Loan arranger Fergie

October 30, 2003

MANCHESTER United's "stiffs" could be forgiven for thinking that a spell out on loan is the Old Trafford kiss of death.

Since a raw, fresh-faced David Beckham played five times for Preston in the 1994-95 season, and then reaped fame and fortune on his return to United, the Reds have doled out 58 more players to lesser clubs.

And of that number, only eight have managed to play league games for United after returning from their sabbatical.

Of those eight, only John O'Shea has made himself a regular. It is a stark statistic, but no starker than any of the other realities of trying to make it big at the world's biggest club.

This season, Sir Alex Ferguson has been sprinkling his young players around the country, and further afield, like confetti. With the season less than four months old, no fewer than 11 young Reds have been experiencing life on the other side of the football tracks.

But Sir Alex sees a spell on loan as a vital part of football education for some of his young charges - whether they are headed for glory with United, or destined to eke out a living at the less glamorous end of the market.

The latest pair to hit the road from United are reserve team stalwarts Daniel Nardiello and Alan Tate, both of whom joined third division high-flyers Swansea City last Friday. And on Saturday they combined to set up the winning goal for another ex-Red, Mark Wilson, at Rochdale.

Tate, after being named as United's Young Player of the Year in 2001, spent the whole of last season helping the Swans' fight against relegation, becoming became a big hero in South Wales

Difficult decision

Nardiello was a borderline decision for Sir Alex. He has been in red-hot scoring form for the reserves with seven goals in his last eight games this season.

He was at the front of the manager's mind when he was formulating his squad for Tuesday night's Carling Cup tie at Leeds, but in the end it was decided that the grit of the third division is a better educator than a fleeting glimpse of the high life at Elland Road.

"Daniel would have been in the squad for Leeds but it is important for his development that he gets more competitive football," said Sir Alex.

"He has gone to Swansea, who are towards the top of their division, so it's the kind of challenge he really needs.

"We are trying to do this all the time, give young players the vital experience that Daniel is getting now.

"We have David Fox and Colin Heath out at Antwerp, and Ben Williams has just come back from a month at Altrincham.

"Of course, Luke Chadwick and Michael Stewart are away at the moment, too. It puts them in an environment where they can learn, because the Nationwide is a good league.

"It is much better for players of their age to play there than in our reserve team."

Loan spells can tell you a lot about a player. Those who have star quality will shine. Beckham made a big impression at Preston, and O'Shea went to Antwerp as a beanpole of a boy and came back a man.

Leveller

Others found their level, such as Danny Webber, a smart and pacy little goalscorer who, after two loan spells at Watford and one at Port Vale, finally signed for the Hornets in the summer.

Of course, some loans are simply a matter of trimming the wage bill. Goalkeeper Ricardo was farmed out to Racing Santander where he single-handedly denied Real Madrid a cricket score with terrific saves from Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos in his last game, incidentally.

Fabien Barthez is also, FIFA willing, about to head for Marseille, who will ease at least a portion of United's estimated £48,000-a-week bill for his wages. Young players like Tate and Nardiello have little to lose, and reputations to gain, by going out on loan.

But for more established players, it can be downright damaging. Michael Stewart and Luke Chadwick are cases in point.

After pounding away at the first-team door, Stewart played five first-team games in 2001-02, then slipped back into the reserves, as it should be for a young player on the up.

But after agreeing a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest, he must be a little worried about what is going on at Old Trafford.

The purchases of Kleberson and Eric Djemba-Djemba, and the hot progress of Darren Fletcher have pushed him further down the pecking order.

Consolation

He had the consolation of knowing that fellow Scot Fletcher, who has also managed to establish himself in the national team ahead of Stewart, had been earmarked as a right-sided player.

Fletcher's marvellous performance in the centre of United's midfield for the final hour of their 3-2 Carling Cup win at Leeds on Tuesday night must make Stewart's chances at United seem more remote than ever.

