The end of the Premier League season is not meaningless for Manchester United despite Champions League qualification now being out of reach.
All the players are competing for a place in the FA Cup final, and in some cases, playing for their futures.
One youngster who has been on the fringes of the squad all season is teenager Omari Forson, who came off the bench in the semi-final with an impressive cameo performance.
With Marcus Rashford currently out injured, there is a potential opening in attack, leaving Forson with a little extra motivation to step up and try and grab his chance.
Omari Forson states his case
Omari Forson has been a regular in Erik ten Hag‘s squads this season, without quite really being given full license to show what he can do. He was, for instance, an unused substitute against Burnley at the weekend.
This has left him reduced time to get involved in under-21 football this season, but he has still been able to maximise the minute has has had.
Forson has played regular under-21 games, EFL Trophy matches, and the UEFA Youth League, where he has been an impact maker.
The 19-year-old dropped down for some minutes on Monday as United beat Southampton 6-3.
Forson was unlucky not to score himself, seeing a couple of close efforts saved, but managed to chip in with two assists.
He created the opener with a deft pass to in-form Ethan Wheatley for the first of the striker’s brace, before setting up Sam Mather to score in the second half.
Forson now has 11 goals and four assists at youth level in 10 matches. Broken down by his minutes, the teenager is averaging a goal contribution every 75 minutes.
| Games | Goals | Assists | G/A | Mins per G/A | |
| Omari Forson | 10 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 75 |
Manchester United fans waiting for the real Omari Forson
Omari Forson made his first team debut for Manchester United at the start of 2024 against Wigan, and even provided an assist for Kobbie Mainoo’s winner against Wolves.
He was granted his big chance in the Premier League against Fulham but he was substituted after an hour and United lost the game. Amad has since overtaken him, although himself won’t be satisfied with his minutes.
Forson still only has 82 minutes of first team action to his name, and United fans have found it hard to form a strong opinion on him in these limited minutes.
His consistent production in irregular under-21 games shows there is a talented player in there, who could flourish with a regular first team run.
But Forson’s contract is set to expire, with no resolution yet found, which could in turn be hurting his prospects of game time.
It’s important he grabs any chances he gets between now and the end of the season, and his latest under-21 display will have sent a message to manager Erik ten Hag.