight, inexperienced 16-year-olds replacing last year’s Youth Cup winners. It was always going to be a struggle and results-wise is certainly was at the start of the campaign. There were encouraging signs in pretty much every game though, particularly in terms of the technical ability of the newer kids and their commitment to passing football. The rewards have really started to come in the last few months, particularly with what’s turning into a wonderfully surprising run in the Youth Cup. Adnan Januzaj, Mats Dæhli, Jack Barmby and Tom Lawrence are terrifically gifted players, and now the team’s developed a bit of a steely side, we’re giving them a platform from which to make an impact and win us games.

IB: I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the performances this season. They had a few hidings, which is completely normal for a team almost completely made up of first year trainees. I expected us to be on the end of several thumpings, with the odd decent game thrown in. In fact, they have dominated some bigger, stronger, older teams and have had some great performances. The YC win over Derby was an excellent performance all round and somewhat unexpected. A couple of players are really beginning to stand out now. Daehli and Januzaj are looking very classy. Daehli works harder of the two and Janazaj floats around the pitch picking out passes. Barmby is also playing very well so far.

—
Many thanks to Tony, Ian and Nick for their answers! Follow them on Twitter – Tony @mrmujac, Ian Brunton @manutdreserves, and Nick @manunitedyouth.

Ed & Paul look back at United’s comfortable victory over Stoke City at Old Trafford, which included an exciting Premier League début by French midfielder Paul Pogba. We talk transfers as Ravel Morrison departs and Féderico Vaselli joins the club from Manchester City, no less.

Finally, we talk about the England captaincy, and veterans Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, whose presence at Old Trafford endures. We also look forward to the weekend game with Chelsea at Stamform Bridge.

Hit us up with any feedback below or follow the pod on Twitter: Paul – @UtdRantCast, Ed – @UnitedRant.

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If twenty years at the very top is not enough, the legendary pair is each likely to sign new contracts with the club before the season concludes, taking Scholes and Giggs to the end of the 2013 season. If careers both that long and laden with trophies cannot inspire United’s new breed of youngsters, who are now through to the FA Youth Cup quarter-final after a crushing win at the Liberty Stadium, then surely nothing will.

Paul McGuiness’ new intake, many of who are even younger than 2011′s cup winning outfit, stormed through the fifth round after a convincing win over the Welsh. Goals from Jack Barmby, Gyliano van Velzen, Tyler Blackett and Sam Byrne were enough to send the youth through to a meeting with Tottenham Hotspur or Charlton Athletic in the next round.

It was a generation ago, perhaps, but to those who remember the cup winning 1992 side, with Giggs floating so gracefully on the wing, or the outfit a year later, with Scholes flitting around in attack, two trophy filled decades have flown rapidly by. Tears will flow when the pair leaves Carrington, in a playing capacity at least, for the final time.

Yet, it is a show that shows no signs of an upcoming curtain call. Scholes may have retired once, but judging by his outstanding performances against both Liverpool and Stoke City this week, the flame-haired midfielder is in no mood to do so again. Meanwhile, Giggs will certainly be offered a new deal before the season ends.

“We’ll sit down pretty soon and see what we want to do but, at the moment, I feel good and I want to carry on,” admitted Giggs, who turns 39 this year.

“I feel like I’m still an influence on and off the pitch so I’ll carry on. When that changes, then that’s when I’ll want to stop.”

It is the same argument Scholes made when hanging up his boots last May, only to realise that not only is the veteran still better than most, but he can still have significant influence at the top level. Indeed, Scholes, who could pass 700 games in all competitions for the club before the season is out, managed to out-pass and think his opponents with such ease this week that it barely feels 20 years since the ginger Mancunian burst onto the scene.

“I thought he’d retired too early – a lot of people did,” says Giggs of his long-time team-mate.

“Scholesy probably thought he’d made up his mind and when you’ve done that, you can’t really change it. But he was still the best in training with the reserves, so he obviously felt he could still do it. Nobody was going to disagree with that and it was a massive boost when we found out he was coming back before the Manchester City game.”

Neither man holds on to the mobility of youth, but experience, as the cliché goes, replaces so much of the physical deterioration. On Saturday in Liverpool Scholes rarely wandered far from the safety of the centre-circle, but was able to dictate play and tempo so successfully that Anfield received a palpable boost when Ferguson hauled the 36-year-old off.

