The clouds appear to be circling over Old Trafford once again in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, with Manchester United having made their worst start to a season since 1986 after losing six of their opening ten games in all competitions.
Manager Erik ten Hag does still have credit in the bank after reaching two cup finals last season while qualifying for the Champions League – notably winning the Carabao Cup – yet it remains to be seen whether that was simply a false dawn for a club that appears to be caught in a vicious cycle of frustration and despair.
Any pre-season optimism has been swiftly extinguished following a litany of issues both on and off the field, with Ten Hag now facing a real battle on his hands to avoid suffering the same fate as his predecessors, many of whom faltered after overseeing an initial revival.
As has been the way over the last decade and beyond, however, one thing that has regularly sparked a sense of hope and positivity is the club's academy set-up, with Marcus Rashford, for instance, having been a shining light since his breathtaking emergence back in 2016.
In more recent times, wing wizard Alejandro Garnacho – who scored five goals last term – has forced his way into the first-team picture, as too has Tunisian international, Hannibal Mejbri this time around, with the 20-year-old playmaker having caught the eye in recent weeks.
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After spending last season on loan at Birmingham City in the Championship, few would have expected the French-born gem to be promoted into Ten Hag's ranks this term, particularly following summer interest from the likes of Borussia Dortmund.
Having ultimately stayed put in Manchester despite those admiring glances from afar, the youngster has taken his chance in the early weeks of the campaign amid a string of injury woes, notably scoring his first goal for the club against Brighton and Hove Albion.
That stunning strike was followed by a first Premier League start of the season against Burnley last month, with the relentless midfielder having been lauded for his "perfect" performance by his manager, after providing a much-needed sprinkling of energy and commitment in the centre of the park.
While club legend Paul Scholes has hinted that the hardworking asset will have to do more than simply "giving everything" if he is to solidify his position in the senior ranks, he is arguably an "exceptional" player, as former United man Alan Smith has claimed.
Mejbri does still have a way to go to nail down a regular starting berth, having been hooked at half-time in favour of the experienced Christian Eriksen against Galatasaray earlier this week, yet he appears to be the latest in a long line of sparkling academy graduates.
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The former Monaco man's chance had come with Ten Hag also currently without teenage maestro, Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old another who the club have high hopes for, having previously been lauded as "exceptional" by journalist Steven Railston.
The Stockport native was notably part of the young United side which claimed FA Youth Cup glory back in 2022, featuring as part of a squad that included the likes of Garnacho and Marc Jurado – the latter man having since moved on to Espanyol.
Featuring alongside Mainoo in that glorious outfit – who beat Nottingham Forest in the showpiece – was another teen sensation in the form of Dan Gore, with the pair having been "superb" as part of that surge to the final, according to Railston.
GK
Radek Vitek
RB
Marc Jurado
CB
Rhys Bennett
CB
Louis Jackson
LB
Sam Murray
CM
Kobbie Mainoo
CM
Dan Gore
RM
Sam Mather
CAM
Isak Hansen
LM
Alejandro Garnacho
ST
Charlie McNeill
The 19-year-old has already enjoyed a taste of life at senior level after coming off the bench in the Carabao Cup win over Crystal Palace last week to make his long-awaited debut, with that hopefully just the start of a strong career at the Theatre of Dreams for the Englishman.
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Although the academy starlet had just under half an hour to make his mark against the Eagles, it was certainly a 'bright debut' for the midfielder – as per GOAL's Richard Martin – as he 'did not look overawed by the occasion at all'.
That birthday bow was seemingly richly deserved as far as Ten Hag is concerned, with the 53-year-old stating post-match that he does not hand out chances to young players unless they are warranted.
The hope will be then that such a 'bright' outing is the start of many appearances for Gore under the Dutch tactician, with the former Burnley youth asset arguably "one of the most talented youngsters" in the United academy, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig.
That viewpoint has been echoed in the recent past by youth coach Mark Dempsey, who hailed Gore as a "proper footballer", while also stating: "I think he’s a proper footballer, good with the ball, good without the ball, and he can travel with it. His final pass has to improve for me, that’s the last bit for him, but the rest is great," Dempsey told the MEN.
"I like to see him play football because he’s one of them to get fans off their seats. He smashes into people, technically he’s fantastic and he’s been terrific all season. He’s been captain a number of times and personality-wise, he’s a quiet boy, but he’s a leader".
Someone who "leads by example", according to Dempsey, young Gore only recently showcased his quality after scoring a stunning solo goal against Blackburn Rovers in Premier League 2, offering a further indication of his exciting potential.
With that area of the pitch having become a "long-term problem" for the Red Devils of late – according to The Athletic's Mark Critchley – perhaps the likes of Gore, Mejbri and the aforementioned Mainoo can represent some much-needed solutions.
At a time when nothing seems to be going right for the Premier League giants, yet again it looks as if the academy can provide a smaller glimmer of hope even in the darkest of times.
