SoccerReds' rookies are still raw

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Hansen knew his stuff, or so he and we thought. One of Liverpool’s most decorated players during their dominant pre-Premier League years of the 1980s, the former Scottish international turned football analyst dismissed Manchester United’s title chances following a comprehensive defeat on the opening day of the 1995/96 season.

United had offloaded a number of seasoned veterans that summer and introduced several youngsters into the first team. Hansen reasoned their collective lack of experience would be costly and rivals clubs would benefit. He was almost right. At one stage Newcastle United sat on a cavernous 12-point lead but ran out of steam short of the finish line, allowing United to complete the EPL and FA Cup double.

How was Hansen, or any of us, to know these “kids” were something special? Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, the Neville brothers and a certain David Beckham, none more than aged 21 at the time, combined with a ‘veteran’ 22-year-old Ryan Giggs to propel Manchester United to more silverware.

Hindsight is, of course, always 20/20. Trouble is, it’s never there when you need it.

I was reminded of Hansen’s faux pas when watching Toronto FC tackle a tough and experienced DC United – a game in which coach Chris Cummins partly chose and was partly forced to give youth its head. A combination of injury and suspension meant he was short handed but Cummins had clearly decided the time was right for a significant change of direction.

Already this year we’ve grown accustomed to seeing youngsters such as Stefan Frei, Sam Cronin and Nana Attakora take their first professional steps in a league renowned for its uncompromising, physical style of play. By common consent they’ve acquitted themselves well – Frei is already being tipped for a career in cash-laden Europe and the fact he holds a Swiss passport will ease his passage, probably sooner rather than later.

Cronin is a quick learner and has clearly benefitted from being surrounded by the contrasting styles and experience of Carl Robinson and Amado Guevara. As a result he got to represent his country at the Gold Cup. Attakora is a TFC original who has matured and forced his way out of the defunct reserve team into the main lineup this term. He, too, would have gone to the Gold Cup had he not been needed to hold the fort and sensibly choose to cement his place in Cummins plans rather than win his first senior cap for Canada.

Now we’ve got to get used to another crop of young guns who’ve been given a chance and are hungry for more. Cummins chose the right moment to start his teenage Gambian imports and his much-vaunted Jamaican-born Canadian striker. If Emmanuel Gomez, Amadou Sanyang and O’Brian White are to play a role in the playoff push, they needed to be pushed in the deep-end at some point.

With a daunting road trip ahead and home games running short, Cummins needed to know if any or all were both mentally as well as physically ready. He now has an answer. None are anywhere near the finished article, but all have shown they are ready to compete against opponents for points and against teammates for places.

Having come through the initiation unscathed and shared in the joy of victory, they now know they are truly on board. What happens next will be interesting indeed. While these are raw rookies who have their whole careers ahead of them, Cummins faces an immediate selection dilemma. Does he give a vote of confidence to the team which beat an underperforming DC United with the huge benefit of home advantage, or does he protect the “kids” from the harsh realities of life on the road?

For a start, he’ll have more bodies from which to select away to Chivas USA. Marvell Wynne, Nick Garcia and Chad Barrett will likely all be available and while a win is neither essential, nor necessarily expected in Carson, Calif., the temptation must be to recall experienced campaigners who know how to manage a game and grind out a point.

At the same time, the TFC coaching staff will find it hard to justify dropping eager players who did little wrong and whose only crime is inexperience. For me, all three did enough to keep their places and I’m sure at least two of them will be on the starting list to kick off the road trip.

White took his goal well and needs to live up to all the hype to keep Gerba and Barrett on the bench, while Gomez can expect another chance since Jim Brennan will be suspended. Sanyang may be the odd man out – it’s tough to see him forcing his way into a crowded and talented midfield, though he did play the whole game last weekend when Guevara replaced Robinson at the interval.

The thing about “kids” is you just never know what they’ll turn out to be. At this stage of their respective development they are showing collective potential and that, in itself, is encouraging for the franchise going forward – not this season – but three to five years down the line. Toronto FC may well win nothing with the kids in 2009, but kids have a funny way of growing up.

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