Bennett started at the heart of United’s defence as the U21s were held at home by the Seagulls.

His inclusion in the team raised eyebrows considering he joined League Two outfit Stockport in January, in search of first-team minutes.

United struck a deal with Dave Challinor’s side for the Carrington academy starlet to spend the rest of the season at Edgeley Park.

Many assumed that the fact that Bennett played for the U21s suggested he might have been recalled from his loan spell.

However, according to The Manchester Evening News, this is not the case. “The Manchester Evening News understands Bennett hasn’t been recalled and both clubs agreed he could feature in that academy fixture to get valuable minutes.”

The 20-year-old’s only start for Stockport since temporarily for them came in their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Tranmere back in February. On that occasion, he was not at his best and seemed very rusty.

Bennett has since been included in the club’s matchday squads just three times.

MEN adds, “Despite not playing, sources at Stockport have described Bennett as a ‘very positive individual around the camp’ and he’s received praise for his ‘very good attitude'”.

“Although Bennett’s loan at Stockport hasn’t gone as planned, it is hoped the months he’s spent around a title-challenging squad have still been beneficial for his education.”

Stockport are on track to win the League Two title this term. The club currently sits at the summit of the standings with 83 points after 42 matches played. Wrexham are in second place and four points adrift of the league leaders.

Bennett is yet to make his senior United debut but has previously been part of Erik ten Hag’s matchday squads in clashes vs. West Ham and Wigan Athletic in the Premier League and FA Cup respectively.

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The post Man United make Rhys Bennett loan clarification after his academy return sparked confusion appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

It has been a challenging week for Manchester United’s array of young loanees and the loan experience in general has not been easy for many.

Will Fish at Hibernian and Radek Vitek are the two exceptions of United academy products that have grabbed their chance, or even been given one to show off their talents after their loan move.

Hannibal Mejbri started the season with increased minutes and scored a thunderous strike against Brighton in September. However that has certainly been the highlight of his club career to date.

The Tunisian barely featured for United after October and was sent out on loan to Sevilla. Speaking on the move, the 21 year old was clearly excited about the opportunity, praising the Spanish side’s project.

However, after falling out with teammates and not impressing the coach in training, Hannibal has rarely got off the bench for the Andalusian side, playing a total of 37 minutes over three La Liga games.

This has led to it being reported that Sevilla have no interest in activating the buy option they have or United in keeping him beyond the summer.

Moreover, it seems unlikely that United will get good money for him anywhere, or be persuaded to make him an integral member of their own first team squad, after six months of bench warming at such a critical stage in his career.

Another season that started with early promise but has fizzled out of late has been that of Alvaro Carreras.

The Spaniard started really well on loan at Granada getting numerous minutes but once the autumn got into full swing, he fell down the pecking order and was swiftly moved onto Benfica in Portugal.

The Galician left back has once again struggled for minutes and whilst not playing too badly when given a chance, he has been limited to 201 minutes of action, largely off the bench.

The defender was once again an unused sub in Benfica’s last game at the weekend against Portimonense.

Joe Hugill is another case of a young United loanee going out to experience professional football, but barely getting a kick.

The 2022 Youth Cup winner’s start could hardly have gone better when he scored on debut for Burton off the bench and racked up an assist in his next game.

Lately however, the striker’s appearances have been limited to half an hour off the bench, where he has hardly been able to influence the game at all.

The Youth Cup winning captain, Rhys Bennett, has also only managed one game for Stockport and that was a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Tranmere.

An even more extreme case is the highly rated academy product, Dan Gore has only played one game for League One strugglers Port Vale. The midfielder was hooked off after 54 minutes in a 0-1 home loss to Portsmouth and has been missing in action since.

Finally, defensive midfielder, Maxi Oyedele, is another Carrington product that has been limited to brief cameos off the bench, making little to no impact in League Two for Forest Green.

