When coach Mark Dempsey entered the press box for a quick post-match chat after a recent academy game at Old Trafford, he was warm, engaging and keen to focus on the positives from Manchester United's draw against Arsenal.
Dempsey was without key players and he picked a youthful side, with four players handed their full Premier League 2 debuts. It has been a transitional campaign for the Under-21s and coaches knew results would be difficult due to the age of the team.
On the surface, the U21s have regressed, but it's understood the season has still been considered a success internally. Sources have indicated there was never any panic at the results and that it 'pretty much went exactly to plan'.
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The U21s finished the PL2 season having conceded the most goals in the division and with nine fewer points than in 2021/22, but it's been stressed 'individual player development is always key' and that winning individual games is not the priority.
That stance has been tested, especially when just a few miles across Manchester, Manchester City successfully defended their PL2 title, but staff believe the club previously held players back for the sake of results when that was wrong.
The word 'success' has a clear definition in the senior game but it's not that simple in youth football. It's understood the main purpose of the club's academy is to develop players to form the core of a winning first team and it's felt that is being achieved.
Erik ten Hag has given Zidane Iqbal and Kobbie Mainoo the chance to spend the season around the first team and the pair have been given opportunities to make the senior squad for important games, like against Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Mainoo was given his first-team debut against Charlton in the League Cup in January. He made his debut in the Premier League just a month later and he's been described by sources as a 'real natural talent with high technical ability'.
There are high hopes for Mainoo and he's considered as the shining light of his age group. He was instrumental in the club's success in the FA Youth Cup last year and those who know him best paint a picture of a grounded, likeable young man.
When Mainoo took part in his first training session with the first team, he nonchalantly told a coach 'it was alright' and that he 'did ok'. It's understood two senior players subsequently told that coach he'd actually impressed and held his own.
That is typical of his personality and those who are connected to him have said they'd be surprised if he ever got ahead of himself. Mainoo can play anywhere in a midfield three, but it's thought he will be best equipped to play in the No.8 role long-term.
United have a talent on their hands with Mainoo, regardless of which midfield position he specialises in. He might have been absent from recent matchday squads, but that's been due to an injury and he's expected to return for pre-season.
There was also a debut for Charlie McNeill in the Europa League in September before he left for Newport County on loan, whilst youngsters Rhys Bennett, Tyler Fredricson and Radek Vitek have trained with the first team for large periods.
That means those players have been unavailable for a number of academy games and sources have indicated that will always take priority due to the benefits for individuals and the importance of supplementing training sessions at Carrington.
In addition, this season would have been Alejandro Garnacho’s U21 campaign in terms of usual progress, but the winger has pleasantly surprised academy coaches with his progress, which has seen him thrive in the first-team environment.
Away from the pitch, it has been a season of change for the coaching staff. Neil Wood became Salford City's manager last summer and he'd spent three years managing the U21s, helping 17 academy players make their first-team debuts.
Sources at United indicated they were happy with Wood's decision to coach within a first-team environment and Dempsey was named as his replacement as U21 manager, but a different arrangement was confirmed for EFL Trophy fixtures.
The reshuffle at the start of the season meant Dempsey would take the U21s' matches in the PL2, but Travis Binnion, who is head of player development and coaching and Under-18 boss, would oversee fixtures in the EFL Trophy.
It's understood that Dempsey and Binnion still discuss tactics and game plans when the latter takes control of the U21s in the EFL Trophy, however, the latter has played down the importance of who actually takes the games.
United's campaign in the EFL Trophy, known as the Papa John's Trophy for sponsorship reasons, was the highlight of the campaign. The U21s reached the quarter-finals of the competition and were only knocked out by eventual winners Bolton.
It was the furthest the club had gone in the EFL Trophy and Binnion, speaking outside of the dressing room after the defeat at the formerly named Reebok Stadium, said he was proud of his players for getting to that stage.
Binnion was more than happy to chat about a game months later when approached in a car park outside Leigh Sports Village. The academy coaches give the impression of genuinely caring about each player and that's the ethos of the club.
The contrasting results in the PL2 and the EFL Trophy can be explained by the approach. League fixtures are prioritised for development, while cup competitions are used to give 'elite young players' the platform to perform against higher opposition.
In layman's terms, the ‘less developed’ player in the academy has played in the PL2 this season because they need minutes and game time over a ‘better’ player who might not necessarily benefit as much from playing in that fixture.
That also explains why the average age of the U21s in the league has been just 19.1, which is the second youngest in the division. It provides context to the campaign, as the average age of the opposition when playing United has been 19.7.
