In an ideal world, Manchester United's Under-21s would reflect the first-team, with the philosophy and style flowing into the academy from the manager, Erik ten Hag, but the two sides have gone in the opposite direction in the calendar year of 2022.
The U21s started 2022 in fine form and they enjoyed a strong finish to the end of last season, while the first-team's start to 2022 was miserable, but they've now swapped places, in regard to results. Ten Hag has made laudable progress and the first-team have achieved improved results over the last few months, but wins have been hard to come by for the U21s in the new campaign.
Although Mark Dempsey's side have managed just one win in the Premier League 2, academy staff are not concerned about the U21s' form this season, as there is an emphasis placed on individual development, not results in the club's youth set-up.
