The proof that Ruben Amorim is a poor man’s Steve McClaren

Ruben Amorim named the youngest Manchester United starting XI in Premier League history to prepare for a crucial European game. How mid-2000s of him.

Sixth youngest – Manchester United 3 Leeds 0 (October 2000)

David O’Leary had a decent if drearily modern reason for naming a Leeds starting XI with an average age of just 22 years and 341 days against Manchester United at Old Trafford in October 2000.

Leeds would ordinarily be entirely reluctant to sacrifice a game of such magnitude against a bitter rival, but finding it sandwiched between Champions League first group stage games against Besiktas in Turkey and at home Barcelona three days either side, it was deemed necessary.

Manchester United fully punished that insolence with a comfortable enough win at Old Trafford which featured an own goal from 20-year-old Matt Jones. But Leeds will not have regretted their decision as two draws in Europe helped them reach the second group stage, from which they would also advance before a valiant fall in the semi-finals.

They even qualified for Europe again the next season – albeit the UEFA Cup – by finishing fourth in the league.

Starting XI: Paul Robinson; Gary Kelly, Jonathan Woodgate, Danny Hay, Dominic Matteo; Matt Jones, Jacob Burns, Lee Bowyer, Stephen McPhail; Alan Smith, Mark Viduka.

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Fifth youngest – Sunderland v Arsenal (May 2008)

At 31 years old, Gilberto Silva must have felt like the designated driver when Arsenal travelled to the Stadium of Light for the final day of the 2007/08 season. The closest to the Brazilian in terms of age in Arsene Wenger’s starting line-up, which had an average age of 22 years and 315 days, was 24-year-old Emmanuel Eboue.

The bench featured one 20-year-old, two aged 18 and two aged 17, and 19-year-old Theo Walcott scored the only goal of the game.

As an aside, of the 11 youngest starting XIs in Premier League history, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal account for four. No other manager has named more than one, and Manchester United and Everton are the only other clubs to account for as many as two. There wasn’t even a specific reason for him to name such a young side for this match; he just did it for the love of the game.

Starting XI: Lukasz Fabianski; Emmanuel Eboue, Johan Djourou, Philippe Senderos, Gael Clichy; Theo Walcott, Gilberto Silva, Alex Song, Denilson; Nicklas Bendtner, Emmanuel Adebayor.

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Fourth youngest – Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 0 (May 2017)

Joel Pereira (20), Demetri Mitchell (20), Scott McTominay (20) and goalscorer Josh Harrop (21) all made their first-team debuts against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on the final day of the 2016/17 Premier League season. Axel Tuanzebe (19) and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (19) also started as Jose Mourinho showed his faith in the kids by naming a starting XI with an average age of just 22 years and 284 days.

Harrop scored and Angel Gomes came on as a late substitute to become the youngest player in Manchester United’s Premier League history.

There was, of course, an ulterior motive. Wayne Rooney, at 31, was the babysitter as United cruised to a 2-0 victory, with the Europa League final just three days later. A few of the more experienced players were called upon to conquer Ajax as “humble” Jose schooled those “poets”.

Starting XI: Joel Pereira; Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Demetri Mitchell; Josh Harrop, Axel Tuanzebe, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Jesse Lingard; Wayne Rooney.

Third youngest – Brentford 4 Manchester United 3 (May 2025)

Eight years has passed since a Manchester United side suffering a deeply regrettable Premier League season cast it to one side completely to focus on an unlikely surge to Europa League glory.

History has repeated itself under Ruben Amorim, but it should be pointed out that an embarrassing Premier League campaign for Manchester United was once considered to be finishing 6th and not particularly far from the Champions League places, rather than scrapping with Wolves and Spurs to see who can come 13th or 14th rather than 15th.

The Portuguese was justified in rotating between Europa League semi-final first legs, particularly after the accomplished vanquishing of Athletic Bilbao in Spain. But Matthijs de Ligt suffering an early injury was a setback and Alejandro Garnacho and Amad, the forwards aged 20 and 22 often tasked with carrying the team in an attacking sense, needing to claw back some dignity, pride and momentum even still in defeat was not ideal preparation.

Brentford beat a side which started with an average age of 22 years and 270 days, and there is every chance that bar is lowered in the build-up to a Europa final.

Starting XI: Altay Bayindir; Tyler Fredricson, Matthijs de Ligt, Luke Shaw; Patrick Dorgu, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Amass; Mason Mount, Alejandro Garnacho; Chido Obi.

Second youngest – Portsmouth 0 Arsenal 3 (May 2009)

Just as Wenger used the final throes of the Premier League season to give the youngsters an extended chance in the previous season, the Frenchman named the second youngest starting XI in the competition’s history exactly 12 months later.

Few would have seen Andrey Arshavin’s pre-pubescent looks and expected him to be the oldest member of this starting XI, whose average age was 22 years and 237 days.

Nicklas Bendtner, then just 21, struck twice against Portsmouth at Fratton Park, while a 20-year-old Carlos Vela also found a way past David James. At 38, the former England international was over double the age of 18-year-old Aaron Ramsey.

Seven of the players named in that callow starting line-up against Sunderland in May 2008 popped up against to beat Portsmouth in May 2009, although this time it was at least to help get ready to be beaten by Manchester United in a Champions League semi-final second leg at the Emirates.

Starting XI: Lukasz Fabianksi; Bacary Sagna, Johan Djourou, Emmanuel Eboue; Alex Song, Denilson, Aaron Ramsey; Andrey Arshavin, Carlos Vela, Theo Walcott; Nicklas Bendtner.

Youngest – Fulham 1 Middlesbrough 0 (May 2006)

Let it never be forgotten that Mourinho was just copying Steve McClaren. The Portuguese named a weakened starting XI in preparation for an upcoming secondary European final more than a decade after the Eredivisie’s finest ever coach established the trick.

If Mourinho inevitably thought that the Premier League held his United side back in terms of their Europa League arrangements, he should have tried walking a day in Shteve’s shoes.

United played six games in 21 days leading up to their date with Ajax; Boro faced seven in 21 ahead of their clash with Sevilla. Both teams played 64 games throughout the whole season, and McClaren spent £9.3million, not £150m, the previous summer.

Boro also had three games in between their final Premier League game and the UEFA Cup final, and McClaren chose to name a starting XI with an average age of 20 years and 181 days against Fulham. Seven teenagers were joined by a 20-year-old Danny Graham, two 21 year olds, and a 27-year-old Malcolm Christie.

Second-half substitute Colin Cooper, then 39, was more than twice as old as seven starters.

“It was a historic day for the club. The performance by the young players was incredible,” said McClaren, managing his final domestic Boro game after confirmation arrived earlier in the week that he was to be appointed Sven Goran-Eriksson’s replacement as England coach. That call-up for 39-year-old Colin Cooper, then 39 and more than twice as old as seven starters, never did materialise before retirement.

Starting XI: Ross Turnbull; Andrew Davies, Matthew Bates, David Wheater, Andrew Taylor; Adam Johnson, Lee Cattermole, James Morrison, Jason Kennedy; Malcolm Christie, Danny Graham.

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