Man Utd's Lacey earns defensive plaudits
[Getty Images] Manchester United Under-21 coach Adam Lawrence has joked that danger man Shea Lacey has finally grasped the concept of tracking back at the age of 19. Lacey has emerged this season as one of the most promising players in United's academy. The England Under-20 international was a key figure in the 4-3 victory over Manchester City in last week's Premier League 2 play-off semi-final and is one of United's most dangerous attacking options going into Saturday night's final against Brighton at Amex Stadium.
But Lawrence was just as pleased with the work Lacey did defending his own goal at City as with the goal and assist he contributed to the victory. "When you isolate some of his one-v-one play - his dribbling, dropping the shoulder, twisting and turning - it's really exciting," said Lawrence. "He's got magic in his feet and is what a Manchester United player should look like.
"I've never seen him run backwards so much [as he did against City]. That was a positive. "I said to him afterwards it's good that finally, at 19 years of age, he's understood what tracking back actually is.
" United are aiming to win PL2 in its new guise for the first time. They last won the old title, based solely on league performance, in 2015-16. They finished second in the table behind Chelsea on goal difference, while Brighton ended the season in 12th spot.
Lawrence feels goalkeeper Will Murdock could be a key figure in the game. "Will is quite a calming presence in terms of the way he can take crosses and being reliable when the ball's going into him," he said. "When you're an outfield player and feel confident with the goalkeeper behind, that obviously really helps the team in terms of giving them a platform.