Obviously, not everyone can have the success Amad Diallo had at Sunderland last season, where he won the PFA Fans Championship player of the year, where he scored 14 goals and provided four assists for the North-East side.

However, it is very worrying that very few of these highly-rated academy products can make any sort of impact at third and fourth division level.

Of course entering a new team is tough in January and especially in teams like Port Vale and Burton who are fighting for their lives in their respective divisions but it begs the questions, what is wrong with the club’s broken loan system.

The club rightly prides itself on its wonderful youth record, but that will only suffer if they cannot find a way to make loans more productive for the player and the club. Very few youngsters like Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo are good or lucky enough to break through right into the first team.

Of course some blame must lie with the players but arguably more must reside with the club, when time and time again players are sent on loan with little return for any of the interested parties.

Perhaps the club needs to rethink its approach and also reassess where they are sending their loan players to.

Stockport are fighting for promotion, so in the crucial spring months, may not want to rely on a 20 year old. As previously mentioned, Port Vale and Burton are fighting for their lives in the lower regions of their divisions. Forest Green also sit 23rd in League Two, so once again, they may not trust a 19 year old to hold their midfield together.

It might be prudent if the club chose teams who are more stable or have less at stake, who might be more prepared to blood youngsters and help foster their talent.

Sometimes, to the untrained eye, it feels the club just accepts anyone who will take them.

This is yet another issue that new part owners INEOS will have to try and rectify over the course of the next few years.

The post Manchester United’s disastrous winter loans highlight major problem for INEOS appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United loanee, Rhys Bennett, endured a difficult introduction to life in League Two.

The 2022 United Youth Cup winning captain made his first appearance for table-topping Stockport, but his side were thumped 4-0 by 17th placed Tranmere.

Despite enjoying 61% of the possession, the Hatters were unable to score or even create more chances than the hosts who had 16 shots to the away team’s 11.

From the United man’s perspective, it was a tough introduction to life in senior football as Stockport were ripped apart from set pieces and crosses into the box all afternoon long.

The second and third goal of the game both came from the man that Bennett was supposed to be marking. For Tranmere’s Jordan Turnbull’s first goal, the United academy product lost his man from a free-kick and the centre half scored a wonderful on the turn volleyed finish to make it 2-0.

Just after the hour mark, the United loanee lost his man once again from a corner and the Tranmere centre back headed in his side’s third.

It is normal that the 20 year old will be ring rusty, having not played for a few weeks and also trying to acclimatise to the ultra-competitive world of the English football league.

The youngster will certainly learn a great deal from the experience.

Sofascore gave the player a rating of 6.2 and despite being at fault for two goals, he did have some decent statistics to his name.

The Mancunian defender made six clearances for his side but could only make one tackle.

Bennett also only won 40% of his ground duels but did win seven out of his 11 aerial battles.

The scorer in the FA Youth Cup final did have a better day on the ball however, as he had a 75% passing accuracy and one key pass to his name.

The 20 year old will be aiming to put things right when the league leaders take on Gillingham on Tuesday night, looking to stop a streak of two consecutive losses as their lead at the top of the table has been reduced to a solitary point.

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Manchester United have had an incredibly busy winter window, sending many more players out on loan.

The best XI out of all the loanees now contains a lot of names who have played in the senior team, but how would they fare if they were assembled as a unit?

The Keeper

In nets stands the giant frame of Radek Vitek. The 2022 Youth Cup winner has made a fine start to life at Accrington Stanley, keeping two clean sheets from his first three games. However, as he is playing in League Two, it is hard to argue that his level is currently any higher than this. Despite his form, three games are not a big enough sample size to declare the Czech under 20 keeper as too good for the league.

The defence

The defence consists of Alvaro Carreras, Will Fish, Rhys Bennett and Brandon Williams. There is no question that Carreras has been playing at the highest level of the four, as he was on loan at Granada and he is now playing for Benfica after a January move. The young Spaniard has also proven his worth in the Championship last season with Preston.

