It's probably fair to say it has been a season of transition for Cardiff City's under-21s.
Darren Purse has had to deal with a big turnover in staff, including strength and conditioning coaches, analysts and others leaving, as well as fielding a very youthful side last season.
He credits his goalkeeping coach Darran Lovall and assistant coach Matt Bloxham for helping him steer Cardiff to a respectable fourth-placed finish in their Professional Development League 2 South campaign.
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But former Bluebirds captain Purse is demanding and has exacting standards. While he is pleased with aspects of the campaign, he also concedes there is work to be done to build on the foundations laid during his 18 months at the helm.
Asked about the season, he said: "Inconsistent, which I expected at the start of the season. If you look at the side I took over in December, January last season, it was so young.
"You look at the squad which won 11 on the spin, most of them went out on loan or moved up to the first team. The first year, 18 months, was always going to be transitional. We lost a lot of players and a lot of really good players, but that's under-21s football – they move on to the next step.
"James Connolly went to Bristol Rovers, Chanka Zimba goes out on loan, Kingy (Eli King) is playing with the first team and then goes out on loan, Isaak Davies was up in the first team. There are so many successes with loans, I walked into a really young side, but it's the side of the game I really enjoy.
"The youngsters give you an energy and a drive and hang on every word you say, which is excellent to see.
"That's the beauty of under-21s football, we try and promote the best under-18s we have got to try and stretch them. If anyone looked at when I took over and the squad Morro (Steve Morison) had and the one we've got at the minute, our average age is probably two or three years younger."
Just glancing at Cardiff under-21s' results doesn't really give you the full picture. When City's side went 11 unbeaten under Morison, a lot of them were pushing past 20 years of age and would ideally have been out on loan or in with the first team.
Purse is now pleased the younger lads are getting a chance, even if it does come at the expense of the odd result. It means the likes of Morgan Wigley, James Crole, Joel Colwill and Caleb Hughes, who were all brought on by Mark Hudson for the Peter Whittingham Memorial Game against Aston Villa at the end of November, could see their own pathway to the first team emerge in front of them.
Purse believes those four are ones to keep an eye on.
"That's the way it has evolved," he said of the younger teams he has been fielding this season. "There are probably seven or eight of those who are either in the first team or out on loan. Now we have the next evolution of the team coming through.
"If you look at the Aston Villa game, you probably see three or four of those boys who are the next shining lights coming through.
"It's been a bit of a transitional year, but for me, I've learned more than I ever thought I would have learned with regards to man management, it's been a real challenge. It's one I've enjoyed though and tried to embrace."
Purse is very much all about the collective. He is loath to pick out the names of players to look out for next season, instead he wants every player to feel as though they have a chance to impress whenever they are in the eyeline of the first-team manager.
"I don't really like picking out individuals, I let them do the talking on the pitch," he added. "But I think every player within that team has got an opportunity. We are facilitating an opportunity for them, but what they do with that opportunity is up to them.
"Whether they are on a one-year, two-year or three-year contract, at some stage that contract is going to end and will need to be renewed. What you do within the time of that contract will decide whether you get a contract or move to another club.
"Every player within the under-21s will be given an opportunity to train with the first team at some stage. It's what they do with that and how they embrace every day they come to work will determine what sort of career they have.
"The boys who played in the Villa game will have bright futures. I think Joel Colwill, Cian Ashford are outstanding young players. But there are second-year scholars who are pushing for their positions, so that will push the quality of the group up as well."
Granted, we've not seen too many debuts from the academy over the last six months or so, but that's because Sabri Lamouchi and Mark Hudson were right in the midst of a dogfight and would likely have felt it unfair to throw in unproven players in the hope they got them out of the muck.
But there were some signs of encouragement. Xavier Benjamin, the recently-crowned academy player of the year, was named on the bench against Luton Town and Hull City, Eli King came on for the last few minutes against Burnley and Jake Dennis, the young goalkeeper, travelled with the first team on a number of occasions towards the end of the campaign alongside Rohan Luthra.
Purse is thought of highly within the club. He is believed to have the right character and temperament to shepherd these young men through from youth football to senior football. Although, by his own admission, he has learnt a lot about man management since arriving here at the start of last year.
He is clearly someone who, in time, will have a future in senior management. Ultimately, that's his goal. But, for now, he is happy with the path he is on and is looking forward to another year at the coal face with Cardiff's potential stars of tomorrow.
"I'm really comfortable. I love working for the football club and living in south Wales. Ever since I played down here I loved it and my wife is really settled, she really enjoys it here," he said.
"I see it as a bit of a long-term project and I'm really enjoying it. Am I ready for first-team football? When I walked into the building 18 months ago from my job at Oxford, I wanted to go into first-team football. I've learned so much over the last 18 months that I will be ready in the next year or two.
"But at this moment in time I'm enjoying my learning experience and trying to make these young players better. Just enjoying the journey."
Purse will now have to forge a relationship with yet another first-team manager in Erol Bulut, who was announced as the new boss last Saturday.
Bulut is expected to hold talks with Purse and academy manager Gavin Chesterfield and has already given his view on young players and promoting the best talent from within the club, which you can read about here.
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