VIDEO: Man City Elite Dev. Squad 1 – 3 Man Utd Reserves
United’s second string beat the Bitters’ “Elite”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer oversaw a 3-1 thumping of Manchester City’s second string in a Manchester Senior Cup tie with Blues’ boss Robert Mancini in the stands. The Bitters had previously renamed their reserves team “The Elite Squad”, which was a total marketing cock-up, as elite quite litereally means the best. How can you name your reserves team the best? Well, only if you’ve got a chip on your shoulder. Having realized the error of their ways, City have now renamed their reserves team “The Elite Development Squad”.
You’ll be happy to know that United’s reserves team is still known as “The Reserves” and not “The Supreme Second String” or “The Best Team After The First”.
United’s reserves featured several senior players who are working their way back to fitness and/or who have not had much game time sine the pre-season tour of America including Gary Neville, Darron Gibson, Tom Clverley, Chris Smalling, Wes Brown and Rafael. The match also saw Portuguese midfield player, Anderson, taking to the pitch for the first time in 6 months after injuring his knee ligaments against West Ham. By most accounts, Anderson was one of the better players on the pitch, even is he does look a bit chunkier.
City’s elite squad of developing players did drew first blood through a 20-yard strike from Nimely which beat Ben Amos in the United goal. United, who were captained by Magnus Eikrem, levelled the match on 37 minutes, when the skipper played a clever pass to Kiko Macheda who turned smartly and fired the ball past the on-rushing keeper.
Eikrem and Macheda combined again for United’s second goal as the Norwegian used Gary Neville’s overlapping run as a decoy to square the ball to his Italian colleague who finished with aplomb.
United made it 1-3 through Tom Cleverley and Will Keane, who had come on as a sub for Anderson. Cleverley played a pass to Keane who couldn’t bring the ball under control and unintentionally played a one-two back to the marauding midfielder, who broke into the box and fired past City’s David Gonzalez.
I’m hoping the performances of Cleverley, Macheda and Eikrem will see them receive more opportunities in the first team, as they do look exciting. Macheda’s finishing is clinical, instinctive and composed and offers something different to what the senior strikers bring to the table.
Cleverley was one of the sharpest players on the pitch and in his post-match interview expressed his hope that his performance will have given Sir Alex more reason to play him:
“All I can do is keep playing to my top performance level when I play, whether it’s for the Reserves or the first team,” he told MUTV. “As long as I keep doing that, hopefully the manager will see I’m doing well and I’ll get a couple of chances here and there.”
“Any game against City is a big one, but in our squad tonight I think we had six internationals and six under-21 internationals or something silly like that, so there was added pressure there,” he said. “It was one of the strongest Reserve teams ever.”We didn’t start badly, then they got the goal and we lost our momentum a little bit. But we got one in the first half, kicked on in the second, got a couple of good goals, and it’s a good victory.
Manchester United:
Amos, Neville, Rafael (Dudgeon 59), Brown, Smalling, Carrick, Gibson, Anderson (Keane 59), Macheda, Eikrem, Cleverley
Unused subs:
Gill, Devlin, Norwood
August 25th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Isn’t the City ‘Elite Development Squad’ made up of U21 ex Academy graduates?
I thought the idea was to give development contracts and opportunity to graduates of the City Academy who fall in the twilight zone between age 18 and full maturity. By doing this and playing these kids in the Reserve League more of them get more opportunities to make the grade; if not at City in the PL, at least to a professional football career somewhere.
I wasn’t aware that winning games against United’s Reserve string including 9 first team squad members was that important. Nice of course, everyone wants to win, but important?
I think you guys need to get out more.
August 25th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Ha Ha very funny
The elite squad is the first team squad numpties
you beat a bunch of our kids with a lot of your starting 11 and your crowing
just shows how far and how fast your falling
August 25th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Agree with Dibble, the red clowns will boast about anything they can get their hands on.
Staffords Uniteds bench and first team vs Manchester City’s youth.
Tick Tock
August 25th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
seeing you listed your reserves for the game i will list “The Elite Development Squad” just for you lot,
Manchester City:
Gonzalez, Logan, Cunningham (Benali 46), Kay, Wabara, Mee, Elabdellaoui, Ibrahim, Nimely, Chantler, Helan (Roman 83)
only 2 players there who have played in the first team Cunningham and Ibrahim with about 5 caps between them. lol
red is bitter blue is SWEET!!!!