Fish has also played very consistently and he is one of the first names on the team sheet for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League. However, it must be noted that the level of the SPL is significantly below that of La Liga or the Liga Portugal.

Rhys Bennett is on loan at Stockport in League Two but he has yet to play for the side and Brandon Williams has put on an Ipswich shirt 17 times this season. However, he has recently been suffering injuries and he has missed most of the winter schedule.

Overall, the defence is a mix of talent but does have two players who could say they can compete at least Championship standard. The inclusion of Bennett and the uncertainty of the quality of the Scottish Premier League makes this defence a strong League One level, with Carreras evidently being far too good for this level.

The midfield

The midfield trio consists of Dan Gore, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Mejbri. Gore is currently on loan at Port Vale in League One but he has only made one appearance, so it is hard to tell yet if he is good enough for this level.

Hannibal already has a successful loan spell at Birmingham in the Championship and has now begun life in Sevilla in La Liga. However, he has had a tumultuous start to life by picking up two yellow cards and doing little else for his new side.

In fact, there was a fiasco where he was not included in the squad for reportedly not understanding what it means to be a Sevilla player, before being hurriedly included hours later. Nonetheless, there is no evidence that the Tunisian is above Championship level.

Then, there is the curious case of Donny van de Beek. A player who was deciding Champions League semi-final first legs in his early twenties, the now 26 year old seems a shadow of his former self. The Dutchman failed to perform for either United or Everton in the Premier League and despite an improved performance yesterday, he has hardly set the world alight in the Bundesliga for Eintracht Frankfurt.

All in all, despite being a bag of revels once more, the midfield is probably comfortably Championship level.

The Attack

This is where things really get interesting. The attacking trio of Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho and Facundo Pellistri are clearly very talented and have all played international football. Greenwood has adapted to life well in La Liga and he is one of Getafe’s most important players. Before his legal problems in 2022, he was one of the country’s most talented young players.

Despite issues in England, Sancho was wonderful in the Bundesliga before his move to the Red Devils in 2021 and has adapted well to life back in Germany.

Pellistri has found it hard to break into United’s first team but he is a key player for Uruguay and will be hoping to find his level in the lower regions of Spain’s first division for Granada.

The attack is certainly mid table Premier League level at worst. Greenwood and Sancho playing to their maximum potential is certainly good enough for European football.

All in all, this is an incredibly varied team in talent and experience, as one would expect from a loan eleven. While most the back five and Gore could be third or fourth division, the front five of this side elevate it to a Championship team.

Whether they would be good enough to be promoted or settle for mid table mediocrity would depend completely on the development of the backline. This team would score bucketfuls but also most likely concede copious chances.

Verdict: Championship level with a good cup run.

The post How Manchester United’s best loan XI would fair in England’s professional leagues appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The 20-year-old will make the short trip from Old Trafford to Edgeley Park for the remainder of the 2023/24 season, as he seeks more experience at senior level.

Young defender Rhys Bennett has completed a loan move to Stockport County until the end of the season.

A great opportunity, Rhys — backing you to make the most of it! #MUFC || #MUAcademy

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 19, 2024

Stockport County – currently leading League Two by two points – have a history of welcoming United players on loan, with Will Fish the most recent example.

Old Trafford officials are thought to feel the League Two side’s proximity to Manchester makes them an ideal first foray into senior football for academy graduates. The fact Stockport County are atop their division makes them an even more attractive option as a loan destination.

If a youth player is hoping to establish themselves as a first-team player at United, they will have to be able to cope with the pressures and demands of success. A club hoping to win their league and achieve automatic promotion to League One is a perfect context for development.

Bennett has already enjoyed his first samplings of success while at United already, however.

The centre-back captained the under-18 side to victory in the FA Youth Cup in 2022, scoring in the final in the process as United ran out 3-1 winners against Nottingham Forest. A double from none other than Alejandro Garnacho accompanied Bennett’s goal.

