Reece Brown & Oliver Gill

I don't know how he did for you in his month loan but he was one of the more promising players in United reserves (especially CB wise) including winning the Reserve player of the year in a team that included the likes of Macheda, Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Cory Evans, Nicky Ajose, Ben Amos, Joshua King, Matty James, Danny Drinkwater, Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Robbie Brady, Oli Norwood, the Keanes and probably a few I'm forgetting.

Now the reserves are difficult to judge, some of those players were doing double duty with the u18's, some were in the 1st team squad so missed a chunk of reserve games, some went out on loans and the likes so it can often see the top tier players miss out as they don't play enough but while that group of players outside Pogba may not have set the world alight they are all carved out decent careers, some of them at PL teams. So winning reserve player does show his ability was more than just being nepotism.

He would have made a decent career out of football but with football, you really have to love it to have the drive needed especially if you might have to drop down leagues where often games are won more by players with drive than those with the most skill. He didn't have that absolute love for the game, realised that there was a decent chance he wouldn't end up making it at United and took the chance to go to university and find something that fit with what he wanted from life better than football

 

My vague memory was that they came with great expectations and were warmly welcomed. However their performances were fairly disappointing and underwhelming. When they went, it was shrug of the shoulders time!

 

Martin Ferguson was never Chief Scout at United. The highest position he held was Head European Scout. And its not like Fergie appointed him or that he had no background in football. He had decades of experiance as both Manager and Coach. When the board were looking to extend the scouting team he was on a list of recommendations that Fergie gave and was one of a number of hires, some of them off Fergies list, some who weren't. And he then worked his way up to Head of European Scouting on merit.

And with Darren people make out like he played lots of matches. He plaued 30 matches across 4 seasons. He came through in that period where Fergies overhaul of the youth setup was still a couple of seasons away from having real results. Over half of his appearence came in the 92/93 season, the goto CM partnership was 2 of Ince, Robson and Webb. Webb though got injured towards the end of the previous season and wouldn't really play again for United and Robson missed the majority of the 92/93 season due to injury. So the options for Inces partner were limited, there was Phelan but who was really past his best at that point, Blackmore who was more comfortable in defence, McClair who prefered playing in the front 2 and Darren Ferguson. He would play the first 15 games of that season but largely a combination of Robson getting fit again and United signing Cantona meaning McClair wasn't needed as a starter in the front 2 saw Ferguson hardly play again that season. Keane was signed the following season limiting Fergusons minutes signficantly and this is also when the Academy was starting to show real signs so he was let go that season which saw most of the Class of 92 get some decent minutes in 94/95 before the big break through in 95/96