Man United beat Newcastle United on Boxing Day thanks to Patrick Dorgu’s goal and Jack Fletcher made his mark off the bench
Much has been made of Ruben Amorim’s view of the Manchester United academy in recent days. It was only earlier this month when the United boss was having to defend his selection and reasoning behind overlooking the potential of youth.
That changed at Old Trafford on Boxing Day night with United naming five academy graduates on the bench and bringing two of them one. Tyler Fredricson was given the final few minutes as the Reds saw out a 1-0 victory while Jack Fletcher played the second half in place of the injured Mason Mount.
It was a show of faith from Amorim in Fletcher given the manager could have called upon Joshua Zirkzee to fill the second striker role. But the Dutchman was introduced off the bench, just as he had been at Villa Park a few days prior.
United had impressed in the first half with Patrick Dorgu’s fine goal the difference at the interval but the Reds were forced to defend deep in the second period to see out the contest, meaning Fletcher didn’t get on the ball as much as he would have liked. But after adjusting to the pace of the contest, the 18-year-old didn’t look out of place in senior football.
“I think it might take a while to adjust to the tempo and intensity,” said Fletcher after the game. “It was really tough out there, heavy on the legs, 45 minutes of defending, I think we did well. Hopefully, I can showcase my talent more.”
His showing will provide food for thought for United, who will be looking to strengthen their midfield given the likely departure of Casemiro at the end of the season. There are question marks over Kobbie Mainoo’s long-term future while Manuel Ugarte has struggled to make his mark since arriving at Old Trafford.
Fletcher, son of former United man Darren, has a bright future ahead of him and is likely to gain more minutes over the coming weeks. He might not be ready for the rough and tumble of top flight football every week just yet, but the experiences over the next few months could mean he’s ready sooner rather than later. Amorim has made a point of not promoting academy talents the sake of it, so when one does come into the fray it’s all the more impressive.
“Jack did a very good job,” said Amorim of Fletcher. “It’s a very important moment for any kid. He’s going to hear from his father. He’s going to talk a lot about a lot of things, but he needs to calm down and just praise the kid because he’s really humble, works really hard, and he deserves this.”