Chadwick, out on loan at Burnley, is in a similar position. He broke through as an understudy to Beckham in 1999 yet when he returns to United at the end of the season, he can expect to join the end of a queue consisting of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Fletcher, Cristiano Ronaldo and possibly Kleberson.

Another player out on a limb is Bojan Djordjic, the talented young Swede currently with Red Star Belgrade.

Of course, there is another reason why these players are allowed to display their talents -it is a perfect shop window.

United have accrued a tidy sum from selling off nearly men like David Healy (£1.5m), Alex Notman (£250,000) and Danny Higginbotham (£2m) in recent years - after all three showed their paces while out on loan.

Sir Alex says there is also a question of establishing links with lower division clubs. "It helps a lot of these clubs who can't afford to buy and gives us a good relationship with them," he said.

Fergie's loanees

2003-04

Ben Williams (Altrincham)

Neil Wood (Peterborough)

Ricardo (Racing Santander)

Michael Stewart (Notts Forest)

David Fox (Antwerp)

Colin Heath (Antwerp)

Bojan Djordjic (Red Star Belgrade)

Luke Chadwick (Burnley)

Jimmy Davis (Watford)

Daniel Nardiello (Swansea)

Alan Tate (Swansea)

2002-03

Davis (Swindon); Danny Webber (Watford); Kirk Hilton (Livingston); Djordjic (Aarhus); Ben Muirhead (Doncaster); Paul Tierney (Crewe); Tate (Swansea); Williams (Coventry, Chest'fld); Chadwick (Reading).

2001-02

Paul Rachubka (Antwerp, Oldham); Mark Lynch (St Johnstone); Webber (Port Vale, Watford); Tate (Antwerp); Djordjic (Sheff Wed); Nick Culkin (Livingston).

2000-01

Lee Roche (Wrexham); Chadwick (Antwerp); Hilton (Antwerp); Henning Berg (Blackburn); Stewart (Antwerp); David Healy (Preston); John O'Shea (Antwerp); Davis (Antwerp); George Clegg (Wycombe); Ashley Dodd (Port Vale); Culkin (Bristol Rovers).

1999-2000

Paul Wheatcroft (FC Fortune); John Curtis (Barnsley); Chadwick (Antwerp); David May (Hudd'fld); Culkin (Hull); Massimo Taibi (Reggina); O'Shea (Bournemouth); Alex Notman (Sheffield Utd); Michael Clegg (Ipswich, Wigan); Steven Rose (Bournemouth); Healy (Port Vale).

1998-99

Michael Twiss (Sheffield United), Chris Casper (Reading); Terry Cooke (Wrexham, Man City); Danny Higginbotham (Antwerp); Paul Gibson (Hull); Erik Nevland (Gothenburg); Jordi Cruyff (Celta Vigo); Ronnie Wallwork (Antwerp); Jamie Wood (Antwerp); Alex Notman (Aberdeen).

1997-98

Graeme Tomlinson (Bournemouth, Millwall); Robert Trees (Stalybridge); Chris Casper (Swindon); Paul Gibson (Mansfield); John O'Kane (Bradford); Paul Teather (Bournemouth); Wallwork (Carlisle, Stockport); Andy Duncan (Cambridge); Grant Brebner (Cambridge, Hibernian); Mark Wilson (Wrexham); David Brown (Hull); Kevin Pilkington (Celtic).

1996-97

Pat McGibbon (Swansea, Wigan); Gibson (Halifax); O'Kane (Bury); Simon Davies (Hudd'fid); Terry Cooke (B'ham); Pilkington (Roth'ham); Michael Appleton (Grimsby).

1995-96

Appleton (Lincoln); Ben Thornley (Stockport, Huddersfield); Casper (Bournemouth); Cooke (Sunderland); Pilkington (Rochdale), Tomlinson (Luton).

1994-95

David Beckham (Preston).

