Pemberton challenges Blades youngsters to step up

SHEFFIELD United’s Academy director John Pemberton believes Monday’s second leg of the FA Youth Cup final against Manchester United will show if the club’s youngsters are the real deal.

The Blades held United to a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night and were backed by nearly 30,000 supporters – the club’s biggest gate of the season.

Now the team prepare to travel to Old Trafford where their spirit and potential will be put to the test even further.

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“I don’t think they will go there with any fear,” said Pemberton, “but they go there knowing they have to perform.

“We can’t take any shortcuts because we have not got enough good players. Sometimes in league games you can get away with little things but you won’t at Old Trafford. They know now what the standards are.

“You can keep batting on about what is needed to play at the top level – but now they have seen it.

“Every one of the Manchester United players is 6ft-plus, quick, strong one-versus-one, and they have the ability to go past people.

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“When you can go out and attract, arguably, the best talent in the world, you are going to come out with the best players.

“We are scouting Sheffield and trying to get the best homegrown talent and produce it to compete.

“Can they perform at that level? If they do, we have a chance.

“I want to find players who can stay in the first team, not just play one or two games and have people asking ‘what happened to him and him?’

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“We are talking about putting one or two of these in and around the first team next year so Tuesday was a great game for them and it will be another level at Old Trafford. We will kind of see where we are.”

Pemberton, who was released by Manchester United as a youngster, believes his players will relish playing in the second leg.

“If someone had offered us a final at Old Trafford for the last game of the season, we would have ripped their arm off,” he said. “If you don’t enjoy Monday, you want locking up. We don’t want to get trounced but I think we will be okay.”

Defender Harry Maguire, one of five youth team players who also figured in the club’s unsuccessful Championship relegation battle this season, will have treatment on an ankle injury over the next few days but Pemberton feels he will recover in time.

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Regarding the latest incarnation of ‘Fergie’s Fledglings’ who are seeking a 10th Youth Cup final triumph for the club, Pemberton reckons they will be hard-pressed to match the achievements of the boys from 19 years ago, saying: “Giggs, Neville, Scholes, Beckham, Nicky Butt...yes, that class of ’92 really was a bit special, and a lot of them are still going strong now. To come up with a bunch of kids like that again will take some doing, but this present group at United are very good indeed.”