When Manchester United faced Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon, they were comfortably defeated on the scoreboard, but the performance was more telling than the result.
The west Londoners won 4-2 against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, with three goals in a six-minute span in the second half ultimately deciding the game in what was otherwise a tight affair.
QPR scored four goals with Charlie Austin, a Lyndon Dykes brace, and a Moses Odubajo screamer after Jesse Lingard opened the scoring. United then made a slew of changes, with Shola Shoretire, Dylan Levitt, and Hannibal Mejbri from the academy replacing a more seasoned group.
The game quickly transformed, with United controlling the ball and creating chances more regularly, with Anthony Elanga scoring near the finish.
While this is a small sample size, it revealed a lot about the young people who were thrust into a difficult circumstance.
They were all at ease on the ball, eager to impress, and motivated to outperform the players they had taken their place in the game. They accomplished it last season, and there's no reason they couldn't do it again this season if they replaced them in the lineup.
Juan Mata, Andreas Pereira, Daniel James, and Jesse Lingard have all had multiple seasons to prove their worth and have either failed to do so or are past their prime.
Since Jose Mourinho's arrival at the club, Mata has arguably not been good enough, with his effect on games lessening with each season. He was just handed a new contract, but it was most likely for his off-the-field contributions rather than his on-the-field ones.
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Pereira also struggled in the first team under Solskjaer, to the point where he was loaned out to Lazio last year when he was no longer in the manager's plans. He had a rough time in Italy and is now back, logging minutes on the pre-season tour that may be utilized to help develop players like James Garner.
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Lingard has proven he can play in the Premier League after impressing on loan with West Ham last season. But he's proved in previous seasons with United that he can't quite cut it at the level that they want to be at - at the top of the division against opponents that are built up specifically to stop you.
While Lingard is clearly a superior footballer than the kids at the moment, they will not improve without playing experience. If Hannibal is properly developed, he has the potential to be one of Europe's greatest in his position, so who's to say he won't have an impact on the game that Lingard hasn't?
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Fans are obsessed with spending money to bring in an all-star team, but it isn't essential at Old Trafford right now.
The young generation of players coming through is among the best in recent memory, and if they aren't given the opportunity to shine, they will never reach their ceiling or push their limits.
If United sells Pereira, Lingard, or James this summer, they will have alternatives that will improve their roster without costing them a thing. They'll come in hungry, with a point to prove, and with the wildcard possibility of not being well-known enough for opponents to figure out.
Because of their situation, they'll be on lesser contracts with fewer demands for playing time, which will further demonstrate that Solskjaer and the club believe in them as players.
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