Sir Alex Ferguson believes United have a good chance of winning the FA Youth Cup this season, for what would be the fourth time in his tenure at Old Trafford.
The Reds have a great history in the competition, having won it on more occasions than any other club – nine - including the first five years from its inception in 1953 when Sir Matt Busby’s famous Babes were unbeatable.
Sir Alex recognises the importance of the competition and hopes Paul McGuinness’s young charges can build on last week's third-round victory over Portsmouth by winning away at West Ham on Wednesday night (19 January).
“We have a decent team with one or two excellent players,” Sir Alex told MUTV. “I think we’re strong in the strikers department for example, where we have William Keane and John Cofie. Then we’ve got Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison [in midfield]… we have a chance this year, we’re hopeful [of winning it].”
The boss acknowledges its eight years since United went all the way in the FA Youth Cup – and will no doubt be aware that arch-rivals Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool (twice) and Manchester City have all had their names etched on it in the intervening period.
“Kieran Richardson was in the team when we last won the Youth Cup, in 2003,” he recalled. “Before then we won it with Phil Neville and John Curtis in 1995, and of course, with the 1992 team. Let’s hope we have a good run this year.”