#FAYouthCup: winners!

A goal from Rhys Bennett and an Alejandro Garnacho double secures our victory at Old Trafford #MUFC | #MUAcademy

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 11, 2022

The 20-year-old received a new contract this summer, underscoring how “highly-rated” the defender is by both the academy and the first-team coaching staff at Old Trafford.

The centre-back has even been included in Erik ten Hag’s match-day squad on four occasions this season, including the recent trip to the DW Stadium to play Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third round. He is yet to make his senior debut, however.

As explained in a report by The Peoples Person, a number of clubs across the footballing pyramid were interested in securing the defender’s services on loan. But it’s United’s neighbours who have won the race for the talented defender.

Stockport County’s travel to Notts County tomorrow – a match which is likely to come too early for Bennett to be included. Their following match, however – away to Doncaster next weekend at 3pm – may see the 20-year-old’s debut at senior level.

Good luck Rhys!

The post Manchester United confirm Rhys Bennett loan to Stockport County appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Manchester United are still in the market for a marquee signing this January window.

This is according to sources at Football Insider.

The website reports that, “Man United are still in the maerket for a last-gasp permanent signing this month and a marquee deal could yet be done”.

Nonetheless, it is stated that one or two loans are more likely for the Premier League giants but the door has not been closed entirely on a more expensive, permanent transfer.

“A big-money capture, described as a potentially ‘huge’ deal by sources, cannot be ruled out although there will need to be more departures for that to happen”, the outlet says.

United have already been busy on this front, as Jadon Sancho has left the club on loan already. Borussia Dortmund are reportedly paying 40% of his wages so that should free up some financial space.

Donny van de Beek, Hannibal Mejbri and Alvaro Fernandez have also left the club on temporary deals this winter.

The club also aims to shift Facundo Pellistri, who has potential suitors in Granada and has already given the “green light” for the deal. Additionally, academy graduate Rhys Bennett is close to finalising a temporary switch to Stockport.

Football Insider goes on to assert that if sufficient funds can be found, “a late signing is not out of the question for United, with the club’s recruitment team prioritising a new centre-back if they are able to get a deal done”.

However, there is no indication by the outlet who that defender could be.

The Red Devils have most recently been linked to the likes of Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt in the centre back position but any move for these players does not seem likely until at least the summer.

United fans will certainly be hoping the news of a “last-gasp big” signing is true but at least a loan or two needs to get through the door to help the club’s flailing squad in the second half of the season.

The post Manchester United are still in the market for a huge “last-gasp permanent signing” this month appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Pete O’Rourke (footballinsider247) reveals a number of League Two sides have “expressed an interest” in taking the 20-year-old on loan but it appears Stockport have won the race.

The club’s proximity to Manchester is likely to be an appealing factor as Bennett would be able to maintain his current living situation with Edgeley Park around a twenty-minute drive from Old Trafford.

Bennett, a centre-back, joined United at the under-ten level and has been at the club ever since.

He has made sixty-two appearances for the under-18 and under-23 sides, captaining United to FA Youth Cup success two years ago. The defender even scored in the final to help his side to victory.

Bennett received a new contract with the club last summer, alongside fellow graduate Dan Gore, who is also receiving interest across the English football league as a prospective loanee.

Though the 20-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for United, he is thought to be “highly-rated” by the coaching staff at Old Trafford.

This belief in the defender’s talent was illustrated in his inclusion in the match-day squad for the recent trip to the DW Stadium, where United beat Wigan Athletic two-nil in the FA Cup third round.

Erik ten Hag’s side will face off against Newport County in the next round of the cup – the League Two side sit currently in 17th in the table with Stockport in first place.

As such, Bennett will be joining a side pushing to be champions, looking to secure a title and automatic qualification into League One. This constitutes an ideal context for the 20-year-old to be thrust into.