Meanwhile, Giggs can no longer “bomb up and down that bloody wing,” as Ferguson once put it, but the Welshman’s ability to play his part in central midfield still ensures that the 22 season veteran has a crucial role in the United squad. The now former winger is likely to come back into the United side for the trip to Chelsea, adding another digit to the 897 appearances the Welshman has achieved for the club to date. Sir Alex is unlikely to allow the winger to retire even if he wanted to.

And with United having achieved such poor results at Stamford Bridge over the past decade – European fixtures aside – the Welshman’s experience could be vital this Sunday.

“We have shown reasonable form and if we can get good results in those kinds of games, confidence will be sky high,” Giggs told Inside United, with United preparing to face Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs in coming weeks.

“We know that it’s a tough run, but those are the games you want to be playing in. We are not quite at the make-or-break part of the season, but it is an important time, and we know that if we win those games, then we’ll be in good shape and good form going into the run-in. We know what’s ahead of us and what we have to do.”

That know-how is exactly why there will be little surprise if Giggs and Scholes both play a major role in the coming weeks, with Ferguson always likely to call on experience as the season runs into its dénouement.

“There has been no discernable deterioration in his play whatsoever and, in that sense, why shouldn’t he stay on another year?” admitted Sir Alex of Giggs’ future. “Obviously, it’s entirely up to Ryan himself but I don’t see any reason why he can’t continue.”

What better role models could there be for the kids storming to victory in Wales on Thursday night.

The hugely talented 18-year-old – billed as everything from the new Paul Gascoigne, to the best Englishman since Paul Scholes – will no longer represent United after agreeing a permanent move south. It is a move all too inevitable since Sir Alex Ferguson and the club’s coaching staff decided late last year to part company with young Morrison. But this is a story with no clear narrative, encompassing high finance, personal ambition, and one seriously challenged young man.

The bare bones are these: Morrison has moved south for about £650,000 up front, rising to £2 million should certain performance targets be met. With Morrison’s contract running down, United had no stomach for the lottery that is the transfer tribunal. West Ham have a low-risk talent who could bloom into something far more valuable.

Meanwhile, the player will earn nothing like the erroneous figures reported in the press recently, with Morrison’s starting salary of £12,000 per week only rising in increments to £65,000 should the player become a huge success and promotion achieved. Morrison must attain performance and playing targets over the course of a four-and-a-half year contract to earn the big bucks on offer. Agents Nick Rubery, for Morrison, and Barry Silkmann for the Hammers, have certainly done well for their clients.

The player, who was also subject to bids from Newcastle United – rejected – and Bolton Wanderers – accepted – this window, officially completed the paperwork around 9pm on Tuesday evening, posing for the obligatory signing photo.

“I’m really pleased to have signed,” said Morrison on completing the deal.

“The move has happened very quickly and I’m looking forward to hopefully moving up to the Premier League with West Ham soon. I’m an attacking player and I’m hoping to get the fans on their feet. “ met with Sam Allardyce this morning and he welcomed me to the club. I also played with Robert Hall in the England team and I know him well so that will be really helpful to have someone here that I know.”

The transfer details are the easy part though in the multi-faceted story of how one of the finest talents of the past generation has left Old Trafford. “Too good to fail,” MUTV co-commentator Paddy Crerand once said. Indeed, it is not without just cause that Ferguson has regularly praised the Wythenshawe-born player’s magic feet and superb balance. Talents, some may argue, wasted at Championship level.

Yet, here is a player with the world at his feet who too often gave the impression of caring little for the game that should make him a millionaire. While Morrison’s tendency to drift out of matches has improved, to some extent, with age, the player’s attitude to training has irked far too many at Carrington. Coaches, senior pros, such as Paul Scholes, and particularly Ferguson have all spent time attempting to pull the player back from the brink.

It hasn’t worked though. “I don’t know why the United fans rave about Ravel,” one youth teamer reportedly told fanzine United We Stand recently. “When he can’t even be bothered to get out of bed in the morning.” The player, having been told he would make the first team squad should he attend every training session for three months failed even that seemingly simple task.

Running concurrently through Morrison’s time at Old Trafford has also been a series of off-the-field problems, including two appearances in court for assault and witness intimidation, and a 12 month referral order. None of which had previously precipitated Morrison’s removal from the club.

