Manchester United’s encounter with Wolves at Old Trafford marked a significant milestone for the club’s academy graduates, Tyler Fredricson and Harry Amass. Despite the team’s 1-0 defeat, head coach Ruben Amorim was full of praise for the young talents who showcased their potential on the Premier League stage.
Fredricson, making his debut for United at the age of 20, impressed on the left side of Amorim’s three-man defense. His performance was highlighted by a well-timed tackle that floored Wolves’ Matheus Cunha. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Amass, who made his first start for the club at Newcastle the previous week, had another bright outing as a left wing-back in his first senior start at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim said: “What I felt today is they deserved a better memory from their first games. Tyler and Amass played really well. They deserved better. We were the better team, we played well, created chances, but in the end, one opportunity for the opponent and they scored. The memory is not the best for these kids but they played quite well.”
Despite United’s commendable play, a late free-kick from Pablo Sarabia secured all three points for Wolves, handing United their 15th defeat of the season. Amorim, however, remained optimistic about the future, indicating that he would assess which young players could be part of his squad for the next season after the current campaign concludes.
Ruben Amorim continued: “If you look at the game, we were the better team but in the end, it doesn’t matter because if we don’t score goals, nothing matters, in the end what counts is the result, especially in these kinds of moments. We create a lot of chances, we had a game, we control the game, we blocked some good players from the opponent and one set piece changes the game and that’s it, it’s really frustrating to end the game like this.”
The match also saw 17-year-old striker Chido Obi make an appearance, replacing Rasmus Hojlund in the second half. Amorim had earlier cautioned against the risks of introducing young players into an underperforming team, yet with United’s focus shifting towards the Europa League, the opportunity arose for these promising talents to gain valuable experience.
As Manchester United looks to the future, the performances of Fredricson and Amass provide a glimmer of hope and highlight the potential within the club’s youth ranks. Amorim’s faith in these young players could be pivotal as the team seeks to rebuild and strengthen for the upcoming seasons.
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