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Okay, so yesterday I got curious about how our Man Utd youngsters are doing in the U18 league. Grabbed my laptop around afternoon tea time and went straight to the Premier League’s youth section. Took me forever to find the damn page – their site navigation’s uglier than a rainy Tuesday in Salford.
First Look at Standings
Finally found the table crammed in some corner. Scrolled down squinting at tiny font sizes. Bloody hell, our lads are actually top of the league! Played 18 games, won 13 so far. That’s proper decent. Checked Manchester City’s position – they’re 11 points behind us. Had a proper grin at that.
Diving Into Stats
Clicked the ‘stats’ tab and oh boy. Immediately saw Ethan Wheatley’s name popping up. Lad’s scored 10 goals already this season. Remembered seeing him train once at Carrington – moves like he’s got grease on his boots. Scrolled further down to assists. Jack Fletcher (yes, related to those Fletchers) has set up 8 goals. Kid’s only sixteen but plays like he’s twenty.
Started scribbling notes:
- Finley McAllister keeps cleaning up at the back – 12 clean sheets
- Ethan Williams doing mad sprints on the wing
- James Scanlon getting more minutes lately
The Headache Part
Tried comparing last season’s numbers to this season. Big mistake. Premier League site had last year’s stats buried deeper than my grandma’s fruitcake recipe. Spent 20 minutes clicking through dropdown menus before giving up. Made do with comparing screenshots on my phone from September.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, buzzing about these young’uns. That Wheatley kid especially – built like a brick outhouse and finishes like he’s playing FIFA on easy mode. Reminds me why I bother tracking academy lads. Some day you’ll see ’em in the first team, scoring at Stretford End, and you’ll remember you spotted them back when they were playing on muddy pitches in Blackburn.