Then came the move that often drives change: Morrison changed agents last summer, from Colin Gordon at Key Sports to Nick Rubery’s Prostar Sports Management. It was a move widely thought beneficial in Old Trafford circles. Indeed, Rubery had no part in driving the widely reported, but factually incorrect, stories about Morrison’s outlandish wage demands.

Surprisingly, Ferguson chose his pre-match press conference a fortnight ago to lambast the youngster for an “unrealistic” financial requirements. It was an unseemly smear against a youngster whose principle gripe in recent months has been lack of playing time in the first team. True, Morrison has only himself to blame for not making the first team picture. The talent was always there; the attitude perhaps not.

Ultimately is was United, and not Morrison, that chose the path that has led this multi-talent youngster not to the lights of Old Trafford, but to Upton Park. Rejection will hurt the youngster. Failure to turn Morrison’s life and career around will injure Ferguson just as acutely.

Strange then that Ferguson should choose to bring money into the equation when, by all accounts, the Scot was the last man standing in the Morrison camp at Old Trafford. Every other coach had simply given up on the player. But with the manager’s sponsorship of Morrison’s progress, also comes culpability. Failure here was perhaps simply too hard to take.

This is also a highly troubled young man, whose apparent links with criminality have never been far from the surface. At West Ham, under Sam Allardyce’s guidance, Morrison will find a close Ferguson ally. There will be no secrets left in the closet for the Hammers to discover later.

But moving a division lower, and 200 miles south, is a chance, or perhaps a sign, that the penny has dropped. Morrison’s talents will surely be on display sooner rather than later, with West Ham riding high in the Championship Allardyce.

The rest is up to the player. Far from home – far from the distractions of Manchester – Morrison may well find a new focus. Salvation, the player hopes, will come in East London. That is if the bright lights and loose cash of the London lifestyle does not get to the youngster first, cynics might add.

Here’s where the frustration comes in of course. If Morrison does make it to the game’s summit, with the accompanying wealth, fame and adulation, there will be more than a small corner of Manchester with a rueful smile. His is a talent that absolutely should grace the highest stage. If only he wanted it badly enough. If only the demons inside could have been defeated.

It is this regret – anger if you will – that has led to no little revisionism in recent days. Suddenly, gone is the great hope. Ravel, it is now said, is a “fool”, “stupid” or, worse still, “greedy”. None of this is true.

And with little delay, and no ceremony, Ferguson will move on. The fans will move on too. The new hero may already have been born, with French midfielder Paul Pogba putting in a staring cameo appearance against Stoke City on Tuesday night.

One eye will be on Upton Park though, with a secret hope that a newly arrived youngster will eventually live up to that huge promise.

United’s record against Stoke at Old Trafford – eight wins in a row dating back to 1981 – suggests a routine three points. But with Ferguson’s players once again bruised by crushing defeat at the weekend, the Scot will do well to raise his troop’s spirits. Indeed, it is a season in which ‘recovery’ has been discussed far too often for some supporters’ liking: after heavy defeat to Manchester City in the league, when United crashed out of Europe, and now FA Cup disappointment.

Yet, Stoke, says Ferguson are unlikely to give United an easy ride at Old Trafford despite the poor record over the past 30 years in the Reds’ back yard.

“You know what Tony Pulis’ teams are like, they’re always the same with one hundred per cent commitment,” Ferguson told ManUtd.com.

“They all get stuck in and you have to cope with that. I quite enjoy that. When we used to play Wimbledon, at the beginning when they first came into our division, nobody enjoyed playing against them. But then I started and my team started to enjoy it because it was a challenge, a physical challenge in the way they played and a physical challenge in terms of trying to take control of the possessions and play your football.

“Stoke are a different team altogether from Wimbledon, obviously, but they still have the same quality of never giving in; they keep going, so it’s a good challenge for us.”

Ferguson is again without half a squad’s worth of injured players. Long-term injury victims Tom Cleverley, Michael Owen, Darren Fletcher, Fábio da Silva and Nemanja Vidic are definitely out. Meanwhile, United will also be missing Ashley Young, Nani, and Rio Ferdinand, while Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones are unlikely to be risked.

Uncertainty also surrounds Ferguson’s choice of goalkeeper. While the much criticised David de Gea phoned in sick this week, Anders Lindegaard left training  in a protective boot on Monday. The crisis may mean a recall to the squad for the long forgotten Pole Tomasz Kuszazck, who had been widely expected to leave the club this transfer window. Reserve Ben Amos could start.