August 25th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Elite, you really are delusional, it was City’s kids you plant pot against a Utd team mixed with alleged first teamers and reserves. I wonder why you don’t mention the city team.
Oh how the mighty have fallen…. you give us all a good laugh though lol lol lol lol
August 25th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Ha ha you beat a bunch of kids with at least 8 of your 25 man 1st team squad, well done you must feel very pleased. Nice to see you paying your noisy neighbours such respect, get used to it, and talk to you again in November.
August 25th, 2010 at 4:20 pm
You seriously think we’re bothered, or even knew that Lord Cook had renamed our fucking 3rd string! Get a grip. I don’t see these type of reports when our kids give yours a good twatting!
August 25th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Ha Ha. Eight, yes 8 first team players against the might that is Nimely and Cunningham. Your report says it all really. You lot really are a shadow of your former selves.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
How desperate have they become to put one over on City? It’s nearly as comical as Fergie’s I’ll play the kids all the way in last years League cup til he got to City in the semi.
They couldn’t have put a better team out if they tried!! Hilarious how embarrassing £50m worth of players v’s £0.
P.S it’s was always Elite development as we now use our youth players in the team hence Elite of the youth, numptys.
August 25th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK
August 25th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Two trophys this year alone is more than your ‘elites’ have won in nearly 40 years – take a look at the difference in goal celebrations – thats what says it all.
August 25th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Gigantic yawn…..
If United ever renamed any squad in the United’s set up for marketing or in a lame attempt to make them sound better than they are I’d be ashamed and embarrassed.
There’s no defending it.
I don’t see anywhere in the write-up where I glorified the victory or made it anymore than it was. i just poked fun of City’s ridiculous re-branding of your reserves team. And let’s face it, it’s so the likes of Vieira, Johnson, Richards or Adebayor will feel less bad playing for them, because their egos are so fragile.
I’m quite amused so many of you chose to defend a write-up of a match. I didn’t make any comment on the performance, but yet so many of you are bothered.
As for trying to defend the “elite” tag – it just shows how seriously ridiculous you lot are. There is no defending it. It’s embarrassing.
August 25th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Quote:
If United ever renamed any squad in the United’s set up for marketing or in a lame attempt to make them sound better than they are I’d be ashamed and embarrassed
Unbelievable: Try “Theatre Of Dreams” copyright purplenose circa 1986.
Try “Fergie’s Fledglings” copyright David Meek circa 1990.
Glass houses and stones you halfwit.
This piss poor attempt at an article has well and truly backfired – your multi-million pound “reserves” were wheeled out against a team of new shavers so you could claim braging rights. Pathetic!
August 25th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
Wow.
You Blues fans really aren’t the brightest bunch, eh?
The “Theatre of Dreams” – is not an offical name for any of Untied’s squads.
Fergie’s Fledglings is also not the official name of any of United’s squads.
The Elite Developement Squad IS in actual fact the official name given by Manchester City to one of their squads.
I hope that wasn’t too difficult for you to understand.
How did the article back fire?
Did you even read it?
I made no comment about the quality of play at all, just the ridiculous branding of your reserves team.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:28 am
Lol the rags from wastelands always make me laugh, 35-years and counting. The Utd lads totally out-played ‘the shit development’ from rag central and did it easily. Cleverley (21) ran the show and was the star man capping with a nice goal past the 28 year old Gonzalez. Kiko (19), Gibbo (22), Eikrem (20) shown the rags how it done and Rafa (20) terrified the life outer them..we might had played Gary, Wes, Ando and Carrick but make no mistake bitters, it was purely a match fitness run-out following injuries.
August 26th, 2010 at 5:37 am
Utd kids-Amos (20), Rafael (20), Cleverley (21), Gibson (22), Eikrem (20), Gill (19), Dudgeon (19), Macheda (19), W.Keane (17) and the ‘brazilian bull’ Anderson (22), all played, all did well especially Cleverley who again show himself to be the next big thing. The kid just keeps going and is the next talisman of the Utd/ England midfield. Keane, Rafa, Kiko, Eikrem and Gibbo also has big futures ahead of them but none more then the superstar that is Tom Cleverley….