1993-94

Keith Gillespie (Wigan); Neil Whitworth (Rotherham, Blackpool); Gary Walsh (Oldham); Davies (Exeter).

1992-93

Colin McKee (Bury); Danny Wallace (Millwall).

1991-92

Derek Brazil (Swansea); Jim Leighton (Reading); Russell Beardsmore (Blackburn); Brian Carey (Wrexham); Whitworth (Preston, Barnsley).

1990-91

Colin Gibson (Port Vale); Mike Pollitt (Oldham); Brazil (Oldham); Carey (Wrexham); Leighton (Arsenal).

1988-89

Gary Walsh (Airdrie).

1987-88

Graeme Hogg (West Brom).

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Fredrik Lake, Stockholm (30/10/2003 at 12:22)

An excellent piece of journalism.

Windy Miller, Camberwick Green (30/10/2003 at 13:52)

I'm starting to lose the will to live......... have you boys got the studio junior working on this one? Tell him to stick to going for the butties and brewing up, mines coffee one sugar... ta.

colin, canada (30/10/2003 at 17:01)

I wish Scotland had a team like United developing home grown talent for English football. The Scots are stuck with Rangers and Celtic who don't give a monkeys about the future of Scottish football. Rangers played United last week and not one Scot started. They are a national disgrace but they don't care and obviously their supporters don't care either. Which is why the future for Scottish football is so bleak. Fletcher will help and I believe Murray will make it as well as he is getting a regular start with Forrest. <br>
Actually there are a lot of organizations in England doing a good job with young players. Peterborough do a great job.
Well done to all of you.<br>
For what it is worth, I believe a consortium of Scots like Ferguson, Moyes, Souness, Smith and McLeish should be in charge of the Scottish National team with say Smith or Eric Black doing the day to day stuff. Once the Holland games are over make some changes starting with Berti.

colin, canada (30/10/2003 at 18:37)

Hey Ed, it really bothers me that half my posts doen't get through your net. I don't use offensive language, I stick on topic and I'm not a bitter or a hater. (well maybe arsenal) What's going on.
My posts are accepted and I am thanked for posting but half of them don't get through.
This is a great site for someone like me who can't get to OT anymore to keep up.
Cheers. (Colin, hopefully you haven't been experiencing the dreaded 'technical problems'. we'll look into it, and many thanks for your support, ED)

MT, London (31/10/2003 at 00:28)

Home grown talents are important to the club for obvious reasons, but after the success of the group which includes Giggs, Scholes etc few have made it into the first team. Players like Greenings and Chadwick showed initial promises but failed to hold a permanent position subsequently. Last season Richardson was promoted now he is fading away. This season Fletcher is the rising star and let us hope he will make the grade. Statistically, a majority of the Academic graduates will leave the club for the simple reason that only the very best will play for us. It also follows that statistically we will need a large number of young potentials in the Academic to produce the very gems. But are we casting the net wide enough to catch the raw gems? Take Damien Duff as an example: his father is a Red through and through but why was his son not recruited into our Academy and went to Blackburn instead at the age of 14? Answer: because we didn't give Duff's father a chance to recommend his own son. Now then, we have an estimated 50m fans, larger than any club in the World. Also remember this: almost all professional footballers come from football mad families. If we were to establish a mechanism for the Red fans to make their recommendations, we will cast the net very wide indeed and statistically we will be more likely to find a football genius than any other clubs in the World. We will need two schemes to make this work. Firstly, a selection mechanism to filter numerous recommendations that we hope it will come from the fans worldwide. Secondly, an expanded Academy. To cope with the increased intakes with the limited resources, I suggest that a football scholar scheme is set up whereby young talents are recruited at a young age (12 or 13 ?) into a boarding school where they will undertake normal lessons but are kept under observations to unearth their true potentials. After a period (1 to 2 years ?) some will be given the options to join our Academy, others may continue their normal educations outside football. Am I out of order ? or are there points worthy of serious considerations ?

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