Alan Hansen may have long since retired from Match of the Day punditry but his infamous call that Manchester United would 'not win anything with kids', may well still haunt him.
Sir Alex Ferguson's bold approach of introducing the Class of '92 into the first team paid dividends for the Reds and the success his team achieved has been unmatched ever since. Ironically, United's reliance of aging stars in more recent years has been their downfall.
Cristiano Ronaldo's goals last season ensured the Reds were not as humiliated in the Premier League as was actually the case but the commonly held belief is that the reliance on the Portuguese star was to the greater detriment of the team. Erik ten Hag's arrival for the 2022/23 campaign had many United fans hoping for a change in approach.
ALSO READ: Former Liverpool player defends Garnacho
Ten Hag's success at Ajax, similarly to Ferguson's at United, came from blooding in the youngsters. However, at the very beginning of his reign, the Dutchman was wary to involve teenagers like Alejandro Garnacho.
It has since come to light that it was Garnacho's attitude at the beginning of the season which held him back which is of course disappointing to hear. But, the 18-year-old should be praised for overcoming this and proving he has the mentality to perform for United.
His goals against Real Sociedad and Fulham were both taken superbly and it feels as though, with Ronaldo likely to be heading out the door in January, Garnacho will be a big part of United's second half of the campaign.
While some may deem it to be brave to entrust a teenager on the big stage, Ferguson has already told the Reds' current manager why his gamble will pay off. "The value is two-fold," the 80-year-old explained when discussing trusting young players.
"One that they'll always remember the person who gave them a start in life, always will. And secondly, they create a loyalty base that's there for life.
"The young players we had coming through still keep in touch with me, and I think that is an indication of how well it works. And also, long-termism. I don't think short-termism works, I really don't."
United have been reliant on short-term success for too long. Ten Hag's introduction of Garnacho is the first step towards building that long-term goal that Ferguson speaks so fondly of.
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