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Throwback Thursday: Alan Hansen Tells Manchester United “You can’t win anything with kids”

By Uzair Madhani

25 Aug 1999: Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United celebrate the first goal during the match between Coventry City and Manchester United in the FA Carling Premiership at Highfield Road, Coventry. Manchester United won the game 2-1. MandatoryCredit: Phil Cole /Allsport
25 Aug 1999: Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs of Manchester United celebrate the first goal during the match between Coventry City and Manchester United in the FA Carling Premiership at Highfield Road, Coventry. Manchester United won the game 2-1. MandatoryCredit: Phil Cole /Allsport /
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 11: David Beckham of Manchester United celebrates after scoring the third goal in the 1996 FA Charity Shield between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on August 11, 1996 i,n London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 11: David Beckham of Manchester United celebrates after scoring the third goal in the 1996 FA Charity Shield between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on August 11, 1996 i,n London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Allsport/Getty Images) /

The result seemed to justify opinions that Ferguson had shot himself in the foot with his lack of signings.

Alan Hansen, appearing as a pundit on Match of the Day for the BBC, was the unlucky one given a national platform to air an opinion that many shared.

“I think they’ve got problems . . . Obviously, three players have departed, the trick is always to buy when you’re strong, so he needs to buy players. You can’t win anything with kids.

You look at that line-up of Manchester United today and quarter-past two, when they get the team sheet it’s just gonna give them a lift and it’ll happen every time he plays the kids. He’s got to buy players.”

Hansen did not have to wait long to be proven wrong. Following on from that initial defeat to Villa, United did not lose in the league until a game against Arsenal in November.

The return of Cantona from suspension provided the wind in United’s sails that year, and they went on to reel in Newcastle, who had raced to a 10-point lead atop the league by Christmas. Not satisfied with that, they went on the win the FA Cup too, beating Liverpool in the final.

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The squad that won the league had an average age of just over 26, with six players involved in 10 or more games under the age of 23. Fergie’s Fledgelings became better known as the Class of ’92 and went on to form the core of arguably Manchester United’s greatest ever team: the treble-winners of 1999.

Forget winning nothing with kids, those kids ended up winning everything club football had to offer.

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