No academy graduate will be able to succeed at United without first being able to prove they can handle the pressure and expectation to challenge for trophies.

O’Rourke reveals Old Trafford officials are “eager for [Bennett] to earn valuable senior minutes” at the League Two side which should help the centre-back take the next step in his development as a player.

The post Academy graduate Rhys Bennett set for loan to Stockport County appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Read the detailed match report of all the action here.

(A score of 6 is around average)

Elyh Harrison – 7 – The England u18s international continues to impress in goal. He made three saves on the night including denying an effort that looked destined for the top corner. Impressive as ever with the ball at his feet and did really well commanding the area and collecting aerial balls which is usually his weakness due to his height.

Willy Kambwala – 5 – Not the Frenchman’s night, struggled to play out through Fulham’s press and to keep up with the agility of Fulham’s wingers. Started the second half strongly with a bomb down the right wing and narrowly missed connecting with a header in Fulham’s box but was ultimately subbed off in the 61st minute shortly after his second foul throw of the match.

Sonny Aljofree – 6 – A decent performance, he made some good blocks and clearances from the box but just came off second best at times and was overshadowed by Bennett.

Rhys Bennett – 8 – Man of the match, Bennett was the clear stand out from start to finish. Matching Fulham’s intensity from the off, he put in a number of strong tackles early on and wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work. Impressive on the ball as well, he made a number of good runs up field and and late on was a constant danger in the Fulham box as he dominated aerially and almost grabbed an assist in the last second with his knock down to Hugill.

Sam Murray – 5 – Up against a tough customer in Imani Lanquedoc, he was left chasing shadows at times as the Fulham frontline operated at such a high pace.

Toby Collyer – 6.5 – A lone calming presence in the United side in the first half, he struggled to keep control of the match by himself albeit he did his best to try. As United relieved the pressure up top in the second half he was able to keep possession ticking over.

Shola Shoretire – 6.5 – A game of two halves, he only produced bits and pieces in the first half but failed to offer the controlling presence required in a deeper midfield role. But as United pushed forward in the second half his quality began to shine through with pinpoint passes and deliveries into the box.

Mateo Mejia – 5 – Was quiet for much of the match but failed to deliver the few times he did pop up in dangerous areas.

Isak Hansen-Aaroen – 6 – Nice touches here and there but just never really got into the full swing of the match as he drifted in and out.

Sam Mather – 5 – His return from injury saw him struggle with the pace of the game as he rarely touched the ball before coming off at the break.

Joe Hugill – 5.5 – Seldomly involved he just wasn’t able to create the openings to get in the danger areas but did come within inches of a late winner that was cleared off the line.

Substitutes

Ethan Ennis – 7 – Immediately injected some pace and directness to the United side and offered a much needed outlet in attack. Faded a bit as the match went on which is to be expected for his first appearance in over a year but was very important to changing the game for United.

James Nolan – 6.5 – Offered more of a calming presence on the right side after replacing Kambwala which helped in retaining possession in the second half.

Ethan Williams – 7.5 – Was only on for 15 minutes but you wouldn’t know it with how involved he was. A number of dangerous crosses and corners from both sides were United’s first real big chances before he took it into his own hands and scored from the edge of the box.

Tom Huddlestone – 6 – Offered the calm and coaching presence at the back that you expect and even popped up with a headed attempt onto the roof of the net.

The post Player Ratings: Fulham u21s 1-1 Manchester United u21s appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The early stages saw Fulham take control of the match with their frontline deploying a high energy press that United struggled to get to grips with, sending a number of passes at the back out of play.

Imani Lanquedoc was one of the brightest for the home side and had a huge chance in the 16th minute when a low cross into the box found him open 10 yards out but the winger put his effort over the bar.

The speedy right winger made no mistake on the next one though when he raced in behind the United backline before poking the ball under Elyh Harrison to give the home side the lead.