Despite the ongoing injury crisis Ferguson maintained an upbeat mood this week, backing his players – especially the club’s much maligned midfield – to drive United towards a 20th domestic title come May. Indeed, in Tom Cleverley significant strategic hope is being placed, with United having failed to sign a midfielder of note for the past four seasons.

“Cleverley is doing a lot of running. He’s nowhere near the first team at the moment but he’s doing a lot of running,” confirmed Ferguson of the midfielder who has played just 58 minutes football since 10 September.

“Michael Carrick’s form has been unbelievable – he’s been playing fantastic – and we’ll also have Giggs, Scholes, Cleverley and Anderson, so that’s a great group of midfield players that will definitely help us. He’ll be a terrific boost. It will be great to get the boy back because I think he’s special.

“I expect (Young) to start training in the middle of the week, so he’s on his way back. Cleverley is two weeks behind that. Anderson will be ready this week, too. He’ll start training with us on Monday or Tuesday and then it gives me a collection of midfield players that should cope with anything that happens in the run-in.”

Meanwhile, Stoke arrive in decent form, some 12 points beyond the relegation zone, safety already assured for another season. But Pullis may be without winger Matthew Etherington who has a groin injury. Cameron Jerome could make his first start of the year after scoring last week.

Yet, for all Stoke’s progress the focus is squarely on whether United can remain in touch at the top of the Premier League. With Manchester City away at Everton there is a realistic chance that Ferguson’s men will gained ground on the Blues. But to do that, United must overcome both mass injury and the obvious disappointment of the past week.

“Every player at this club knows what’s expected. When you’re at Manchester United you know defeats like that aren’t acceptable. We don’t need anybody else to tell us that. We know it deep down,” adds defender Jonny Evans.

“We’ve played really well against Stoke in the last few games, both at home and away. I think we’ve dealt particularly well with their long throw-ins. There isn’t much of a run-up at Old Trafford on the side of the pitch, which will probably help us. We’ve beaten them comfortably over the last few seasons but they’re improving all the time and nobody ever looks forward to playing against Stoke.

“They have a different approach to the way most teams play. People have this preconception of them and think that because they’re a big side they’re a dirty side. But that’s not the case at all. I think they’re hard but fair and Tony Pulis goes out of his way to make sure they don’t cross that line.”

And that may well be a relief to the few remaining United players not yet injured! Yet, there is no doubt the fixture is pivotal to United’s hopes of silverware this season. Indeed, it is the first time in the Premier League era that United has been out of the Champions League and FA Cup by this stage of the season. Anything less than a comfortable win tonight is unthinkable.

Match Facts
Manchester United versus Stoke City, Premier League, Old Trafford, Tuesday 31 January 2012, 8pm.

Potential Line-ups
United (4-4-1-1): Amos; Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Park; Hernández, Welbeck. Subs from: Kuszazck, Fryers, Cole, Giggs, Lingard, Pogba, Keane, Berbatov.

Stoke (4-5-1): Sorensen; Wilkinson, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson; Pennant, Palacios , Whitehead, Delap, Walters; Crouch. Subs from: Begovic, Wilkinson, Whelan, Jones, Fuller, Etherington, Jerome.

Performance Stats

• United kept pace with league leaders City with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the last Premier League game at the Emirates;
• Michael Carrick covered the most ground for United in that game with 6.06 miles, while Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck scored for the Reds;
• Valencia’s goal was just his second of the season, but the winger has also contributed an impressive eight assists;
• Valencia has the joint second highest number of assists and the fourth best minutes per assist in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, with one every 139 minutes;
• Ryan Giggs has the best minutes per assist rate in the league, with an assist every 117 minutes (seven in total);
• Welbeck’s goal was his sixth of the season in the Premier League from 34 attempts. He has achieved 74 per cent of shots on target, the third best percentage on target (among players who have had more than twenty efforts at goal);
• Nani has now delivered over 100 crosses for United (105), topping the Index, 28 crosses ahead of second place Sebastian Larsson;
• Meanwhile, Stoke’s last Premier League outing was a 2-1 defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion;
• Peter Crouch covered the most ground for Stoke in that game with 5.8 miles;
• Cameron Jerome scored Stoke’s goal in that game – just his second Premier League strike of the campaign.

