Mason Greenwood Ryan Giggs David Beckham Man UtdGetty/Goal

Why it's time for Man Utd to forget the Class of '92

Manchester United must forget the Class of ‘92 as they aim to get themselves back to the top of the Premier League, according to Paul Parker.

The former Red Devils right-back was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's side that won the club's first league title in 26 years before he was eventually replaced by Gary Neville.

That crop of Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Neville and his younger brother Phil were regular Premier League winners, while they also secured Champions League glory in 1999.

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And Giggs, Gary Neville and Scholes were still at the club for the 2008 win over Chelsea in Moscow but Parker thinks that United must now move on from trying to recreate that era.

"Everyone is looking at [the Class of] ‘92, but that needs to be put to bed. The Class of ‘92 were coming into a different Manchester United team," Parker told Goal

"If you have a squad of players who feel mistreated, the young players can struggle, but our youngsters had a flourishing team. The boss knew how to fit them in. They became even better because of what was happening around them."

David Beckham Manchester UnitedGetty Images

Ahead of the Europa League game against Astana, Parker thinks the introduction to the first team could be far harder for this vintage of young players.

The likes of Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Nemanja Matic have been linked with moves away and could be frustrated by their lack of time on the pitch, with Parker concerned over a potential lack of leadership.

"Ferguson wanted the right players around them. If you bring a team who are not together, who are a little bit bitter, the younger players are going to feel they’ve got to do something straight away," he said.

"They haven’t got the real pros around. They will need to keep it simple, and if they make a mistake, they want players to encourage them. You need to be told, 'Right idea, but wrong execution'. That’s how players are made and broken."

The likes of Mason Greenwood, Angel Gomes, James Garner and Tahith Chong could all feature on Thursday night but Parker thinks pressure from the press and social media to perform right away means their careers are vulnerable to early disappointments.

"You could put those kids to the sword, and they won’t come up again," he added. "You have to give the team the chance to win [by not fielding an entirely youthful XI]... I don’t know if Ole can trust some of the pros to help them through the game. They might be more worried about themselves."

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