Welbeck joins England U-21 squad/Macheda & Petrucci join CL squad

[Agony]

Welbeck earns England callReds striker Danny Welbeck is making the step up to England's Under-21s squad for the forthcoming friendly with Ecuador in Malaga next Tuesday.The 18-year-old has burst onto the first-team scene at Old Trafford this season after previously impressing in United's Reserves and Academy sides.Since making his senior Reds bow against Middlesbrough in the Carling Cup back in September, the Longsight-born forward has gone on to make five starts and two substitute appearances.He's scored twice in that time - a spectacular strike against Stoke City on his Premier League debut in November, and another well-taken goal against Southampton in the FA Cup.He's previously done well for England at schoolboy, U16 and U19 levels, and now England U21s boss Stuart Pearce wants to take a closer look at what Welbeck can do."We're having a look at Danny, who has done well in the U19s and broken into the team at Old Trafford, which is no mean feat."In the 22-man squad, Pearce's entire forward line is of Old Trafford origin. Welbeck is joined by Fraizer Campbell, who's on loan at Tottenham Hotspur, and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, now with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Another Red, Tom Heaton, on loan at Cardiff City, is likely to be first-choice goalkeeper.The squad are now in preparation for this summer's UEFA European U21 Championships in Sweden, and Danny will hope to play a prominent part when England take on Finland, Spain and Germany in the group stage of the competition.http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=...;newsid=6626448

Italian duo added to Reds’ Champions League squadPosted by nickogs20 on February 3, 2009Sir Alex Ferguson has added Federico Macheda and Davide Petrucci to United’s Champions League squad for the rest of the season.The end of the January transfer window also sees clubs in Europe given the opportunity to make three changes to their registered UEFA ‘A’ list. Owen Hargreaves and Manucho were originally registered on that list back in September, but with the former ruled out for the season through injury and the latter spending the rest of the campaign on loan at Hull City, two spots have been freed up.Those spots have been filled by Macheda and Petrucci. The 17 year-olds - so impressive in tandem recently at reserve and academy level - are the obvious choices, given their ineligibility for the ‘B’ list due to having not been registered with the club for two years. Macheda is already in possession of shirt number 41, and Petrucci has now been handed the number 43 shirt.The full registered squad list now reads as follows:Goalkeepers1 Edwin van der Sar12 Ben Foster29 Tomasz Kuszczak40 Ben Amos *Defenders2 Gary Neville3 Patrice Evra5 Rio Ferdinand6 Wes Brown15 Nemanja Vidić20 Fábio21 Rafael22 John O’Shea23 Jonny Evans *39 James Chester *42 Richard Eckersley *Midfielders8 Anderson11 Ryan Giggs13 Ji-Sung Park16 Michael Carrick17 Nani18 Paul Scholes19 Daniel Welbeck *24 Darren Fletcher28 Darron Gibson *34 Rodrigo Possebon43 Davide PetrucciForwards7 Cristiano Ronaldo9 Dimitar Berbatov10 Wayne Rooney32 Carlos Tévez41 Federico Macheda* = Player list Bhttp://manunitedyouth.wordpress.com/2009/0...quad/#more-1486

[Lieutenant]

Danny boy deserves it

[FANTA]

made up for him.fully deserved!!!would love to see Petrucci get a run out in the first time at some point.

[Avon Barksdale]

Wouldnt expect to see Petrucci get any minutes this season unless we wrap up the Title with a few games to spare.Our squad actually is amazing the depth is just wowish.

[The King]

Wouldnt expect to see Petrucci get any minutes this season unless we wrap up the Title with a few games to spare.Our squad actually is amazing the depth is just wowish.

C/SWould love to see Petrucci against the Ities if were sailing through tho.Pleased for Danny, done ok when played. Just hope he won't be taking lessons from Micah Richards if he breaks into the national team if he puts in a strong second half of the season.

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Ive been hearing that Petrucci is, and to quote, 'Ridiculous' so boy can only hope he gets a chance at some point.Cant see it myself but you can always hope

[Sleepz]

Big moves.While you lot are here.Tosic against pool reserves.

[scared of who?]

Ghana forever stuck with Junior Agogo :lol: Getting snubbed from all angles

[Mr. Gayle]

Maybe on a par with Arsenal youngers or are they surpassed ?

[FANTA]

Big moves.While you lot are here.Tosic against pool reserves.

looked far more relaxed in that game.

[Trim]

good to see (welbeck call up), very good player especially for his age england u21's have a good squad

[Hmmm]

i seen petrucci play live a few months ago and while he looks to have bags of potential hes a million miles away from the first team yetmacheda will suffer from the same problem welbeck and many others will and have....massive massive prospect, but plays in the position we are arguably strongest in, just cant see him getting a real chance...