Form
United: LLWWWL
Stoke: DWWDLW

Officials
Referee: Mike Jones (Chester)
Assistants: P Kirkup, A Garratt
Fourth Official: C Foy

The rush to judgement frustrates at times; a point articulated in January’s United We Stand by editor Andy Mitten. Yet, few supporters’ opinions are formed with the agenda that often dominates the mainstream media. Cruel as supporters are at times, the opinions proffered on Twitter, blogs, Facebook and other communities rarely come with a sense of premeditation. It is both a strength and weakness of the medium.

This dichotomy may not be one United goalkeeper David de Gea is considering today, barely 48 hours after both media, and some supporters, criticised the 20-year-old Spaniard for his part in United’s defeat to Liverpool at the weekend. Indeed, while de Gea has a reasonably active Twitter account it is almost exclusively used in the Spanish language. Given the views expressed by some on Saturday, this is surely for the best.

Yet, a handful of albeit noisy Twitteratti holds no candle to the mainstream media when it comes to damning judgement. This includes broadcaster ITV whose commentary team of Clive Tyldsley and Jim Beglin were so quick to lambast the former Atlético de Madrid stopper. Blamed instantaneously for both goals by co-commentator Beglin, de Gea was quickly fingered as United’s key weak link.

So too has the print media, with stories of de Gea’s quality – or lack thereof – following the youngster since debut in pre-season. This was a story simply too good to miss.

That said, at times de Gea looked concurrently nervous, furlorn and robbed of all confidence at Anfield. Routine crosses were dropped, while the Spaniard’s normally outstanding distribution suffered too. It has been a testing campaign for the youngster, as it was always going to be.

Still, two days later and the rush to judge seems as erroneous now as it did then. Objective review of Liverpool’s two goals at Anfield places the blame at the doorstep of others, with de Gea suffering for the mistakes of his back-four. Indeed, Liverpool’s first, nodded home by defender Daniel Agger, was largely thanks to an unchallenged header. The host’s second came when Patrice Evra wondered out of position and allowed Dirk Kuyt a free shot inside the area.

It is a point hammered home by perennially injured striker Michael Owen, who took to Twitter to defend his younger colleague.

“One comment on yesterdays game. Don’t agree with all this negativity towards De Gea,” Owen Tweeted on Sunday.

“Admittedly he has made a couple of mistakes this season but listening to some people you would think he had a nightmare yesterday. I’m not having either goal was his fault. The problem is, once you get labelled, mud sticks and now any tiny mistake is magnified. Other keepers make similar mistakes and nothing gets said.

“The lad will be a top keeper, he is only young. Harsh to blame him for everything. The fans know he needs their support, his confidence needs boosting. I’m sure he will repay that support for years to come.”

Indeed, even the very best have suffered in the harsh spotlight of the United net. Even the greatest, Peter Schmeichel, suffered a testing first campaign at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Edwin van der Sar made several glaring errors in a otherwise outstanding six seasons with the club. The opening goal of the 2009 Champions League final, for example, saw van der Sar beaten at the near post – a goal scored with barely a murmur from supporters.

Anders Lindegaard, the Spaniard’s immediate competition for a spot in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, has made errors too, although of the less obvious variety. Recall the Dane’s weak hand as Robin van Persie shot across, but very close to, Lindegaard at the Emirates.

de Gea’s real mistake, it seems, is to have built a reputation far too early in his United career. Earlier this season, thanks to Edin Džeko’s long-range strike at Wembley in August, de Gea’s goal was peppered from outside the area. Now, the opposition simply plans to beat up on the slightly built youngster. Liverpool repeatedly launched long balls into the United area.

Reputations in this sport are far harder to dispel than create – a truism that Tyldsley, and especially Beglin, have bought into.

Yet, those who have watched de Gea blossom from Atléti B teamer, to the teenager who was such an important part of the club’s 2010 Europa League win, will remain confident. Ferguson and his coaching staff, who spent months tracking the Spanish under-21 international, will surely remain stoic in the face of media onslaught.

Surely de Gea’s troubles have everything to do with confidence and a lengthy period of adjustment, rather than shortage of talent. Thrust into the spotlight, under pressure to succeed one of the very greatest, and miles from home, there can be no surprise that de Gea has not yet fulfilled his potential.

The question, of course, is how quickly the ‘keeper will find his feet, given the right environment and support. The player is certainly not helped by an ever-changing back four, goalkeeping rotation or, indeed, Ferguson’s rather odd decision to recall the ‘keeper amid the intense heat of an Anfield cup tie.

