Manchester United academy providing some promise during disappointing season

Manchester United’s academy are providing some promise in a disappointing season for a club that is a win away from a first FA Youth Cup final since Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Co triumphed in 2011.

It has been another week of scrutiny and introspection around the club after Ralf Rangnick’s Red Devils suffered a chastening Premier League derby defeat at Manchester City.

That result ratcheted up the pressure ahead of Saturday’s clash with top-four rivals Tottenham, but Old Trafford is hosting another important game before then as the under-18s take on Wolves in the FA Youth Cup semi-final.

United are the most successful club in the competition’s history and head of academy Nick Cox is excited by the progress being made by this talented group.

“The players and staff are aware of what the Youth Cup means at this football club in terms of the history and association we have, and some of the players and some of the groups that have won the competition,” he told the PA news agency.

“We know that here is a lovely opportunity for the boys to put their name in the history book.

“For some players that go on to have a career, it will still be one of the most magical things that they do. For some of our boys that go on and don’t have a career, it will be the thing that they’re telling their grandkids about forevermore.

“We get that, we understand that and we will do our very best to win.

“The other side of the coin is that whether we win or whether we lose – we could lose the game by a mistake or a lick of paint – it doesn’t actually change the quality of player we’ve got in that group.

“We know that we’ve got some highly-talented individuals who are going to go on to do really well in the game.

“I love that the Youth Cup brings