Mason Greenwood shows the Man United strategy is working

Mason Greenwood is eligible to feature in Manchester United's FA Youth Cup tie against Lincoln City on Friday evening but it is safe to assume he will have a night off.

Read more: Man Utd 4-0 AZ: Greenwood & Mata inspire sweeping victory as Utd win the group

Greenwood did not quite live up to his David Bowie ditty of scoring with his left foot and with his right, though there is oodles for that. His first two-goal contribution in the United first-team is another reminder he is a boy quickly turning into a man. Greenwood outgrew junior football long ago.

"Mason Greenwood's dynamite," the United supporters sing to Starman. The 18-year-old already has more United goals than Radamel Falcao, Angel di Maria and Federico Macheda, that teenager that crashed and burned on Sir Alex Ferguson's watch. Greenwood, like Marcus Rashford, will be wowing those who walk down the Warwick Road for years to come.

United failed to produce an established homegrown striker after Mark Hughes in the early 80s until Anthony Martial's hamstring allowed Rashford to replace him against Midtjylland in 2016. In Rashford and Greenwood, United may have two in the space of four years. The challenge for Greenwood is to transmit his cup form to the league; five of his six goals have come in the cups.

Greenwood's potency will fuel the weekend celebrations surrounding United's 4,000th consecutive first-team game with a youth teamer in the matchday squad. Greenwood, Brandon Williams and James Garner kept the academy conveyor belt moving and United prolonged their momentum. They have topped their Europa League group and avoided Champions League heavyweights Inter Milan and Ajax.

There was also life in the old dogs. From Nemanja Matic to Juan Mata to Ashley Young, the three 30-somethings procured the breakthrough that triggered the second-half goal glut of four strikes within 11 minutes. Mata and Matic atoned for a first-half one-two that skipped the 'two' and the Spaniard's cross was arrowed into the roof of the net with conviction by Young. Within eight minutes, Mata had also whipped in a penalty and United were 3-0 up.

Five of the starting XI served their time in the academy at Carrington and Ethan Laird emerged for his senior Old Trafford debut. Some are guaranteed to be selected in the matchday squad and Solskjaer's vision continues to garner vindication following the spirited triumphs over Tottenham Hotspur and City.

A measure of United's recent progress can also be gauged by the selections of bit-part members Matic, Mata and Andreas Pereira against Alkmaar - the trio started in the season nadir at West Ham in September and, however commendable their second-half efforts against Alkmaar, they will not retain their places for the Everton encounter on Sunday. The early withdrawals of Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire all but confirmed the team for the weekend.

Matic was recalled for his first appearance since the reverse fixture on October 3 and, especially in the first-half, looked like a 31-year-old who had been sidelined for two months. He has at least regained fitness in time for the opening of the winter window and Matic is believed to be open to relocating. Mata, also 31, has accepted a supportive role at United but remains an invaluable mentor for prolific prodigy like Greenwood.

The inclusions of 30-somethings Matic and Mata in a Europa League group game reinforce Solskjaer's strategy that youth should underpin United's resurgence. Greenwood was the most polished performer before the attack clicked into life at the re-start following an impotent first-half.

Alkmaar brought a hearty contingent of a few thousand supporters yet United's own singing section - specifically reserved for underwhelming home cup ties - were again in the south-west corner and too distant to generate an acceptable atmosphere. It was reassuring to hear the voluble United supporters take umbrage with the cringing light show towards the game's finale. The attendance was 65,773; politicians were not the only ones who gave up their seats on Thursday night.

The rookie Greenwood deprived his more senior teammates of excuses in the first-half by fashioning some good opportunities that were both squandered by Mata and Pereira was game, if inadequate on the left-hand side where he spent a season playing for Granada three seasons ago. Whatever Solskjaer said at the interval had the desired effect, for United eviscerated AZ, the superior side before the pause, and the result was secure after an hour.

And Greenwood was dynamite.