Not A Bad Start, But, Can He Do It At Stoke On A cold, Wet, Tuesday Night?

Marcus Rashford - What A Debut

AS "Dream Debuts" go, young Marcus Rashford's first-team bow for Manchester United in the Europa League last night was right up there with the best.

 

The go-ahead goal on the night, then the go-ahead goal in the overall two-legged tie was a brace to brag about. Now, let's be clear, probably more United debutants have failed to kick-on from early promise than ever progressed to become star performers at the "Theatre of Dreams". Consistent success is not guaranteed to the teenager, but, we wish him well.

 

He is fortunate to have, as the Academy Director at the club, NIcky Butt, one of the legendary "Class of '92". Nicky will surely keep Marcus's feet on the ground - the kid has a chance.

 

 

 Memphis Depay - a "Rolls Royce" player - not

Mind you, I only saw the second-half at Old Trafford on TV, I switched over at the end of the Glasgow Warriors' rugby match. The Red Devil who really excited me was Dutchman Memphis Depay.

The boy has a reputation as something of a "Flash Harry", all flicks and tricks, but, not always delivering end product.Last night he delivered, while producing some of the best dribbling seen at Old Trafford since Messrs Best, Giggs and Ronaldo were in their youthful pomp.

He might drive a £250,000 Rolls Royce, but, Depays is far from being a "Rolls Royce" player. Yes, he can be tantalisingly unstoppable, as he was on Thursday night, but, not often enough. However, if the suggested one-to-one mentoring from Giggsy works out, United will have one helluva player on their hands.

 

Since the Busby Babes of the 1950s, we have expected greatness from Manchester United's young players. They haven't always delivered on early promise, let's hope young Marcus turns out to be the real deal.

 

 

Mark Warburton -  says plastic is not fantastic - while Ronny Deila is a fan of artificial surfaces

 

 

I SEE "the stenographers" (thank you for that one PMGB) are trying awfy hard to drum-up controversy between Mark Warburton and Ronny Deila - this time over artificial pitches. My own view is: I'm with Ronny on this one, I would aways good for a top-quality grass pitch, but, failing this, a good artificial one would be my preference.

 

Given the climate and normal winter weather in Scotland, I can see ever-more football being played on plastic in Scotland in years to come. It makes sense.

 

When I was a boy, the best football surface in Scotland was at Rugby Park. Back then, in the 1950s and early 1960s, the park was a wide-open bowl, the prevailing wind, blew in from the Dundonald Road end, unimpeded by buildings. The groundsman was a magician - Rugby Park was playable when every other ground in the West of Scotland was off.

 

Then Bobby Fleeting built stands behind each goal and, the pitch deteriorated to the extent the club more or less had to go plastic. Back then, Celtic Park and Ibrox had better pitches than they now have - those massive stands at each end have had an adverse effect. Because Hampden is still more open than the other Glasgow grounds, its pitch stands up better to the winter weather.

 

Murrayfield used to have, arguably, the best surface in Scotland, then the SRU built-up the grounds and the surface suffered, before those pesky worms finished it off. Now it has a hybrid grass/artificial surface, it is back to being a fantastic surface.

 

Warburton is English, a nation programmed from birth to resist change, in this affair - I feel he will have to give-in. Deila 1 Warburton 0.