Manchester United fans might not always appreciate the distraction of the FA Cup but this weekend it provided them with a timely reminder of the potential talents at the club which remain somewhat untapped.
Ralf Rangnick's side will complete the third round when they host Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Monday night, with the victors set to welcome Middlesbrough in the fourth round as reward, a unique challenge given the two sides face off in the Premier League this weekend too.
A repeat Villa victory of their league win in September wouldn't be considered a massive win on a weekend in which the Magic of the Cup™ has been in full swing.
The latest of which was success for Nottingham Forest against Arsenal on Sunday night. Once a tussle between two of the finest teams in the world, the meeting at the famous City Ground was filled with nostalgia, though United supporters watching on will have been excited by the bright future which lies ahead instead.
Most fans will be aware of the talented youngster James Garner, a player who Ole Gunnar Solskjaer compared to a young Michael Carrick during his time at the club, something he has demonstrated during his time in Nottingham this season.
Garner, 20, has primarily been deployed as a defensive midfielder during his second loan stint at Forest and looks reinvigorated under new manager Steve Cooper, who has pushed him slightly further up the pitch into a more customary central midfield role.
The Birkenhead-born boy is not a youngster who grabs the headlines with a dazzling step over or an utterly ridiculous scoring record at youth level. Instead, he is a mature, level-headed controller of the game who operates calmly in possession and is showing experience far beyond his years.
Garner only has one goal and one assist from 22 outings this season. They both came in the space of twelve minutes against Peterborough last month, yet he has still managed to shine by keeping things simple in the middle of the pitch.
It was something he did on Sunday night too, disrupting Arsenal's rhythm with a combative approach that saw him thwart attacks and relish the opportunity to frustrate his foes.
Despite his reputation as a pass master, Garner finished with a pass accuracy of only 76 percent, which isn't particularly impressive, but he excelled in other areas of his game.The youngster won 100 per cent of his aerial duels, won the ball six times, completed two interceptions and performed three clearances.
This industrial side to his game has rarely been seen at United, and it is huge encouragement to see a player of his age so eager to do the dirty work, forming a solid platform which Forest needed to execute their upset.
There were still a couple of moments of individual brilliance on show too, as Garner almost curled in a sensational free-kick to open the scoring and also carved open the Arsenal defence with a superbly weighted pass from his own half.
With many elements to his game, Garner is proving he does have the potential to make it in the top-flight and with United's midfield such a problem position, he surely needs to get another opportunity at the end of the season.
At such a tender age, patience is required and the key for the youngster is to be playing football every single week, something which wouldn't be afforded if he returned to Old Trafford right now, even if some fans believe he should.
With a potential play-off push on the cards in the months ahead, Garner's upward trajectory could perfectly intersect with United's own need for a new midfielder this summer. It seems certain he'll get another chance at least.
Time will tell if he ever has the consistency required to make it in the Premier League, but based on his performance in the FA Cup, there is plenty of reason to dream.
