He's a special player, or at least has the potential to be.

Only a matter of time before people turn on him, mind.

The second goal tonight was such a top draw finish.

It surely is only a matter of time before he is a first team starter and a regular one at that.

Hopefully the turning on him doesn't happen for a decade or so.

It was deflected. A good goal nevertheless, but he got a little fortunate.

People will turn on him as soon as he becomes a regular, in both the United and England sides.

For his own sake I hope they keep him in the U21s for a while longer. Might keep the pressure off him for just a while. It wasn't that long ago that people wanted England to give young players like Dele Alli a chance, now he's just another overhyped youngster.

While I said I hope they keep him in the U21s for a while longer, I'm thinking a year. I'm fully expecting him to be at the next WC. He'll be 20, a few months off 21, by then, so should have made a name for himself in football by then if he keeps developing at his current rate as he should.

Allardyce won't be allowed to keep him in the U-21s for much longer. He'll be the next youngster expected to be a world-beater, then rubbished as 'over-hyped' (as you say), when he doesn't score a hat-trick in every game.

Just look at what's happened to Harry Kane.

Top quality player and finisher who you could see looked the part from his first appearance for you guys.

I'd be happy for him to be kept out of the senior England squad this season.

Bit harsh to take that off if him like that, you are a harsh taskmaster!

Just being a United player means that a fair few people will dislike him anyway no matter how good or not he turns out to be, so I don't think that will phase him all that much at this stage of his career.

He should go to the next Under 21 finals tournament, which I think is in Poland next year, that would be a great stage to solidify his international pedigree.

Then he should graduate to the senior side on a more permanent basis.

I said that it was a good goal, and it was. The run into the area was excellent, and so was the attempted shot. However, the fact that it was significantly deflected stops it being a 'top drawer finish', in my eyes.

It was definitely his goal, and I'm probably nitpicking, but there you go.

Okay, yeah it did take a slight deflection, but he deserved it to go in, and to get a hat-trick like that was great to see.

He just keeps on growing and it is great to watch.

Won't happen, unless Kane/Sturridge/Vardy all suddenly hit brilliant form.

A couple more goals for United, and the pressure will be too much. Barring injury, I'd be amazed if he's not in the next senior squad, if not the starting eleven.

The fact that he's already known, due to last season, will add pressure on Allardyce to promote him. There will be calls to "give the young players a chance" instead of playing the same old failures, with the cliché "if he's good enough, he's old enough" being muttered, and comparisons to other young strikers like Rooney and Owen.

Then he fails to win England the World Cup and he's just another overhyped player. It's happening now with Dele Alli. In fact you only need to look at Raheem Sterling, he's still only 21 (22 in December).

He has to get into our side on a more permanent basis before he gets the call up and starts to play for the seniors I would say, and with Ibra in his his way, that is a very tall order.

If he does start games for us, and does continue this form of his, then I could understand a call up to the seniors, but to bring him up whilst he is still mainly being used a sub, that wouldn't really be best for him I think.

Well I think he could be left in the U21 tournament, with there being no senior tournament during that time, but I think that'd require him to remain at U21 level all the way until the end of the season. If he gets promoted to the senior England team by then, maybe plays in the games that appear around March-ish, then he might not be taken.

The main difference between the ones that you mentioned (Owen, Rooney, Sterling and Ali), they even at a young age were starters for their respective club sides when there was a push to include them in the senior side, Rashford due to having Ibra in his way, is not quite yet a regular starter for us.

So whilst there might be a push to give the younger players a chance, surely it makes sense if those young players are starting games, rather than just being a sub?

I hope that you're both right. I'd love it, if he was left out of the senior squad for the next year.

I just don't see it happening. He'll get plenty of minutes for United, over the next few months. If he continues to look as good as he has up until this point, I just can't see Allardyce not going for the easy option.

It all depends on how many games he gets, in this way it will be interesting to see what his role will be for us in the Europa League.
If he is our main striker in that, and does well in the group stage, then of course calls for his inclusion to the main or senior side would be justified.

The future of that sense is all down to him now, as he has shown already that he has got the talent, it is now just about showing it on a regular and consistent basis.

Uh...okay...I'm not talking about those players, though, or making any comparisons or...well...anything. No need to focus on the use of those names in my post because it means nothing.

I didn't think I had to explain my post, but whatever.


This means people will refer to the fact that Owen and Rooney started when they were young, when saying that Rashford should also be starting for England.


This means that Alli and Sterling were once the young players that should be given a chance, and are now being given the criticism for not being world beaters. Alli is only just starting to get it now, when before the Euros there were calls to give him a chance because of the season he had.

It's only three games into the season, it's too soon to be saying he's not a starter or whatever. When fixtures start piling up and the Europa League starts he'll be played. He became a starter last season, and can fight for his place again this season, with less pressure to succeed due to Zlatan being there.

I have said in my previous post that we should wait and see what sort of impact in the Europa League he has, as that could very well be his main chance to a starter for us in a high profile competition.
If he does well in that, then of course the calls for his inclusion in the senior side will only get louder and louder, and rightfully so really, as we do have two very good opponents in our group, plus one unknown quantity (well unknown to myself anyway).

It's the bloody media that do the building up and over hype... The public/fans are the ones who are the realists.

Alistair Bruce ball on 5 live last night during the u21 game re Rashford was embarrassing in his hyperbole, eg when he scored the second goal, he mentioned the deflection, then after the game, no mention of the deflection, it was just a cool,looping finish ... Raved about the pen as well....

I don't believe this thing that we love to build people up in order to knock them down. It isn't a planned thing.

The media built up Sterling after a few games where he showed that he was a nippy, tricky winger, but he was talked of as if he could be Lionel Messi. His club and international performances over the last two seasons (he wasn't particularly special in the season before signing for Man city) have led to justified questions about that hype. Soz, I know this is the Man United thread.

Stones is another one who's suddenly become great now he's joined City. Yeah we know Martinez wasn't the greatest at the defensive part of the game but it's like last season never happened and now he's not being held back anymore.

I hope Zlatan gives him a torrid time on Saturday. I think their defence is definitely there to be got at including Stones.

Especially with an inform Rashford chomping at the bit.

Plus not forgetting that their defence has had practically no time to build up any sort of cohesiveness with Bravo, so their might be a bit of miscommunication due to him most likely making his debut in this match.

Stones is getting praise because he's now being coached by Super Pep, inventor of passing the ball and the saviour of English football.

The hype or love fest for Pep is totally out of control, yew he is a good coach, and has done very well in his career to date, but it is like he can do no wrong, and everything he decides to do is the correct decision.

I think the press just need to calm down a little with their hype of him.