Harry Harris :- United's youngsters find their feet

Sir Alex Ferguson will feel vindicated in continuing to give his youngsters valuable experience, after they brushed aside Tottenham in the Carling Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford.

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Darron Gibson celebrates his fine performance.

Darron Gibson scored two spectacular strikes and the Republic of Ireland midfielder proved he deserves to be pushing for a place in the team, and will certainly retain his place for the rest of the Carling Cup - probably all the way to Wembley.

However, is Gibson actually an Old Trafford kid? Not really. He made his debut four years ago, and is now 22. Hardly a Fergie Fledgling. But he was the best of United's young starters, who hardly pulled up any trees against Spurs - a team with a fabulous League Cup pedigree.

Harry Redknapp's team actually outplayed United for most of the first-half and had their fair share of the play in the second. But the team that couldn't stop scoring against Wigan, suddenly cannot buy a goal. They had plenty of chances but Jermain Defoe - a five-goal hero in the 9-1 trouncing just nine day ago - couldn't find a way through, despite one very good opening.

Back to United's kids, and Gibson was rightly named Man of the Match for his performance and there is no denying he does offer a more physical presence in the midfield. But the jury is still out on some of the others. Gary Neville made a valid point that some of the so-called kids, like Gibson, are internationals, but others are still to make the final step.

Sir Alex angrily defended his young players recently, in the face of what he perceives to be "unbelievable" criticism, insisting that the latest footballers to emerge through the ranks at Old Trafford deserve to be recognised as authentic successors to the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Neville, and David Beckham who all came through the ranks at the same time.

Ferguson was incensed by the media coverage of United's 1-0 defeat at home to Besiktas in the Champions League last Wednesday and the perception that the young players are not good enough to represent the team's future. United are fiercely proud of the number of youth products to make the grade at Old Trafford and Ferguson was animated in his defence of United's young charges.

One broadsheet writer was branded an "idiot" and Ferguson finished by comparing the criticisms to Alan Hansen's infamous comment at the start of United's double-winning 1995-96 season that "you'll never win anything with kids".

Ferguson blasted: "You [the media] wrote that 'there's no future for these players, there's no tomorrow for them.' I couldn't believe that. I played six players - two 18-year-olds, a 19-year-old, a 20- year-old and two 21-year-olds in a European game and you say 'there's no future for them'.