Manchester United’s youth academy is rudderless as the club look to split off responsibility

One of the country's most celebrated youth academies is at a crossroads.

Manchester United are famed for producing some of the greatest homegrown players to grace the game in this country, from the Busby Babes to the Class of '92, but now the production line is in need of serious maintenance. The club's academy is falling behind rival youth set-ups such as Southampton, Spurs and Everton, with close rivals Man City hoovering up the local talent to join their heavily funded operation. In comparison, the Red Devils are in relative disarray. Brian McClair left his role as the chief of the academy last year and still hasn't been replaced. Meanwhile, Derek Langley, the club's head of youth player recruitment, is reportedly fed up with a lack of funding at youth level and may depart too. Now the Manchester Evening News report that McClair's vacant position may be split into two separate roles - a head coach and a head administrator. John McDermott, Spurs' head of coaching and player development, has already turned down the opportunity to join United, and so the club may now turn to a 40-year-old former graduate. One-time reserve defender Chris Casper has been linked with one of the new split-off vacancies, and may be charged with turning around what is seen as a failing operation.