‘More motivated’ - Man City aim to fix frustrating season with U18 cup final win v rivals Man Utd

So, the 2023/24 edition will be settled by a Manchester derby then.

A cup competition that began in the depths of winter will ultimately be determined on a bright spring evening between Manchester United and Manchester City, two clubs with a storied history in the tournament, and who both have recent experience collecting silverware.

No, it’s not the 2024 FA Cup final.

Just under five weeks before Erik ten Hag and Pep Guardiola’s sides cross swords at Wembley, there’s another important derby on the horizon for United and City fans.

Tonight (Tuesday) at Leigh Sports Village, the Reds and Blues will renew what is becoming an increasingly significant rivalry between the clubs’ Under-18 sides. Between them, the Manchester teams have won the last five Under-18 Premier League North titles, and this season looks set to mark the fourth consecutive year in which the clubs have finished in the top three. At this level, they’re consistently the best of the best.

But after four years of City dominance, it’s United who took top spot this season - and in some style, too. Nineteen wins from 22 games is a remarkable record at any level, and United have simply blown the competition out of the water. City are their closest rivals and trail the Red Devils by 13 points, albeit they have two games in hand.

While City’s stranglehold on the league is over, the Under-18s could still end the season with silverware. An FA Youth Cup final against Leeds United next month is the biggest prize on offer, but the final of the Under-18 Premier League Cup - a competition that started with 28 youth teams - provides City the chance to exact revenge over the side that nicked their league crown.

“It’s not something we’ve spoken about,” manager Ben Wilkinson told ManchesterWorld. “But naturally, with the success we’ve had in the league over the last few years, it’s not something you want to give up lightly.

“We were never really able to put pressure on them in the last months of the season, even after we beat them, because they were so many games in front of us. The lads will obviously be disappointed that for the first time in a while we haven’t won it and there should be a little bit more motivation in there if needed.”

As difficult as the thought of toppling the best youth side in the country may seem, recent history is on City’s side. The Blues inflicted United’s only defeat of the season when they won last month’s derby 4-1, while Wilkinson refers to the reverse fixture - a 1-0 loss at Carrington - as a game that City ‘could easily have won’.

“For us, the game is a final and we just want to see how they perform and behave in a big arena without having the added emotion of playing against United,” he explained. “As a template, last time we played them, we were in a position where we felt we had to win and were chasing them. They coped with that outstandingly well and they performed tactically and technically to a really high level that day.

“I think from my point of view, that has to be the focus rather than who we are playing or what the environment is. Can you bring your A-game in that moment and can you apply the things we want tactically and also in the game show that when you have to suffer you can suffer, because I’m sure that’ll happen in the game at some point.

“They [United] have had an outstanding season and their numbers are really good, but I think we can take a lot of heart from the games we played against them. The game we played here I thought was our best performance of the season and we won really comfortably and could have won by more on the day. 

“We know that if we can perform near to our best we are capable of beating them. It’s just a case of planning and prepping the game, trying our best, and the lads understanding the game plan and carrying it out. These games often tend to get decided on really small details and hopefully we can come out on top. I’m sure the lads will be more than ready.”

For all the frustration that has arisen from City losing their Under-18 Premier League crown, Wilkinson feels a sense of pride that his youngsters pushed United as far as they could, may still win two cups, and made it to the semis of the Under-17 version of the Premier League Cup, all while dealing with an extensive injury list this season.

There is also an illustrious reputation to uphold for Wilkinson and his team. In the last decade City have established themselves as the country’s leading youth academy, not just due to their penchant for racking up winners’ medals, but also because of the outstanding talents the club have nurtured.

Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Rico Lewis and Romeo Lavia are among the headline names to progress through the ranks in recent years, but there are plenty more examples - and that list will only increase in the coming seasons. While the development of precocious talent will always be the academy’s primary objective, the importance of winning high-pressure games shouldn’t be overlooked.

“For us, the experience of being something like a first-team game is without doubt the best experiences we get,” explained Wilkinson, the former non-league player who has overseen three trophy-laided years as Under-18s manager. 

“It’s really important for us as an academy to arrive at this point of the season and try to give the players these moments. We’re quite lucky that we have quite a few players in this group who have experienced big games: World Cups, internationals, Premier League Cup semi-finals, Youth Cup finals, whatever it is, even first-team involvement.

“From the lads’ point of view, it’s something that they’ll feel comfortable in that environment, but ultimately it’s about matching the occasion and that’s what we’ll try to control.

“I think we consistently tell our players that the best thing to do, at this stage of the season, is to have the opportunity to play in finals, whether that’s in the leagues or the cups. If we can consistently do that from a development point of view, it’s where we learn the most about our players.”

But will there be a change in approach from his players ahead of such a big game? “I think you see a slight increase in intensity and the mentality of the players. I think they understand when these moments come around and I think you see a slight change in their mindset.

“It’s a really good 18s fixture, playing in a final against United. It’s a top fixture and we’re really looking forward to the game. I’m just hoping the lads can go and show the best versions of themselves in terms of their performance.”

Whether City can win - and claim some sort of reprisal for United’s dominance this season - will be determined on the pitch in one game at Leigh. What is less uncertain, however, is that the structures and practices in place at the Etihad Campus will result in further trophies and successes over the coming years.

For those attending on Tuesday night, maybe think about saving the teamsheet - you might want to look at it again in a few years’ time.