Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says that the club is lacking in good players aged 20 and 21. Mourinho has used academy graduates throughout the club’s preseason tour of the US, including Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and James Garner.
But with the club’s Under-23 squad suffering relegation last season, Mourinho says that he had no choice but to go younger.
And he believes that the level of quality is “not good” in the next age group off the conveyor belt.
“We have just a few players here, lots of kids, our kids are really, really young,” Mourinho said.
“That’s because the team of older ones, the under-23’s, the team was relegated.
“The team went to the second division, so the quality was not good so we prefer to bring kids.
“The good young players are too young. We don’t have good players of 20, 21, like for example Real Madrid have, our good players are young, they are 16, 17.
“We are going to make good players from our youth team again when they grow older because I repeat, our under 23’s were relegated.”
Jose Mourinho says he has not “learned anything” from Manchester United’s USA tour after their first win in 90 minutes on Tuesday night.
Alexis Sanchez had a goal and an assist as United won 2-1 over Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium, following a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool and a penalty shootout win over AC Milan.
Madrid got one back just before the break through Karim Benzema, who latched on to a probing cross by Theo Hernandez.
United – who gave a start to new signing Fred – only managed 29% of the possession and completed half the number of passes Madrid managed.
The pace at the Hard Rock Stadium dropped in the second half, as Julen Lopetegui’s side made 10 changes while United gave youth prospect James Garner a run out.
The Red Devils have now returned home to Manchester after a tour during which Mourinho learned nothing new about his players.
He said: “I know what Herrera is, I know what Mata is, I know what Sanchez is, I know what they are.
“I know that the kids are very young and the kids need time to grow up.
“I know that my players gave everything.”
Mourinho also revealed that three of his players will return early from their holidays.
Phil Jones, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku have all cut short their holiday for pre-season training, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said.
The trio, who all starred in the World Cup, will return three days earlier than scheduled to be ready for United’s first game on August 10.
Mourinho mentioned the trio in his post-match press conference after a 2-1 win over Real Madrid, but made no mention of World Cup winner Paul Pogba, nor Jesse Lingard or Marouane Fellaini.
The Portuguese said: “In a few days we go to Munich and in 11 days we start the Premier League and these are the players that we have, plus (Victor) Lindelof, that started training two days ago.
“Plus Marcus Rashford, (Phil) Jones and (Romelu) Lukaku because they gave to the group and to the team three days of their holiday so they’re coming back three days early to try and be available for the team.”
Mourinho freely admitted he wants another two new signings in a bid to launch an improved Premier League title challenge by the August 9 deadline, but attempted to downplay the frustrations of only getting one.
Asked if he was confident he would get both, the United boss said: “No. I am confident I get one.
“I am confident I get one, but I think two I am not going to get which is not a drama.I think in every pre-season it happens basically the same and probably with every club, which is the manager wants more. It’s our nature, it’s our way of being – you always want more for your team.But then club decisions are different and normally you don’t get what you want, which happened basically during all my career.So, if I get one player until the end of the market, that’s fine.”