Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says last season's Carling Cup win convinced him his youngsters were good enough.
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."