Yet, others are unsure about de Gea’s make up, including former Red Paul Parker.

“It was not really the Spaniard’s errors that were the problem for me; I thought his mistakes for both goals were relatively minor and he was undone by some poor defending,” adds Yahoo! pundit, Parker.

“What really bothered me was his apparently complete lack of confidence. It makes me wonder if he will be able to handle the scrutiny he is under at the moment. When most goalkeepers make mistakes they get angry – nearly all offer some sort of reaction. De Gea doesn’t do anything at all. He is expressionless, and looks lost.

“Peter Schmeichel made the odd howler, which usually stemmed from making a rash decision – but at least he did something. De Gea’s mistakes come from not doing anything. He freezes, and appears indecisive.”

It is an astute observation by Parker, but one that does not chime with de Gea’s performances in Madrid, where the player’s confidence and maturity so often came to the fore.

It is a cliché, but at just 21 time is certainly on de Gea’s side. For Ferguson and United the equation is different. Taking de Gea out of the firing line now necessitates an extended spell for Lindegaard, a solid if unspectacular ‘keeper whom few will bracket among the very best of his profession.

The delicate balancing act of weighing de Gea’s development against United’s immediate priorities will continue. Good job, then, that in Ferguson the ‘keeper has a manager who is unlikely to bow to media pressure, whether from the mainstream or grassroots.

Catalysed by Kenny Dalglish and Liverpool’s hierarchy, Anfield’s regulars jeered the United number three’s every touch. This much was expect given the extent to which Liverpool has sought to, and largely succeeded in, regressing race relations at the club over the past three months. Few stood back from the organised cacophony; hate was not only directed at Evra, but deemed universally acceptable.

“There’s only one lying b*stard,” sang the Kop, echoing Liverpool’s ongoing defence of Luis Suárez – that Evra simply fabricated an allegation of racial abuse in October. This was a song delivered without irony, given that Dalglish, Suárez, Kuyt, and director of football Damien Commoli were each caught changing their stories to the independent Regulatory Commission that sat in judgement of the Liverpool striker.

Yet, it was no surprise that Liverpool manager Dalglish chose to categorise 90 minutes of abuse as nothing more than “friendly banter.” After all, the 60-year-old Scot has proven to be as unreconstructed as they come, having chosen to smear Evra, as Dalglish’s own evidence to the Commission demonstrated, right from the very start of the affair back in October.

While the atmosphere was deeply unpleasant, far worse was to come from Liverpool’s once proud supporters than mere noise. Shortly before half-time one supporter was caught on camera aiming a ‘monkey gesture‘ towards Evra. It was an image posted on this site, and to Twitter. Within minutes the picture had spread throughout the football community.

Merseyside Police confirmed on Saturday evening that a 59-year-old man from North Wales was arrested following an ‘alleged’ incident at the match. The supporter was taken to a local station for questioning.

Yet, there has been not a word from Liverpool about the incident. So quick to launch a smear campaign against Evra, the Football Association or any other party deemed to have wronged the club; so reticent to decry racism in genuine terms.

One wonders whether the club will ever come to understand the very real damaged caused by its reaction to Suárez’ sanction. Liverpool, and Dalglish in particular, not only failed to apologise for the striker’s racist abuse, but the club has now sponsored a new wave of race hate among its fan-base. The latest incident is the third this season, beginning with Suárez, and including the disgraceful abuse of Oldham Athletic defender Tom Adeyemi earlier this month.

In keeping with the pattern, Dalglish praised Liverpool’s supporters on Saturday.

“The fans are entitled to support their team, absolutely no problem,” claimed Dalglish on Saturday.

“I don’t think there was anything there that was untoward. I think both sets of fans were a magnificent advert for their clubs. Both clubs can be very proud of the fans they have here. There was a good bit of banter between both fans, which is brilliant because you don’t want to take that away.”

But the genuine concern is that Evra’s contemporaries will now be less inclined to report incidents of racial abuse given the furious reaction extracted from Liverpool supporters by their club. It is a concern touched on by a media community now growing restless at Liverpool’s approach to race relations.

“I found it horrible, I found it a very difficult day to report on,” Sunday Times journalist Jonathan Northcroft told Sunday Supplement.

