Manchester United fans have shown class by making FA Youth Cup history at Old Trafford

What does it mean to be Manchester United? That's a question the club has hopelessly wrestled with over the last decade.

United have obviously lost their way since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. The club has equalled its longest trophy drought for 40 years this season and joy has been absent from Carrington and Old Trafford, which looked sparse on Thursday against Chelsea.

There has only been one positive this season: United's academy. United have a rich history of developing talent and that's crucially one aspect of their identity they've managed to hold on to. Sir Matt Busby laid those foundations and they've been maintained, even during the last 10 years, which has seen little first-team success. United have won just three trophies since 2013.

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The importance of the FA Youth Cup for United has never been a secret. United have won the Youth Cup (10) more than other club and former academy graduates have admitted the significance of the competition was drilled into them from the very start in the youth set-up. The Youth Cup is the pinnacle of academy football and only the best U18 teams make the final.

United's U18s have done exactly that this season. United last made the Youth Cup final in 2011 - Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Ravel Morrison featured in that side - and it's been a long wait for the club's pupils to make another final in the competition.

Travis Binnion's side are bidding to make more history for the club. United's U18s ruthlessly beat Wolves 3-0 in dominant fashion thanks to goals from Charlie McNeill and Alejandro Garnacho in March to progress to the final, where they'll play Nottingham Forest.

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