Are Reds Cooking The Right Recipe?

Ander Herrera has a wonderful turn of phrase and the Spaniard might just be onto something with his post-match thoughts over the weekend.

The man who made a key contribution off the bench at Wembley, setting up Anthony Martial's dramatic injury-time winner, feels the ingredients are in place for a successful side being built at Manchester United.

"I think, in the last two or three months, we have had the feeling that we are cooking a fantastic team," he said. "Young players, a fantastic mix between them and the experienced players. I can consider myself half and half! [Laughs] I can help also. The young players have the pace. They have the imagination, not only Anthony and Marcus [Rashford], but also Jesse [Lingard] and Memphis [Depay], they have the imagination to make a fantastic team."

The youngsters inevitably garner much of the attention, and why not when they can play like they did on Saturday? Matchwinner Martial is enjoying a sensational first season in England and was already a fans' favourite before setting up the date on 21 May with Crystal Palace. Even though he is only 20, he was only the third-youngest member of the Reds side due to Tim Fosu-Mensah and Rashford's involvement.

Sprinkling a senior side with kids or players barely out of their teens is one thing but there must be old heads around to steady the ship too. The right blend of youth and experience is universally acknowledged as the recipe for success and it has been interesting to hear Fosu-Mensah consistently reference the assistance he receives from his elder colleagues on the pitch.

Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini provided the know-how in the middle of the park and enabled the attackers to express themselves on the big stage. Jesse Lingard may be 23 but this is still his first season in the top flight so he lacks experience while, on the other hand, Daley Blind may be 26 but plays with a maturity far beyond his years.

The average age of the United side against Everton was under 25 (24.90) despite containing a 34-year-old Carrick. This rose to 25.38 when including substitutes Herrera (26) and Antonio Valencia (30) and some will argue this is an optimum age when building a team with one eye on the future.

When Palace provided the opposition in the 1990 final, there were no teenagers on show for Alex Ferguson's side. Mark Robins, at 20, was the youngest Red involved when coming off the bench in the 3-3 draw but replay hero Lee Martin was the most youthful starter as he'd turned 22 in the previous February.

Better comparisons could be drawn with the finals of 1995 and 1996, when Sir Alex was starting to introduce some of his exciting homegrown products into the line-up. Gary Neville and Nicky Butt started in the 1-0 defeat to Everton in '95, while Paul Scholes and an already-established Ryan Giggs (who was 21) came off the bench. A year later, when Liverpool were beaten by the same scoreline, Phil Neville, David Beckham and Butt were in the XI with Gary Neville and Scholes named as substitutes.

When Alan Hansen decreed that you win nothing with kids at the start of that season, he probably did have a point, despite underestimating the vast potential of United's youth-team talent. Eric Cantona was the leader of the team and there was great experience and character in the likes of Peter Schmeichel, Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce, although the latter missed the '96 final.

If United are to lift the famous trophy for a 12th time next month, the youngsters and established stars will, once again, be working harmoniously to handle the big stage and another test of nerve. Enjoying such highs must only whet the appetite for further success, as it always did during Sir Alex's glorious reign. None of United's squad has won the trophy with the Reds (Mata did with Chelsea) so there will be great elation among those who have lost finals - the aforementioned midfield trio of Carrick, Fellaini and Rooney. But it could also prove a spark for others to grow in stature and form part of an exciting team being built by Louis van Gaal.

Credit: Manutd.com