“I live in Liverpool and my partner is black and she’s found this very uncomfortable. We know black friends who are Liverpool fans and they’ve also found it very uncomfortable. What we had yesterday was a black player being booed and barracked and targeted by the Liverpool fans and called a liar. And for what? His crime was to have complained about racial abuse the last time he was at the stadium. That particular case was upheld by an FA commission, but he’s being targeted and treated as a villain.”

Meanwhile, Evra, although clearly drained by the fixture’s intensity, reacted not once to the bile from the stands. Indeed, the 30-year-old has behaved with a quiet dignity throughout, keeping largely silent in the face of supporter-driven hatred, and media scrutiny.

But Evra’s silence has only been in the public sphere, behind the scenes the Frenchman proved not only to be a forthright and credible witness, but a genuine leader. Yet, with the defender so heavily abused just a day after QPR player Anton Ferdinand was sent a bullet in the post – presumably by a disgruntled Chelsea supporter – questions will be asked about football’s ability to deal with racism in the future.

“Are we saying if you make a complaint about racial abuse you’re going to get a bullet sent through the post to you or you’re going to get called a liar by 40,000 fans?” added the Mirror’s Oliver Holt.

“We’re trying to empower black players not to put up with this any more, and yet we are in danger – because of the reaction that has happened and the vilification of players who have done nothing except complain about being racially abused – of pushing things back to a conspiracy of silence.”

In this Liverpool is highly culpable, as is the FA for allowing one of the country’s most venerated club’s to become a force not for unity, but division.

“Football at times can be like pantomime, you can boo the referee if you feel he makes a bad decision and you boo a player if you feel he has feigned an injury or made a bad tackle and you can live with that,” PFA chairman Gordon Taylor told talkSPORT.

“But when you are booing a player because he has made a complaint that was upheld by an independent panel, you worry that it is going to put off anybody complaining again because of the backlash and furore we have seen.

“That’s just what we don’t want because there is no point in having a campaign to eliminate such a highly sensitive issue as racism if it is going to get drowned out by the backlash.”

In that there is a lesson. Suárez’ punishment may have sent the proverbial message that racist abuse on the pitch is not acceptable. Perhaps it is now time for the Uruguayan’s club to face a similar judgement.

Sir Alex Ferguson may be unwilling to talk about Evra – in public at least – but there is little doubt that Liverpool’s actions in both vociferously defending Suárez, and fingering Evra for the Football Association’s eight match ban of the striker, has irked the Scot. Ferguson’s aggressive dismissal of media questioning on Friday is all the tell any supporters need.

It is not as though one has to look far beneath the surface to uncover the deep emotions that this tie has always uncovered. Mutual resentment did not require Suárez’ actions to bubble up from beneath the surface, and spill over the edge from rivalry to hate. Yet, October has certainly catalyzed the process; acting as a reference point for one of football’s most divisive encounters.

Will hate spill over into something more on Saturday? Certainly with tensions running so high both Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish were circumspect in their comments on Friday. Despite this the damage has surely already been done by the Anfield club: Evra, United’s captain, can expect to ride the gauntlet of abuse on Saturday. None of it is likely to phase Senegalese-born Evra.

Meanwhile, United supporters, just over 5,000 of them, were urged to be “loud and witty” but no more by Ferguson. Travelling fans will need every ounce of restraint in an encounter that needs no kindling.

Supporters need only recall the last occasion United last visited Anfield in the FA Cup when Alan Smith snapped is right leg in two places, and home fans saw fit to charge the striker’s ambulance. It was no isolated incident in a long history of dark moments between these two clubs.

There is a football match, of course, and if Ferguson’s men are to secure the FA Cup for the first time since 2004 they will have to both overcome the odds and history. Indeed, with up to 11 players injured, Ferguson’s men must win the hard way if United is to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in almost five years.

“It’s a massive game for both clubs. There’s a tremendous profile around it,” admitted Ferguson on Friday.

“As Steven Gerrard said yesterday, there is a responsibility on the players to behave properly and also both sets of fans. We want to make sure we are talking about the game, nothing else. It is something you want to look forward to. That is what I intend to do.

“I always think home draws make you favourite. In my time there haven’t been many cup ties between the clubs. It’s one to look forward to and I think the players will follow that.”

Ferguson would not be drawn on Evra’s role, although there was never any question of the French defender being left out of United’s side on Saturday. Indeed, Ferguson has steadfastly refused to discuss the affair, even in the wake of the FA Regulatory Commission’s damning indictment of Suárez.

