WAS SPEAKING TO DECLAN DALLEY CHRISTMAS DAY

Yes I didn't mean to make it sound like I'm scouting Scholes as the next big thing, but as we know Zidane and Xavi have said he is the best midfielder they ever player against and as Declan said, if you are on his team you win. No wonder Fergie asked him to come out of retirement as there is no other player out there available who can do what he does.

That is the boy who we let go twice and then Manchester United signed him.

So as we were talking the conversation led to what happend and he said, first of all they let him go when he was 15, but then offered him to come back which he took up.

The second time Cardiff said they would give him an extra six weeks because they hadn't made a decision on him but pretty much messed him about.

Manchester United then came in, he had to be accepted by 3 out of a 5 man panel which included Brian Mcclair, ALL 5 SAID YES TO HIM.

When Cardiff got wind of this they offered him a 2 YEAR PRO CONTRACT. By then though it was too little to late and he had decided to go to Manchester.

I also asked if it ever came to it when Manchester United offered him the chance to go out on loan and Cardiff came into him would that suit him.

He said he WOULD NEVER JOIN CARDIFF AGAIN, after the way they treated him.

Getting pretty sick of losing out on our young talent to be honest.

Is he the little fecker from the Jungle ???

I would have thought he would have wanted to try out for Newcastle ???

I'm still reserving judgment on this Declan Dalley thing until the lad actually proves himself. I'm getting the impression he seems to think a lot of himself but that's just from what others have said. If he becomes a decent player then it was a bad call by Cardiff but if he doesn't then we made the right decision.

Just because a player is snapped up by Manchester United or one of the other big clubs, it doesn't mean they are good enough to make the grade. Hundreds of players fail to make it every year at the big clubs and you see a lot of these top club youth players plying their trade in League Two and below.

I only need to remind you about the notorious Ramon Calliste who was touted as the best young talent this country had seen in a decade and has failed repeatedly to make the grade at a number of levels. He is now playing in the Middlesex County Football League for West London Saracens.

I wonder what the ratio of 'successful' to 'unsuccessful' youth signings is at Man Utd?

Seems every transfer window you hear of some youngster being sold to a lower league team BEFORE he's got anywhere near the First Team Squad

I'm sure it's a good grounding (as Savage Robbie proved) but are they (Man Utd) simply edging their bets because (a) they can afford to, and (b) by doing so they stop potential talent going to their rivals?

Just a thought

I'm still reserving judgment on this Declan Dalley thing until the lad actually proves himself. I'm getting the impression he seems to think a lot of himself but that's just from what others have said. If he becomes a decent player then it was a bad call by Cardiff but if he doesn't then we made the right decision.

Just because a player is snapped up by Manchester United or one of the other big clubs, it doesn't mean they are good enough to make the grade. Hundreds of players fail to make it every year at the big clubs and you see a lot of these top club youth players plying their trade in League Two and below.

I only need to remind you about the notorious Ramon Calliste who was touted as the best young talent this country had seen in a decade and has failed repeatedly to make the grade at a number of levels. He is now playing in the Middlesex County Football League for West London Saracens.

I wonder what the ratio of 'successful' to 'unsuccessful' youth signings is at Man Utd?

Seems every transfer window you hear of some youngster being sold to a lower league team BEFORE he's got anywhere near the First Team Squad

I'm sure it's a good grounding (as Savage Robbie proved) but are they (Man Utd) simply edging their bets because (a) they can afford to, and (b) by doing so they stop potential talent going to their rivals?

Just a thought

Definelty, its win win for them as they could end up with a very good player on their hands or they can sell them and gain a bit of money out of it. There have been lots of players that have gone to united youth setup and never gotten anywhere

I'm still reserving judgment on this Declan Dalley thing until the lad actually proves himself. I'm getting the impression he seems to think a lot of himself but that's just from what others have said. If he becomes a decent player then it was a bad call by Cardiff but if he doesn't then we made the right decision.

Just because a player is snapped up by Manchester United or one of the other big clubs, it doesn't mean they are good enough to make the grade. Hundreds of players fail to make it every year at the big clubs and you see a lot of these top club youth players plying their trade in League Two and below.

I only need to remind you about the notorious Ramon Calliste who was touted as the best young talent this country had seen in a decade and has failed repeatedly to make the grade at a number of levels. He is now playing in the Middlesex County Football League for West London Saracens.

I wonder what the ratio of 'successful' to 'unsuccessful' youth signings is at Man Utd?

Seems every transfer window you hear of some youngster being sold to a lower league team BEFORE he's got anywhere near the First Team Squad

I'm sure it's a good grounding (as Savage Robbie proved) but are they (Man Utd) simply edging their bets because (a) they can afford to, and (b) by doing so they stop potential talent going to their rivals?

Just a thought

Definelty, its win win for them as they could end up with a very good player on their hands or they can sell them and gain a bit of money out of it. There have been lots of players that have gone to united youth setup and never gotten anywhere

Yes, I agree. A very clever setup and, as you say, they cannot lose, eh?