Wayne Rooney will not rest easy despite Manchester United youngsters' efforts

He will, no doubt, have come to the same conclusion as the 46,083 ensconced in Old Trafford and the millions more enduring for as long as they could muster on television. That future, he will know, is not nearly as bright as he might have hoped.

If last week’s farrago over the England striker’s own destiny tested Manchester United’s patience and their nerve, the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carling Cup provided the first examination of their policy and their promises.

Rooney may not have said it explicitly, but the message inherent in the concerns expressed during his act of brinkmanship was clear: a club the size of United should not be relying on unproven youngsters to remain competitive; understudies should not tread the boards at the Theatre of Dreams.

United’s counter was defiant, emphatic: the club’s belief in identifying and nurturing the most promising colts from around the world will stand Old Trafford in good stead for years to come. “We will always look for prize nuggets to polish the Manchester United way,” said Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is in this competition that the Scot chooses to determine the carat rating of his latest diamonds. The policy has enjoyed some success, too, United’s youngsters taking the club to two successive Carling Cup finals.

“Last season’s win was useful in our development strategy,” said the Scot.

“It had an important bearing on my transfer policy during the summer. I was able to see how a number of the younger guys did playing in a tougher environment, and I was better able to assess whether I needed to bring in many new players.

“The fact that we restricted ourselves to three young signings – Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez and Bebe – tells you that we have a good squad which, for the time being at any rate, merely needs to be kept topped up with young developers. [The Carling Cup] is a chance to bring them on, test their temperament and give them a glimpse of the future.”

Quite what that future holds - for the youngsters themselves, for United, for Rooney - remains uncertain on this evidence. Dangerous as it is to draw conclusions from one performance, the idea that Ferguson has another generation ready to conquer the world at his disposal is a fanciful one.

Bebe, all £7.4 million of him, found himself easily out-muscled and out-thought by George Elokobi for much of the game, his goal reliant on a stroke of fortune and a rare lapse of judgment from the Wolves left-back.

Federico Macheda, played as a lone striker, failed to impose himself. The initial cameos of his United career suggested he was destined for greatness; injury seems to have slowed his progress. Gabriel Obertan was anonymous throughout, his £3 million signing last summer increasingly looking like folly, albeit a comparatively cheap one.

Smalling, meanwhile, carries himself with the same languid demeanour as Rio Ferdinand but - understandably at 20 - lacks his ability to pull a defence into line.

He, like Fabio da Silva, became ever less comfortable as Wolves, cutting United apart almost at will, grew in confidence. Even Ben Amos, the young goalkeeper, hardly covered himself in glory, at fault for the first goal.

This, Ferguson believes, is United’s future. Rooney will take solace in the fact that he may, after all, have had a point.

United youngsters

Ben Amos
At fault for Wolves’s first equaliser as he found himself caught out of position and unable to deal with David Jones’s corner. The rest of display, though, showed signs of promise, particularly given his youth. Commanded his area relatively well.
The next: Ben Foster

Fabio
Along with his twin brother Rafael, widely believed to be United’s long-term solution to their full-back slots. He is yet to erase the streak of impetuousness from his game, though, and how often he is caught out of position suggests he lacks the defensive awareness to succeed Patrice Evra.
The next: Gabriel Heinze

Chris Smalling
Given the size of his £12 million fee from Fulham this summer, United fans would be forgiven for expecting a rather more polished player, but Smalling definitely has promise, for all his travails against an impressive Wolves side.
The next: Gary Pallister

Bebe
The most surprising transfer of the summer, this was Old Trafford’s first glimpse of the young Portuguese. His goal will have offered hope that Sir Alex Ferguson’s £7.4 million risk may yet pay off, but the sight of him being effectively silenced by George Elokobi made it clear he is very much a long-term prospect.
The next: Nani

Gabriel Obertan
Arrived from Bordeaux in the summer of 2009 with a reputation as the unpolished gem of French football, but has done little to suggest he will ever fulfil the promise he displayed as a youngster in Ligue 1. On this evidence, his Old Trafford career is likely to be brief.
The next: David Bellion

Federico Macheda
The goal which all but won the 2009 Premier League title against Aston Villa may have ensured his place in Old Trafford folklore, but he has not yet developed into the star the club hoped he would. All too often the Italian, so effective from the bench, fails to impose himself when handed a starting role.
The next: Mark Robins