While United were failing to match Fulham’s intensity, Rhys Bennett was putting himself about across the pitch with a number of strong challenges. Pushing one Fulham midfielder off the ball, Bennett made a charge up field before trying his luck from 25 yards out to test the Fulham keeper for the first time of the match.

Fulham threatened to add another before the break with some dangerous crosses that were too often cleared straight back to Fulham but a series of good blocks and poor finishing saw the match remain 1-0 into the break.

Travis Binnion looked to the bench at the break and introduced Ethan Ennis, who returned after a lengthy injury to replace Sam Mather, who in turn has been battling injury troubles recently as well.

You never would have known it was Ennis’ first competitive match in over a year though as he instantly injected life into the United side with direct running on the left wing and winning a corner.

With Ennis offering an outlet on the left wing, it relieved the pressure on the back and United began to gain some momentum in possession.

Shola Shoretire came alive in the second half with a number of good deliveries, the first to Sam Murray on the left wing who then cut back to Shoretire following up on the edge of the box but the midfielder’s shot was blocked for a corner.

Fulham were still in it though and a chance from Jonathan Esenga looked destined for the top left corner but for a top save from Harrison.

In the 87th minute, United came close to equalising when Bennett towered above to head from Ethan Williams’ corner but directed it just wide of the left post.

Williams was peppering his deliveries into the box from his left and right boot and they came close again as Tom Huddlestone headed onto the roof of the net.

Into injury time and Williams collected the ball at the edge of the box and blasted into the bottom left corner to give United a dramatic late equaliser.

Ethan Williams last minute equaliser to make it 1-1 #MUFC #MUAcademy #PL2 #ThePeoplesPerson pic.twitter.com/4rR48LjRvK

— The Peoples Person (@_peoplesperson_) October 27, 2023

It wasn’t over there though, Joe Hugill’s headed effort was then pushed onto the post and then collected by the keeper off the line to deny United the late win.

The match finished 1-1 and point brings United into 14th place, just inside the play-off spots.

United: Harrison, Kambwala (Nolan 61), Aljofree (Huddlestone 83), Bennett, Murray, Collyer, Shoretire, Mejia (Williams 78), Hansen-Aaroen, Mather (Ennis 46), Hugill

Unused subs: Plumley

The post Academy Match Report: Fulham u21s 1-1 Manchester United u21s appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

The defence bore a very makeshift look towards the end of the game against Arsenal with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans lining up in central defence.

Both of Erik ten Hag’s first-choice centre-backs — Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are injured with the hope that the Argentine’s one is not as serious.

United’s defensive injury woes

Even Victor Lindelof hobbled off against the Gunners while both left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are out of commission for the time being.

It is the club’s inability to offload stars and recruit properly under the Glazers that caused the manager to have to play the former skipper and the Northern Ireland international in such a crunch game.

Ten Hag would have liked some more options to be available at his disposal after missing out on the likes of Kim Min-jae, Benjamin Pavard, and Jean-Clair Todibo.

The manager could be about to get another option on the bench from the academy. Rhys Bennett, who suffered an injury during pre-season, is close to making a comeback.

The FA Youth Cup-winning captain suffered an injury during the pre-season fixture against Leeds United and missed out on the chance to travel to the US for the pre-season tour.

“After a positive start back on the pitch, I have picked up a minor injury. Hopefully soon back out there playing,” the player had written on social media back then.

Bennett close to making a comeback

Now, The Manchester Evening News has revealed that the academy graduate is “close to a return to full training”.

The 19-year-old had impressed the Dutch boss last season during the World Cup break when he was part of the Spain pre-season squad.

He subsequently was named in the matchday squads for the Carabao Cup game against Burnley and in the Premier League for a game against Nottingham Forest.

Bennett, who is highly-regarded in the academy, is cool and calm on the ball and he could find himself on the bench, especially if other fellow centre-backs do not recover in time.

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