With Manchester United facing Nottingham Forest in their first FA Youth Cup Final since 2011 and a chance at winning the competition for the 11th time in the clubs history, it is a great time to look at the players that have been key to the cup run and will be key in winning United the final.
Alejandro Garnacho
Only four players in United history made their first team debut before playing in a FA Youth Cup Final (Ryan Giggs, Norman Whiteside, George Best and Duncan Edwards) and Garnacho will likely make the list five after coming on late recently in United’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Garnacho has been instrumental in United’s run to the final, scoring five goals and grabbing two assists in United’s five games in the competition and has had every right back he has faced off against on ice with his great dribbling ability while his finishing ability in this competition has been absolutely clinical.
His goals have not only been crucial in this run but have also been sensational, ranging from an audacious overhead kick against Scunthorpe United, running the full length of the pitch at the end of the game to score against Everton to a left footed half volley to win the game in the last minute against Leicester.
His goals have been vital in the run to the final and will be just as important in the final itself and his experience of training with the first team as of late just shows what the club thinks of not just his potential, but how good he is right now.
Charlie McNeill
McNeill is United’s main man up front, scoring the joint most in the competition so far with five, tied with Garnacho and it was his two goals in the semi-final which were crucial in getting United into their first final in eleven years.
Since joining United from Manchester City a nearly two years ago, McNeill has done nothing but score goals and with seventeen goals to his name this season, he will be raring to get more to his tally with a chance to win a trophy for the club he supports.
His partnership with Garnacho has been built over the past two seasons and is a massive reason why Untied have scored so many goals in the tournament, and will play a big part in United potentially lifting the trophy on Wednesday Night, with the two being directly involved in 12 of the 16 goals United have scored in the tournament so far.
Kobbie Mainoo
Despite just recently turning 17, Mainoo has been integral in United’s run to the final, dominating the midfield in every game he has played, whilst also chipping in vital goals when needed.
Mainoo excels in all areas of midfield play, possessing attributes that can take him right to the top of the game, he has great passing range, his dribbling ability is mouth watering, he has good work rate which works well with the defensive side of the game but he also has great physical abilities which makes him an even more exciting prospect.
Mainoo dictates the tempo in this team, when the play needs picking up he can be direct with his dribbling and passing, but he is also capable of slowing the game down, recycling possession between the midfield and defence, something that will be key in the final, especially if United are leading late in the game.
Mainoo has also come up with some timely goals in the cup run, scoring the opener in the 3-1 win away to Reading, but also scoring the goal to go ahead in the 4-1 victory over Everton with a great header, leaping over the Everton centre-backs, showing that he can contribute in all areas of the pitch.
Isak Hansen-Aarøen
The 17 year old Norwegian Hansen-Aarøen is United’s main playmaker and he can spot up in any place on the pitch to produce his magic, which has been key in the competition so far, with his amazing ability to unlock a defence with one pass.
The best showcase of this was against Wolves in the semi-final, his pin-point ball over the top was perfectly so that the keeper rushing out couldn’t quite get to it, but also it landed perfectly in stride so that Charlie McNeill could round the keeper and score United opening goal to place one foot into the final.
He is very important in progressing the ball up the pitch for this United side, often dropping deep collecting the ball with the onus on him to find the next pass to get into the final third or use his great dribbling ability to beat his man to get the team higher up the pitch.
Tyler Fredricson
Alongside Rhys Bennett, Tyler Fredricson has built a great partnership in centre of United’s defence and seventeen year Fredricson has been great in Youth Cup, playing every single minute in the tournament thus far.
United have only conceded five goals in the five rounds they have played in so far, conceding more than one goal only once in their first game against Scunthorpe, and as the season has progressed and the further United have progressed in the tournament, the defence has become better and better which led to United keeping their first clean sheet of the tournament in the semi-final vs Wolves.
Nottingham Forest have scored in their last thirteen games in both the Youth Cup and the U18s Premier League, and three goals in the semi-final against a really good Chelsea side, making it more important for the whole defence to be a unit to stop a very dangerous Forest attack.