Instead, Ferguson was keen to talk up supporters’ responsibility on Saturday, both for maintaining order in a testing atmosphere and for driving United towards victory.

“Our fans were terrific there this season. The issue of clubs reducing the number of tickets for our supporters has been going on for quite a while now. It has become a convenient way of selling their hospitality. But the stewards have a difficult enough job as it is. We should be helping.”

Whatever the distractions United must win a tie without a team of absentees. Long-term injury victims Tom Cleverley, Nemanja Vidić, Darren Fletcher and Michael Owen are joined on the sidelines by a plethora of senior pros. Ashley Young, although back in training, is not ready to take part, while Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand will not be risked.

Meanwhile, United waits on news of winger Nani’s injury, with the club fearing a broken metatarsal bone. Wayne Rooney, who hobbled away from United’s victory at Arsenal last week, may not be risked, and Michael Carrick faces a late test.

Despite the absentees Ferguson’s men head into the tie with one of England’s most in-form forwards in Danny Welbeck. The once gangly kid has grown into a Premier League striker of the highest class over the past 18 months. United will surely need the Longsight-born forward to be at his dynamic best on Saturday.

No wonder Ferguson singled out the 21-year-old England international for praise.

“We were always aware of Danny Welbeck’s ability as a kid,” added Sir Alex on Friday.

“It was just a matter of waiting for Danny to develop into a man and we’re seeing the signs now. He has a great physique but I think there’s still more to come. I don’t think he’s finished growing yet. Our stats show there’s still a bit to do before he becomes a complete adult in a physical sense. He has a good attitude but then he should – he’s a young player with an opportunity at Manchester United.”

Should Rooney not make the tie as seems increasingly likely – the Scouser has not trained all week – Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernández will compete for a place along side the United youngster. With so many injuries Ferguson’s back-four picks itself, although the Scot must choose between Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Paul Scholes in central midfield.

Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Dalglish will be without Suárez, with the Uruguayan serving the sixth of an eight match ban. Jay Spearing may return to the squad, although Dalglish is unlikely to make many changes from the 11 that knocked Manchester City out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday.

Yet, despite Liverpool’s mixed recent form the Anfield side has not yet lost at home this season. Dalglish’s side has recorded five wins and eight draws at Anfield, although the side is struggling to keep in touch with the top four. Yet, there can be no room for any doubt that Liverpool’s players will up the mediocre level of commitment displayed, for example, in the recent defeat to Bolton Wanderers. Hostility from the stands will surely be met by passion on the pitch.

It is incumbent on Ferguson’s men to quieten both.

Match Facts
Liverpool versus Manchester United, FA Cup fourth round, Anfield, Saturday 28 January 2012, 12.45pm.

Potential Line-ups
Liverpool (4-5-1): Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Henderson, Spearing, Adam, Gerrard, Downing; Carroll. Subs from: Doni, Bellamy, Kuyt, Kelly, Coates, Rodríguez, Carragher, Aurélio, Shelvey, Flanagan.

United (4-4-2): Lindegaard; Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Giggs, Carrick, Park; Hernandez, Welbeck. Subs from: De Gea, Fryers, Cole, Fabio, Lingard, Keane, Scholes, Berbatov.

Form
Liverpool: LWWDLD
United: WLLWWW

Officials
Referee: Mark Halsey (Welwyn Garden City)
Assistant Referees: Michael Mullarkey & Stuart Burt
Fourth Official: Howard Webb

For the second time on United Rant, the podcast regulars will be live blogging a game this season. Join in on the comments below or Tweet us. Paul – @UtdRantCast and Ed – @unitedrant.

The game kicks off at Anfield on Saturday, 28 January 2012, 12.45pm GMT. We’ll be with you around 45 minutes before the whistle!

Page will automatically refresh every 20 seconds or hit F5.

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We ponder the latest speculation surrounding youngster Ravel Morrison, answer your twitter questions and look forward to a big week ahead. United visit Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday, in a match that is sure to have the most hostile atmosphere, for all the wrong reasons. Then Stoke City visit Old Trafford on Tuesday as Sir Alex Ferguson’s men seek three vital points in the league.

Hit us up with any feedback below or follow the pod on Twitter: Paul – @UtdRantCast, Ed – @UnitedRant.

Stream this episode using the player below, click here to download the MP3 or listen on iTunes and leave us a review!