Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has blasted manager Louis van Gaal and insisted that Red Devils will not win anything if they continue to spend massively and not produce world class players from their own academy.
The Red Devils have had at least one player coming out from their reputed youth academy in every match since 1937 which is an amazing record. But under Louis van Gaal, they have spent £244million if the £22m purchase of Barcelona forward Pedro, goes through which seems to be imminent.
But the United legend, who is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers ever, has stated that his former team’s performance against Spurs in the opening day of Premier League was “terrible”.
On Friday, the Reds visit another of his old clubs, Aston Villa. And if United avoid defeat in that match they will set a record by going 20 years without losing at a rivals’ Premier League ground.
They were last beaten at Villa Park in 1995, when Schmeichel played in the side which lost 3–1 — a result which led pundit Alan Hansen to famously say on Match Of The Day that night: “You can’t win anything with kids”.
But Schmeichel’s home-grown team-mates, such David Beckham, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, subsequently made a mockery of that claim.
Schmeichel, who won the Premier League title five times at the club from 1991-1999, insists the best chance for fresh trophies at Old Trafford is bringing through more stars from the youth ranks.
The “Great Dane” questioned about the club’s business in this season and also the last season.
The 51 year old Danish legend told MirrorSport: “The last couple of years has cast a lot of doubt over what the team is a capable of doing.”
“I don’t think spending money is a guarantee for anything. You cannot buy your way into anything, no-one has ever done that really – you have to build.”
“If you asked Van Gaal now – and asked him to be completely honest – if he knew his best 11, he would say no.”
“I don’t think anyone knows their [United’s] best 11. He is trying but, for instance,Radamel Falcao — why was he at Manchester United [on loan last season]?”
“Name me a player that’s come through the academy and that is actually playing at United now and is in the England squad?”
“None. Exactly.”
“This is Manchester United we are talking about.”
He says captain Wayne Rooney is one of the few exceptions and reckons the England ace is vital for United.
“Rooney is the key player — when Rooney plays, it is a different Manchester United,” said Schmeichel.
“I am a massive fan of Wayne Rooney and it is nice to see him play in any position, because he gives a 100 per cent. Not many players can do that and say they do that. There are a lot of players not giving 100 per cent.”
“It disappoints me and everyone I used to play with. We sit and talk and we are disappointed we can have players at Manchester United getting through three or four or five years of being there and not giving 100 per cent.”
“But football has changed and the next generation has been brought up in a different way. It is society and the way the world is evolving.”
Schmeichel says United need to be much improved at Villa after their opening-day efforts.
I would go as far as to say it was a terrible performance for a Manchester United team at Old Trafford,” he admitted. “It was so flat — Totttenham dominated the game but United got three points.”
“Winning is essential. Every time you lose as Manchester United in this transition period it casts a lot of shadow and doubt, which transmits to the players very quickly.”