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David Moyes cut holes in his own safety net at United by attempting to change the Reds’ academy style.

Back in the grim days of 1989 when Alex Ferguson’s Old Trafford future as United boss came under increasingly intense scrutiny and the support was losing patience on the terraces, his back-the-scenes groundwork with the youth system bought security.

Largely unseen at that point by the match-going fan, Fergie was revamping the club’s neglected youth policy and scouting network.

Having learned of neighbours City’s win in the FA Youth Cup over United in 1986 before his arrival from Aberdeen and seen the fact that Maine Road was hoovering up many of the best local talent, Ferguson set about shifting the balance back to the Reds being the main attraction for the best kids in the area.

Les Kershaw was brought on board to head the scouting system and old boys Nobby Stiles and Brian Kidd were employed as youth team coaches.

The spirit of the Busby Babes era blossomed as United began to take command of Manchester and the Class of ‘92 was the first major public success when they triumphed over Leeds and won the 1993 FA Youth Cup.

As well as discovering the nuggets, the youth team staff had to teach a style of play that was to run through the whole club, from the youngest apprentices to the most senior players. They were educated in the United style.

It was because of that background strategy that the United board, made up of chairman Martin Edwards and directors Sir Bobby Charlton, Maurice Watkins and Michael Edelson, never ever discussed the possibility of sacking Fergie in the late 80s despite poor league results and fans beginning to call for his head.

The youth policy was Fergie’s safety net.

Unfortunately it is understood that Moyes effectively tampered with his own job security by attempting to produce a more athletic next generation with less emphasis on ball skills.

A number of the staff working with the younger players were uneasy about the change and a good few entrenched in Fergie’s ways of developing the academy players wondered if they would get the call to Moyes’ office to discover their P45s on the table.

In the end it was the manager who got the bullet and with concerns over how things were changing on the youth development side, Moyes didn’t have the safety net Fergie had created for himself over a quarter of a century ago when results were not going his way.

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