August 26th, 2010 at 5:45 am
Incidentally the bitters fielded a team not half as good but not at all young in its own right. Gonzalez (28), logan (22), Cunningham (19), Nimely (19) and Ibrahim (19), only lads know but there at all no age difference, talent another story as we have them beat in all departments, our boys are champions while their’s dont even respect the citey 1st team.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:14 am
I know the Theatre Of Dreams is not a squad name you plonker – state the bleedin obvious, why don’t you. surely it is just as bleedin obvious – even to the thickest, blindest Rags such as your self that the point I am making is United re-branded the dull Old Trafford – for marketing purposes. The media and the gullibles fell for it hook, line and sinker. Before criticising MCFC for re-branding you should remember MUFC is and always has been foremost amongst football clubs at prostituting itself.
August 26th, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Kippax – that’s a poor attempt to save your blushes. You quoted one of RFR’s comments and then used two examples that have nothing to do with United’s squads. EPIC FAIL! And the name Theatre of Dreams was something Sir Bobby Charlton said about Old Trafford – it happened organically not part of marketing campaign. Face it, you have no point and the new owners and administrators of your club are doing all sorts of lame antics that show MCFC have no class. The posters, the re-branding of your reserves team, your CEO declaring in a pub that you’ll become the biggest club inthe world when you’ve won nothing for 35 years. the same guywho called your club Manchester United at the induction of Uwe Uwe Rösler into your hall of fame? The players you’ve bought speaking of their sadness at having to leave their clubs. etc etc.
You don’t see it, but United and neutrals see it and have been laughing at City together. You can’t even buy success properly. Chelsea won the league after Abramovic arrived. three seasons after Thaksin bought the club, what have you won? City have now outspent Chelsea and still won feck all.
August 26th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Dan – you are wrong. I remember Ferguson first using the phrase on a radio interview and thinking at the time – this is a marketing soundbite.
I can’t comment on the antics of Cook – but then you’ve had your fair share with Kenyon, Knighton, Edwards Senior, Edwards Junior.
As regards Chelsea’s record uunder Abramovic – once again you demonstrate your lack of football knowledge. Chelsea had millions pumped into them by one Matthew Harding in the mid to late 1990′s – years prior to Abramovic who took over in 2003. It took several years but with the likes of Hoddle, Gullit and Vialli in charge, Chelsea were challenging for and winning honours. Abramovic simply took them to the next level. City have done in 3 years what Chelsea took a decade to do.
Please get your facts correct next time – maybe one day you’ll have a valid opinion.
August 26th, 2010 at 11:39 pm
What absolute bollocks, you my bitter blue friend have just demonstrated your complete lack of logic.
Abramovic took over in June 2003. By May 2005 Chelsea were English league champions.
“City have done in 3 years what Chelsea took a decade to do”
Please pray tell – what have City done in 3 years?
Nothing.
it did not take Abramovic decades. Your point is completely IRRELEVANT and please be reminded have City haven’t achieved anything yet.
August 28th, 2010 at 5:15 am
Where did I say it took Abramovic decades – dickbrain? I will put it simply for you as needs must: Chelsea – crap team around 1995. Harding pumps millions in over several years, Chelsea get good and win some trophies + qualify for champs league.
2003 (nearly 10 years later) Abramovic arrives, invests millions more and hey presto – a champs league qualifying team becomes champions.
Manchester City – when money was first pumped in by Shinawatra – small money – City were relegation candidates. That was 4 years ago. 2 years ago we got beat 8-1 in our final league game and were struggling to put a team together for the new season. In walks Mansour. 2 years later and we’re confident of qualifying for the champs league. Chelsea 12 years to be champions with new money – City 4 years and counting. End of. Berk!
August 28th, 2010 at 6:18 am
Oh my, oh my. you lot are a bunch of deluded retards. Are you a red who is being a WUM or are you actually that thick?
Is this what goes on bitter blue forums? You all share different ways of looking stupid?
“In walks Mansour. 2 years later and we’re confident of qualifying for the champs league.”
2 years after Abramovic walked in, Chelsea won the league. They actually won something. 2 years after Monsur, you lot finished 5th.
A bunch of professional losers that’s what you lot are.
2 years on from Monsur = won fuck all
4 years on from Shiniwatra = won fuck all.
Man City are such losers they can’t even buy success properly, even though you have already outspent Chelsea. I hope this is too difficult for you to understand you fucking retard.