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Man United youngster unable to make the difference as arch-rivals trump Under-18s in FA Youth Cup

Charlie McNeil was unable to make the difference for Manchester United against Liverpool in the FA Youth Cup

Manchester United youngster Charlie McNeil was keen to get one over arch-rivals Liverpool in the standout fixture of the FA Youth Cup round of 32.

McNeil was on target in our 2-0 defeat of Salford City in the previous round. Speaking after the game, he had said he was keen to defeat Liverpool and put in no uncertain terms that he intends to rub it in their face.

Those words, however, came to haunt us as the Merseysiders won 1-0 in the fixture yesterday. Liverpool took the lead early on and held onto it despite being reduced to ten men.

Charlie McNeill (Getty Images)
Manchester Untied youngster Charlie McNeill failed to live up to his words against Liverpool (Getty Images)

According to the club’s official site, United dominated proceedings but were unable to find their way past a determined Liverpool rearguard. Our numerous attempts at drawing level just did not materialize.

Both clubs have faced each other in this competition numerous times over the years. However, this is the first time that they have met in 10 years. United won the last bout en route to winning the trophy for a record tenth time.

United had wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri and recent first-team debutant Shola Shoretire in their ranks but could not make their presence count.

Shola Shoretire in action for Manchester United. (imago Images)
Shola Shoretire was unable to make an impact for Manchester United. (imago Images)

Learning from the setback!

It was a disappointing night for United who should use this as a learning curve. Despite who dominates, it matters for little as long as the other team scores more.

The defeat may have been chastising for McNeil, a United fan. He endured a poor game and was taken off in the 80th minute.

The onus will now be on him to learn from the setback and ensure we can get them back next time. For now, our journey in the competition has come to an end.

Hannibal Mejbri also started the game

More Manchester United News

United have a number of promising young players coming through the ranks. The defeat yesterday has shown that while they may be skilled, they will not always have things their way. It is key that they learn as much as they can from defeat as they do in victory.

Written by Pranav Nair

An Engineering postgraduate with a keen interest in statistics, pop culture and football.

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