Sir Jim Ratcliffe will be extremely concerned following the words of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney this week.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge at Manchester United, he made it clear that things would not flip like a light switch, and patience would be needed to take the club back to the top.
He also stated that the club’s transfer strategy would be much more youth-orientated. “I think in a way what I would rather do [than signing Kylian Mbappe] is try to sign the next Mbappe than spend a fortune trying to buy success,” he said last year.
United have spent plenty of cash on experienced players in the last decade and it has not worked. Signing young and hungry talent is something that the club must do. They also must bring youngsters through the Academy setup.
Ruben Amorim became the United boss in November last year and it felt like that youth-centred approach would blossom under a manager who provided 27 debuts to Academy talent at Sporting.
Rooney makes concerning United claim
While results will ultimately decide Amorim’s fate at Old Trafford, the lack of youth development is another concern. Kobbie Mainoo is still yet to start a Premier League game this season.
The environment in the first-team squad at the moment is not ideal for youth talent and Wayne Rooney’s latest comments are extremely concerning.
In the wake of the 3-1 defeat to Brentford on the weekend, the club’s all-time top goalscorer expressed his concerns about what’s happening at Old Trafford and also hinted that he is concerned about whether his children in the Academy will be impacted by these circumstances.
“I’ve got two kids [in the academy] at that football club and I really hope this doesn’t affect what they’re doing. What I’m seeing at that football club is not Manchester United,” the club legend told BBC Sport.
Rooney’s oldest son Kai has broken into the club’s Under-18s side this season and he scored his first goal at that level last month. His younger son Klay is involved in the youth set-up in the younger age groups.
Ratcliffe should be very worried
Rooney’s words are not significant as a club legend but instead as a parent. He is concerned about the development of his sons at Old Trafford and, right now, no one can really blame him.
Ratcliffe has made his approach clear but you are never going to sign or develop the next Kylian Mbappe without the right environment, and he needs to fix that.
Read More: Manchester United handed opportunity to make crucial signing in January after poor start
The club’s Academy is at an extremely high point but those youngsters need to be given a chance to succeed in a healthy first-team set-up otherwise they will either leave or fail.
Right now, when you need players to step up, there is no one in Amorim’s side who how grown up with the club. That is important and something that defines United.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.