Those extra six months can be important to physical development and the U21s are expected to fare better next term, but it's understood the same policy of promotion of youth will be taken, meaning the average age should remain low.
Five first-year scholars and three Under-16s made their competitive U21 debuts this season and that emphasises the approach.
Erik ten Hag has taken on more responsibility in the academy since his appointment. He told Dutch media in December he felt the U21s were 'isolated' before his arrival and he now takes an active role in deciding which youngsters train with the first team.
The 53-year-old said he wanted 'cooperation between all the different departments', as they have at Ajax, and he's got a healthy relationship with Dempsey, who travelled to the winter training camp in Spain in December, and Binnion.
Shortly after his appointment at Old Trafford, Ten Hag made the trip to non-league Altrincham's stadium Moss Lane to show his commitment to the academy and it's understood his presence came as a surprise to players and staff.
Ten Hag was joined by assistant manager Mitchell van der Gaag and the pair attended the game just hours after returning to Manchester from Chisinau, where the first team had played FC Sheriff in the Europa League.
"It’s wonderful. It’s great for everyone concerned," Dempsey said after the game. "I think one or two of our players went under if I’m honest, thinking the manager was here, but they have to deal with that. It’s good for him to come and see us."
Regarding individual performers, the continued progress of Dan Gore has been a pleasure to follow. Gore played alongside Mainoo in midfield in the Youth Cup-winning side last year and he's been described by Dempsey as 'a proper footballer'.
"I like to see him play football because he’s one of them to get fans off their seats," Dempsey recently said about Gore. "He smashes into people, technically he’s fantastic and he’s been terrific all season. He’s a quiet boy, but he’s a leader."
Gore is well-regarded by staff and he made 26 appearances this season, captaining the team on multiple occasions. He's also had chances to train with the first team and the youngster is understood to have a perfect attitude in training.
Joe Hugill deserves credit for lifting the U21s in the PL2. Hugill was injured at the start of the season and the team sorely missed his goals when he was sidelined, but he hit the ground running when he returned to fitness in October.
The 19-year-old scored 10 goals in 11 starts in the league and if the team had improved defensively, more wins would have been secured with Hugill, who has a habit of regularly finding himself in the right place, leading the line.
Marc Jurado, Isak Hansen-Aaroen and Omari Forson also deserve a mention. All three players have been key for the U21s this season, playing over 20 games, and Forson's goals in the first part of the campaign were particularly important.
The team were struggling to convert their chances but Forson, who plays on the right wing, was able to do his bit. He finished the season with nine goals and three assists, which meant he was the second top goalscorer behind Hugill.
Finally, Jurado's progress was recognised when he was included in the first-team squad to play Nottingham Forest last month. Jurado joined from Barcelona in 2020 and captained the U21 team in a friendly against his former club in February.
The academy sent out multiple players on loan this season. There have been loans for Di'Shon Bernard, Ethan Galbraith, Will Fish, Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri, Matej Kovar, Ethan Laird, Charlie Savage, Shola Shoretire and McNeill.
Some of those players could have been held back, as they would have been considered key performers for the U21s, but the club intend to take the best option for each player's development, which often means loans are arranged.
Of the aforementioned players, Fernandez and Hannibal are most likely to make a breakthrough into the first team. They have both enjoyed productive loans with Preston and Birmingham respectively and they will be carefully assessed in pre-season.
There was Premier League interest in loaning Fernandez last year and his reputation has only been enhanced by his season with Preston. The same applies to Hannibal, who could be sent out on loan again but to a club in the top flight.
Galbraith will leave upon the expiration of his deal next month and Laird's deal is about to expire but the club have the option of another year. It remains to be seen whether that option will be triggered after his loan with QPR.
There will be decisions made on the futures of the remaining players in due course. Bernard, Fish, Kovar, Savage, Shoretire and McNeill are players still under contract and some of those could leave permanently, or leave on loan again.
Overall, there might have been a few poor results for the U21s this season and staff will admit the team's defensive record in the PL2 needs to be improved next year, but the campaign has still been considered a success.
Sources have said it's genuinely believed that every player has followed their individual development plan and moved towards reaching their potential, whilst the academy's approach has been vindicated by Premier League data.
The academy was named as the most productive in England over the last decade in information from the Premier League and United had a total of 10 players from 1997 onward from their youth set up in their first-team throughout the season.
Mainoo, Iqbal, Jurado, Bennett, McNeill, Vitek, Garnacho, Anthony Elanga, Brandon Williams and Marcus Rashford make up those players and there was a heartwarming moment after the Carabao Cup final when academy graduates were pictured together.
It would be a surprise if that picture on the Wembley pitch doesn't already adorn the walls of Carrington.
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