Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United to give academy graduate James Garner a chance to impress under the incoming new manager
According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Manchester United will give their talented academy star James Garner a chance to impress the incoming new manager during pre-season to claim a place in the first team next term.
Ralf Rangnick is expected to give up the manager’s seat in the dugout at Old Trafford when his tenure as interim boss expires in the summer, paving the way for someone new to succeed him as the head coach of United.
The German himself was roped in to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was the last permanent manager of the club. The Norwegian was sacked late last year after leading the team to a poor string of results that saw them slip down the Premier League table.
With the new permanent boss expected to take charge at the club ahead of the new campaign, he will be in charge of preparations for next term from the pre-season stage itself. It would be a great opportunity for them to assess the team they have inherited from Rangnick, and see what improvements could be made.
Earmarked to have first-team potential
Garner is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest until the end of the season, where he has hugely impressed in midfield. The Englishman is currently helping them out in their push for promotion to the top flight as they aim to reach the Championship play-offs.
The 21-year-old is expected back at Old Trafford in the summer, and the Red Devils have earmarked him as a player with first-team potential. However, a decision on whether to send him out on loan again to aid his development will be taken by the new manager, who is likely to assess Garner at close quarters.
The Carrington graduate clearly has fans within the current first team, with Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes naming Garner as the player from the academy that he looks forward to playing with in the future.
If the England Under-21 midfielder plays his cards right during pre-season and impresses the new boss, perhaps Fernandes will get his wish sooner than expected. All eyes will certainly be on Garner during preparations ahead of the new campaign.
There are first-team opportunities waiting for the starlet next term, as Paul Pogba is out of contract and may depart the club for the second time. If so, the Manchester side need not look at options for central midfield outside the club, when Garner could take his place without the team having to spend a penny.
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There clearly seems to be a lot of hype around the midfielder, and if he grabs the opportunity with both hands in the coming months, he could very well be the solution to our problems in the middle of the park. After all, seeing another academy star establish himself in the first-team augurs well for the rich history of promoting youth that United are famous for.
Paul Scholes, David Beckham, and Scott McTominay are just three of many midfielders to have made a name for themselves in United’s senior side after coming through the academy.