[Captain Planet]

Ghana best send their most influential rep over here soon.Lest I travel there this summer and decide to make the squad.

[Aquaman]

Francis Coquelin>>>>>> all your youngers

[Agony]

Francis Coquelin>>>>>> all your youngers

GTFO

[Aquaman]

oh its true its damn true

[Agony]

The assist by Petrucci was too much

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

ERGHLike seriously, thats just DIRT

[Guest LucaPiano]

Akfobe >>> Petrucci,does petrucci train with brazil national team?

[Agony]

Macheda and Petrucci make big impression on SolskjaerPosted by nickogs20 on February 13, 2009Reserve team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been speaking about the impression United’s 17 year-old Italian duo Kiko Macheda and Davide Petrucci have made on the coaching staff at Carrington.Macheda and Petrucci were added to the Reds’ 30-man Champions League squad at the start of the month, and have stepped up near-permanently from Paul McGuinness’ U18 setup into Solskjaer’s reserve side of late. In addition to that, the pair have been increasingly participating in first-team training sessions, all prompting comparisons with the path Danny Welbeck’s career has taken - the young Mancunian having progressed similarly last season.Macheda has been in typically free-scoring form for the academy this season, and while the transition to regular reserve football has seen the flow of goals subside a little, Welbeck experienced similar problems when adapting last season - in both cases, the lack of an established and regular strike partner has hindered the young forwards. Nonetheless, Macheda has steadily improved and shown there is a lot more to his game than goals, never more so than in last week’s reserve victory over Bolton Wanderers.Solskjaer told the Manchester Evening News: “Macheda is a big talent. He has the ability and can score goals. It is not easy to leave your home country at 16 and come to a new culture. It takes time to settle down. But he signed pro in August last year and has buckled down and got a professional head on him. We expected him to make progress and he has. He is a big, young lad and has good technique and is quick. “He scored goals for the Under-18s but unfortunately because we have struggled with forwards in the reserves he has had to play up front a lot on his own. But it is all a part of the learning curve for him. He is hungry to improve. “You see him when he has come back from training sessions with the seniors and he wants more because he has learned so much. When you are in and around the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tévez you have to look, listen and learn. He’s picked up on things like movement. If you do that you cannot fail to make progress. Being with them tells him he is getting closer.”Petrucci, the younger of the duo, joined United from Roma last summer, a year after his fellow Roman Macheda arrived from the Eternal City’s other big name, Lazio. Despite coming from the youth setups of those two rival clubs, the Italian pair have unsurprisingly clicked off the pitch, Macheda doubtless helping his compatriot settle in Manchester. That relationship has manifested itself on the pitch as well, the pair having linked up to great effect on numerous occasions this season.As Solskjaer says: “Firstly it starts with an off-the-field friendship. Obviously both coming from Rome they are drawn to each other anyway but on the field they have hit it off as well. They have created a great understanding.Petrucci took time to show the immense promise that prompted United to swoop for him last summer (and that left Roma so angry to see him leave), but now seems to be at the heart of the Reds’ best attacking play in every game he features in. “Davide is a No.10 because he plays behind the striker and can also play in midfield. They bounce off each other and look for each other in matches. Sometimes partnerships like that just happen. Like Federico, Davide took his time to adapt. It takes six months to get used to United’s intense training. But he has found his feet. “He is technically and tactically very gifted. He scores some great free kicks and goals. He scores the kind of goals you would put on a DVD because he is capable of the spectacular.So what next for the duo? A hectic reserve fixture schedule promises plenty of football for the pair between now and May, and while they are unlikely to feature at first-team level unless injuries hit with a vengeance, the experience Welbeck doubtlessly gained when travelling and training with the squad on the road to Moscow last season will hopefully be replicated with the young Italians as United bid to reach the Champions League final once again, this time - somewhat appropriately - in Rome.Final word to OGS, who should know a thing or two about quality forward play: “They’ve worked hard, listened and learned and we rate these lads. They have learned the Manchester United way and got a very good education. It is exciting times for them and this is confirmation of the progress they have made. It is a sign we believe in them and now you are asking the question of them, can they make the next level?” “It is great this chance they are getting to witness and take part in first-team training and be involved on European trips because not only does it hopefully motivate them but it will inspire all the other young lads as well. “They have all been told that age doesn’t matter at this club, it is all about performances, but seeing other youngsters getting this opportunity is more evidence of that.”

[BATTY BOY BUM BANDIT]

Solskjaer is such a legend.I aint really seen much of either of these two but what i have seen....wow